Page 58 - Grasp English B1+ (Workbook)

6 Ghost Stories

C. Read the text.
In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into a house The events of the family’s stay in the house were
in Amityville, in the state of New York. The house had written in a book published in 1977 and have
been left abandoned following a series of dreadful been used in a number of films. However, although
murders 13 months earlier, in which Ronald DeFeo Jr the author of the book, Jay Anson, says the story
had murdered six members of his family. George and is based on real events, some people believe the
Kathy Lutz had been told about the murders when Lutzes never experienced any supernatural events.
visiting the house and decided it wasn’t an issue On the one hand, people who have lived in the
moving in with Kathy’s children – Daniel, Christopher house after the Lutz family have never had any
and Missy – and the family dog, Harry. eerie experiences in the house. Furthermore,
At first, there was nothing creepy about the house, events which are said to have happened on
although when the family moved in, they did invite a particular dates – such as weird footprints in the
priest to bless the house. However, weird things soon snow on New Year’s Day, 1976 – have been found
started to happen, leading to the family leaving the to be inaccurate.
house just a month after moving in. On the other hand, during a visit to the house in
For example, George found a gloomy room, with early 1976, paranormal investigators took a photo
red walls, hidden in the basement. Harry refused to of a young boy, who looked a lot like one of the
go into the room, trembling as though he felt there members of the DeFeo family, although there were
was a wicked presence in it. George also began to no children in the house at the time. Additionally,
hear noises, like the sound of a door slamming or in 1979, both George and Kathy took a lie-detector
musical instruments – but when he went to where the test, which indicated that neither of them lied
sound came from, there was nothing there. They also about the events in the house.
had some unearthly experiences. One day, George Whether you believe it’s a true story or not, the
tripped over a large lion ornament and saw he had house on 112 Ocean Avenue has become the
bite marks on his ankle. Despite moving the lion setting for one of the most famous ghost stories in
upstairs, it later reappeared in the living room. America.

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