The Reading / Listening - UFOs and UAPs - Level 5

Speculation about the existence of extraterrestrial life is increasing after the release of never-before-seen documents on UFOs. The Pentagon declassified and released 161 files containing reports of sightings. These include reports from astronauts, the military, and civilians. One notable description was from Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. In 1969, he reported seeing a mysterious light. He said he "tentatively ascribed it to a possible laser". In 1965, astronaut Frank Boman reported seeing "trillions of little particles" from the Gemini 7 spacecraft.

President Donald Trump requested the release of the files. He wrote: "It was my honour to direct my administration to identify and provide government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs)." Many organizations welcomed the release. The Sol Foundation, a research group focused on UAPs, called for a full review of classified records. It said people should know "the full truth about longstanding government knowledge and programs concerning technologies and vehicles not of human origin".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    UFOs and UAPs - Level 4 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. the existence of
  2. the release of never-before-seen
  3. The Pentagon declassified and
  4. reports
  5. astronauts, the military,
  6. Apollo 11
  7. he reported seeing a
  8. trillions of little
  1. mysterious light
  2. of sightings
  3. particles
  4. documents
  5. extraterrestrial life
  6. and civilians
  7. released 161 files
  8. astronaut Buzz Aldrin

Paragraph 2

  1. Trump requested the release
  2. files related to alien and
  3. Many organizations
  4. a research group focused
  5. a full review of classified
  6. people should know the full
  7. programs concerning
  8. vehicles not of human
  1. extraterrestrial life
  2. technologies
  3. on UAPs
  4. records
  5. origin
  6. welcomed the release
  7. truth
  8. of the files

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Speculation about (1) ________________________________________________ extraterrestrial life is increasing after the release of never-before-seen documents on UFOs. The Pentagon (2) ________________________________________________ 161 files containing reports of sightings. These include reports from astronauts, the (3) ________________________________________________. One notable description was from Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. In 1969, he reported (4) ________________________________________________ light. He said he "tentatively (5) ________________________________________________ possible laser". In 1965, astronaut Frank Boman reported seeing "(6) ________________________________________________ particles" from the Gemini 7 spacecraft.

President Donald Trump (7) ________________________________________________ of the files. He wrote: "It was my honour to direct my administration to identify and provide government files (8) ________________________________________________ and extraterrestrial life and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs)." Many organizations (9) ________________________________________________. The Sol Foundation, a research group focused on UAPs, called for a full (10) ________________________________________________ sified records. It said people should know "the full truth about longstanding government (11) ________________________________________________ concerning technologies and vehicles not (12) ________________________________________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Speculationabouttheexistenceofextraterrestriallifeisincreasingafter
thereleaseofnever-before-seendocumentsonUFOs.ThePentagonde
classifiedandreleased161filescontainingreportsofsightings.Thesein
cludereportsfromastronauts,themilitary,andcivilians.Onenotablede
scriptionwasfromApollo11astronautBuzzAldrin.In1969,hereporteds
eeingamysteriouslight.Hesaidhe"tentativelyascribedtoapossiblelas
er".In1965,astronautFrankBomanreportedseeing"trillionsoflittlepa
rticles"fromtheGemini7spacecraft.PresidentDonaldTrumprequeste
dthereleaseofthefiles.Hewrote:"Itwasmyhonourtodirectmyadminis
trationtoidentifyandprovidegovernmentfilesrelatedtoalienandextra
terrestriallifeandUnidentifiedAerialPhenomena(UAPs)."Manyorgani
zationswelcomedtherelease.TheSolFoundation,aresearchgroupfoc
usedonUAPs,calledforafullreviewofclassifiedrecords.Itsaidpeoplesh
ouldknow"thefulltruthaboutlongstandinggovernmentknowledgean
dprogramsconcerningtechnologiesandvehiclesnotofhumanorigin".

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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