The Reading / Listening - UFOs and UAPs - Level 4

Speculation about extraterrestrial life is increasing after the release of never-before-seen documents. The Pentagon released 161 files containing reports of sightings. These include reports from astronauts, the military, and civilians. One description was from Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. In 1969, he reported seeing a mysterious light that he said was a possible laser. In 1965, astronaut Frank Boman reported seeing "trillions of little particles".

President Donald Trump asked for the files to be released. He wanted his administration "to provide government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs)". Many organizations welcomed the release. One research group called for a full review of classified records. It said people should know the full truth about government knowledge "concerning technologies and vehicles not of human origin".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    UFOs and UAPs - Level 5 or  UFOs and UAPs - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m2epkey44o
  • https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/bright-lights-hot-orbs-ufo-files-shed-light-132777354
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/8/make-up-their-own-minds-pentagon-releases-first-tranche-of-ufo-files


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. speculation about
  2. the Pentagon
  3. reports
  4. astronauts, the military,
  5. Apollo 11
  6. he reported seeing a mysterious
  7. a possible
  8. trillions of little
  1. laser
  2. light
  3. particles
  4. released 161 files
  5. extraterrestrial life
  6. and civilians
  7. astronaut Buzz Aldrin
  8. of sightings

Paragraph 2

  1. Trump asked for the files to
  2. provide government
  3. alien and
  4. Many organizations
  5. a full review
  6. people should know the full
  7. government
  8. vehicles not of human
  1. welcomed the release
  2. truth
  3. files
  4. origin
  5. extraterrestrial life
  6. be released
  7. of classified records
  8. knowledge

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Speculation about extraterrestrial (1) ________________________________________________ after the release of never-(2) ________________________________________________. The Pentagon released 161 files (3) ________________________________________________ sightings. These include reports from astronauts, the (4) ________________________________________________. One description was from Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. In 1969, he reported seeing a (5) ________________________________________________ he said was a possible laser. In 1965, astronaut Frank Boman reported seeing "(6) ________________________________________________ particles".

President Donald Trump asked (7) ________________________________________________ to be released. He wanted his (8) ________________________________________________ government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs)". (9) ________________________________________________ the release. One research group called for a (10) ________________________________________________ classified records. It said people should know the (11) ________________________________________________ government knowledge "concerning technologies and vehicles not (12) ________________________________________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Speculationaboutextraterrestriallifeisincreasingafterthereleaseofne
ver-before-seendocuments.ThePentagonreleased161filescontaini
ngreportsofsightings.Theseincludereportsfromastronauts,themilita
ry,andcivilians.OnedescriptionwasfromApollo11astronautBuzzAldri
n.In1969,hereportedseeingamysteriouslightthathesaidwasapossibl
elaser.In1965,astronautFrankBomanreportedseeing"trillionsoflittle
particles".PresidentDonaldTrumpaskedforthefilestobereleased.He
wantedhisadministration"toprovidegovernmentfilesrelate
dtoalienandextraterrestriallifeandUnidentifiedAerialPhenomena(UA
Ps)".Manyorganizationswelcomedtherelease.Oneresearchgroupcall
edforafullreviewofclassifiedrecords.Itsaidpeopleshouldknowthefullt
ruthaboutgovernmentknowledge"concerningtechnologiesandvehicl
esnotofhumanorigin".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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