paulding, mi—in daylight, the swampy area known as dog meadow is unimpressive—a dead-end dirt road capped off by a guardrail facing the dense northern michigan forest. a wooden sign served as the only indication that we had reached our destination. it is hard to believe that this location has fueled forty years of rumors. after parking, we hopped out to examine the sign. “this is the location from which the famous paulding light can be observed,” it explained. “the light will appear each evening in the ” my photographer, anthony, finished reading the sign and looked at me skeptically. i just shrugged. a good journalist gathers the facts before rendering judgment. anthony took a few photos before we ventured into town to interview witnesses.

2a group of teenagers first reported a mysterious light outside of paulding, michigan in 1966. although some dismissed the teens’ statements, many people decided to investigate the phenomenon for themselves. since that preliminary report, groups have congregated at the site nightly to witness the abnormal light emerge on the horizon. the so-called paulding light has been the subject of intense scrutiny throughout northern michigan over the years. the most peculiar theories assert that the light originates on another planet or in another dimension. the more mundane hypotheses allege that human technology is the true cause of the light.

in town, we interviewed several residents about the infamous light. a young mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said she witnessed the light one evening with her family. the bizarre noises that accompanied the inexplicable light unnerved her so much that she has avoided the area since that initial encounter.

4over the years, amateur and professional investigators have launched inquiries into the cause of the paulding light. the television programs unsolved mysteries and ripley’s believe it or not dispatched teams of expert to paulding several years ago to attempt to discover an explanation for the mysterious occurrence. the results of these investigations, however, were inconclusive. ripley’s producers even offered $100,000 to anyone who could solve the mystery, but no one has verified an exact cause. paulding light aficionados accentuate this aspect when confronted with ordinary explanations for the puzzling light.

skeptics assert that the rerouting of us highway 45 in the 1960s made automobile headlights visible from the meadow. others suspect that luminous gases seeping from the swamp cause the incandescent globes in the evening sky. some citizens speculate that the light is just a prank perpetuated by a local resident. believers contend that the frequency of the paulding light rules out human interference. the idea that someone could manage such an elaborate hoax for four decades seems improbable.

6after sunset, anthony and i returned to dog meadow to observe the lights. by the time we arrived, a rowdy group had already organized near the guardrail, and tension filled the air as we waited. keeping our eyes glued to the horizon, we listened as the assembly enthusiastically discussed the legends surrounding the light—tales that ranged from the commonplace to the truly outlandish. paranormal activity, including the possibility of phantoms and extraterrestrials, prominently factored into many of the myths. the more conservative theorists hypothesized that a combination of environmental and manmade factors could account for the strange radiance.

which best explains why the author includes section 2 at the beginning of the passage?
a) to describe the location of dog meadow
b) to provide necessary background information
c) to emphasize the involvement of young people
d) to convince the reader that the paulding light is real
8)
many people do not believe the paulding light is a hoax because
a) they think there is something supernatural in the forest.
b) it is impossible to make a beam of light continuously shift colors.
c) they believe that the light is the result of an environmental change.
d) it is improbable that a person could manage the light for forty years.
9)
based on the details and organization of this passage, which of these best explains the author’s purpose?
a) to encourage readers to visit paulding, michigan
b) to relate different stories about the paulding light
c) to convince readers that the paulding light is abnormal
d) to tell about her personal experience with the paulding light