Bigfoot or Skinny Dipper? — Reading Lesson

Read the Story

A New York hiker may have photographed Bigfoot. Or a naked person in a pond. Or something else entirely, because it’s hard to tell from 240 feet away.

The woman spotted the figure while hiking in a remote part of Onondaga County on Aug. 10, according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. She initially thought it was a man wading in the marshy pond but decided the figure looked “inhuman” after reviewing her photos at home.

An investigator estimated the figure was about 4 feet, 9 inches tall and declared it was likely a juvenile sasquatch — although to be clear, there’s no scientific proof that sasquatch exist as a species beyond the imagination of dedicated groups like the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization and their members.

The organization acknowledged the far less thrilling possibility that the subject in the photo was an elderly human but argued that no sensible person would choose such an unpleasant spot for a skinny dip.

No one has stepped forward to claim the blurry title of the “Syracuse Figure,” and the Bigfoot group has kept the location of the photo equally obscure.

Test Your Knowledge

Choose one answer for each question based on the story, then complete the sentences. Each answer is worth one point.

Complete the Sentences

1. The woman was taking part in the outdoor activity of (choose a word or phrase) .

2. She spotted the figure in a (choose a word or phrase) part of Onondaga County.

3. The figure appeared to be wading in a marshy (choose a word or phrase) .

4. The woman reviewed her photos at (choose a word or phrase) .

5. The investigator described the possible sasquatch as a (choose a word or phrase) , meaning a young one.

6. The organization acknowledged that the figure might be an (choose a word or phrase) human.

7. A “skinny dip” means swimming without (choose a word or phrase) .

8. The unclear subject in the photograph became known as the (choose a word or phrase) .

9. The group has kept the exact photo location (choose a word or phrase) , or unclear.

10. The story distinguishes the investigator’s belief from scientific (choose a word or phrase) .