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GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

US GOVERNMENT
RELEASES UFO
VIDEOS

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1 Warm-up

Look at the picture and answer the questions below.

1. What do you think the 2. Who do you think took 3. What did this person
picture shows? this picture? think they saw?

2 Key vocabulary

Match these words or phrases with their meanings.

1. declassified a. film or video that shows an event

2. leak (something) b. moments when people see something that is rare or secret

3. a fighter pilot c. not from this planet

4. footage d. not known

5. unidentified e. officially no longer secret

6. alien (adj.) f. somebody who flies a type of military plane

7. rumours g. stories that might be true or not, which spread from person to person

8. sightings h. to privately give out information that the government doesn’t want
people to know

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3 Before you watch

The US government has officially released three declassified videos which were previously leaked to
the press. The videos show unidentified flying objects. Before you watch a news report about this,
choose the best answers to complete the sentences below.

1. The videos were leaked in .

a. 2007 and 2017 b. 1990 and 1995 c. 1986 and 1989

2. Two of the videos were first published in the newspaper.

a. Washington Post b. New York Times c. The Guardian

3. The UFOs were seen flying above .

a. Antarctica b. Florida c. the Pacific Ocean

4. The first modern UFO sighting was in .

a. 1947 b. 1957 c. 1977

Video
5. The place in Nevada, USA, where the US government has been studying UFOs (according to
rumours) is known as .

a. Area 51 b. Studio 54 c. Lab 47

Now watch the report to check your answers.

4 Checking understanding

Answer the questions below. Then watch the news report again to check your answers.

1. What did many people think when they watched the original leaked videos?
2. What was the main difference between the first video and the two videos that were filmed later?
3. Why did the US government officially release the videos?
4. What happened at Roswell in 1947?
5. What did the US Department of Defence finally admit in 2017?

5 Grammar review: past simple vs. present perfect simple

Study the sentences from the report and match the underline structures to their uses.

1. The US government has released three declassified videos of unexplained objects flying in the air.
2. People around the world have been fascinated with the idea of UFOs since 1947 ...
3. 10 years later, a place known as Area 51 in Nevada became the centre for UFO research.
4. There have been a lot of theories about the place, ...

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US GOVERNMENT RELEASES UFO VIDEOS

a. We often use the present perfect simple with the word ‘since’ to talk about a situation that started
at a specific time in the past and continues to now.
b. We use the past simple to refer to a completed event in the past.
c. We use the present perfect simple in news reports to introduce new events.
d. We use the present perfect simple to talk about something that happened at multiple, unspecified
times in the past, and it is not impossible that the event will happen again in the future.

Now complete the sentences below with the verbs in their correct form:

1. Breaking news: the US government (admit) its role in the financial scandal!
2. Joey (not/have) a decent meal since he lost his job last month.
3. Last month, Britain’s Captain Moore (raise) over £13 million for his country’s
National Health Service.
4. There (be) lots of UFO sightings, but very few of them (be) confirmed.
5. What (the government/know) in 1947?
6. The organisation that (leak) the videos is called ‘To the Stars Academy of Arts and
Sciences’.
7. Scientists (discover) a cure for cancer! It’s on the news.
8. (your lifestyle/change) much since the start of the coronavirus pandemic?

6 Talking point

Discuss any of the questions below.

1. Do you believe the UFOs in the videos are alien spaceships?

2. Do you think the US government has access to alien technology?
3. Are UFO theories popular in your country?
4. Do you believe we are alone in the universe? Why/why not?
5. Do you think we should search for signs of alien life?

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US GOVERNMENT RELEASES UFO VIDEOS

Transcripts

3. Before you watch

The US government has released three declassified videos of unexplained objects flying in the air.
These videos were already leaked in 2007 and 2017.

Two of them were published by the New York Times newspaper and the third video was leaked by
an organisation called To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences.

When they were leaked, many people claimed the videos showed alien unidentified flying objects
or UFOs.

According to the New York Times, the first video was filmed in 2004 by two fighter pilots flying
above the Pacific Ocean. It shows a round object moving above the water.

The other videos were filmed in 2015 and show objects moving through the air. One of the objects
was spinning.

The US Department of Defence says that it officially released the videos to show that the footage
was real. The objects in the videos remain classified as "unidentified".

People around the world have been fascinated with the idea of UFOs since 1947 when a farmer
discovered parts of a flying disc at Roswell in the US state of New Mexico. This object is now
believed to be part of a secret balloon designed to monitor the Soviet Union.

10 years later, a place known as Area 51 in Nevada became the centre for UFO research, according
to rumours. There have been a lot of theories about the place, but in 2017, the US Department of
Defence finally admitted that it had been studying UFO sightings.

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US GOVERNMENT RELEASES UFO VIDEOS

Key

1. Warm-up

Time: 5 mins. Working with the whole group, focus attention on the picture and elicit the term ‘UFO’ (unidentified
flying object). Ask students to speculate on the circumstances in which the photo was taken. Provide any essential
vocabulary, e.g. ‘fake’, ‘aliens’, ‘cloud formation’, etc. Background: The image depicts a UFO-like cloud formation.

2. Key vocabulary

Time: 10 mins. Explain that students will need to know some vocabulary to understand the news report that
they are going to hear. Go over the vocabulary items, checking that students can pronounce each one (stressed
syllables are underlined). Working alone, students match the words with their meanings, and then check answers
with the whole class.

1. e 2. h 3. f 4. a 5. d 6. c 7. g 8. b

3. Before you watch

1. a 2. b 3. c 4. a 5. a
10 mins. In this stage students watch for main idea to this short news report. Play the clip once for them to check
their ideas. They don’t need to take notes, they should focus on watching and listening. When you check answers,
ask students to recall details from the report - they could do this in pairs at first.

4. Checking understanding

Time: 10 mins. Working in pairs, students answer each question in their own words. They can watch the clip and
check or correct their answers. If they need a second listening, that’s fine. If any students need extra support for
this exercise, you could make the transcript available to them while they listen or after they listen.

1. They thought the videos showed alien UFOs.

2. the first showed the UFO moving above the water; the second two showed objects flying in the air
3. to end speculation about whether the videos were real or not
4. a farmer discovered parts of a flying disc
5. that they had been studying UFOs

5. Grammar review: past simple vs. present perfect simple

Time: 10 mins. Students now work in pairs to match the structures to their uses and complete the sentences.
Go through the answers with the class. To explain ‘not impossible that the event will happen again in the future’,
provide an example of a living and dead person, e.g. ‘Marilyn Monroe was married three times’ (PAST SIMPLE),
‘Brad Pitt has been married twice’ (PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE).

1. c 2. a 3. b 4. d

1. has admitted 2. hasn’t had 3. raised

4. have been;have been 5. did the government know 6. leaked
7. have discovered 8. Has your lifestyle changed

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US GOVERNMENT RELEASES UFO VIDEOS

6. Talking point

Time: 15 mins. Students can work in pairs or small groups to discuss these questions. It may be helpful to change
partners again at this stage. Alternatively, if your classroom set-up allows, students could move round the room,
forming small groups to discuss one question at a time, changing groups for each new question. Conduct a quick
round-up of answers either after each question or at the end, encouraging students to give reasons and examples
for their answers.

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