Home, Sweet Home

What is the strangest place you can think of to live?

1 Most people feel a strong attachment to their homes. It is not uncommon for people to do everything they can to protect their belongings and the place they call home from danger. But how far would you be willing to go? Would you choose to live in a place that was in a constant state of danger?

2 For years, it wasn’t a hard question for Jack Thompson to answer. He lived in one of the most dangerous places on Earth, but it was just home to him. Thompson lived in Hawaii near Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. He owned a home in a subdivision called Royal Gardens. It was different than subdivisions that might be familiar to you. Thompson was the only resident. Everyone else evacuated when Kilauea began erupting in 1983.

3 Thompson became accustomed to living in close quarters with the volcano. The flow of the 2,000-degree lava that eventually consumed many of the homes in Thompson’s neighborhood no longer astonished him. He still had a healthy respect for the power of Kilauea, but he did not live every day in fear. After all, it was Thompson’s choice to stay in his home, even though the environment he was used to changed so drastically.

4 Thompson’s home was completely encompassed by the products of lava flow. Portions of it cooled enough to allow Thompson a way out, either on foot or by motorcycle. However, his path was unreliable. Bubbling lava lay just below the surface of rock that Thompson crossed. Sometimes, it was hot enough to melt the rubber on his shoes. At any time, a sudden crack could open up, revealing the redhot dangerous liquid. Thompson knew that he needed to keep moving because it was unsafe to linger for long on the quickly changing surface. 5 It took an hour for Thompson to travel three miles over the unsteady rock. When he left his home to get supplies, he had to be sure to purchase all the essentials because he never knew when he might be trapped for a period of time by a fresh lava flow. Thompson did not have a telephone line or electricity, so he learned how to function using solar power, gas appliances, and rainwater that he collected and stored.

6 There is no doubt that the life Thompson lead isn’t for everyone. But he loved the natural beauty of his home, and he even liked the isolation that comes with living in such an inaccessible location. Unfortunately, in 2012, the inevitable happened. There had been many close calls over the years. Thompson was used to that. But in 2012, the lava got too close, and Thompson had to evacuate. The lava took over the last remaining house in Royal Gardens. It was time for Jack Thompson to find a new home in Hawaii’s tropical paradise.

Spectrum Reading Grade 6

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Circle the word that best completes each sentence below.

1. Jack Thompson became _______________ to living in the path of an active volcano.

related accustomed furious

2. Thompson enjoyed living in a beautiful and _______________ area.

terrifying common remote

3. Thompson used several _______________ energy sources.

alternative expensive unrealistic

4. How was Royal Gardens different than other subdivisions?

5. What does it mean to live “in close quarters” with the volcano?

6. Why do you think that Thompson refused to move when everyone else sought shelter in safer places?

7. Check the sentence below that is the best summary for paragraph 3.

The lava that flowed near Thompson’s home averaged about 2,000 degrees.

_____ Thompson respected the power of the volcano but had become used to living so close to it.

The lava consumed many homes in Thompson’s neighborhood.

8. How would you feel about living in a dangerous place, the way Jack Thompson did? Explain.

Spectrum Reading Grade 6

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