1. One of the most intriguing types of ghost stories is that of the phantom hitchhiker. Such stories are particularly (1) ______ because they suggest that ghosts may come into direct contact with the living. Even more (2) ______ is the fact that these spirits are often described as appearing and behaving just like ordinary people, sometimes even interacting physically with those who pick them up. A typical version of the story involves a driver traveling alone at night who offers a ride to a stranger. After dropping the passenger off at a certain location, the driver later (3) ______ that the person had actually died long before the encounter, often on that very same date. Like many ghost stories, such accounts are difficult to (4) ______ and are generally regarded as urban legends. Nevertheless, these tales continue to (5) ______ the imagination of many, leaving it up to each individual to decide whether to believe them.

(A) reassuring

(B) unsettling

(C) convincing

(D) misleading