Listen&Learn: The Roswell incident

Learn about a supposed UFO sighting from 1947

Pre-listening vocabulary

• UFO: a short form for “unidentified flying object”, usually meaning suspected alien spacecraft
• rumour: a piece of information, especially false information, that spreads quickly
• circulate: to travel around
• classified: kept secret from the public
• spy: to watch someone or something secretly
• dummy: a fake human body used to test for danger or train for emergencies
• conspiracy theory: a belief that powerful people are hiding important information from the public

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

The Roswell incident was a reported UFO sighting in 1947. It began when W. W. Brazel, a from Roswell, New Mexico, discovered the ruins of a strange aircraft. Brazel brought some scraps from the aircraft to the local , who took the evidence to the US military. By then, rumours were beginning to circulate. A news article claimed that the military had discovered a “flying saucer”, and there were of alien bodies recovered from the craft. The military originally claimed that the aircraft was a balloon. Over 40 years later, they explained that it was part of a classified mission to spy on Soviet nuclear . The “bodies” were likely test dummies. The US government’s secrecy during the Cold War made UFO reports common. Today, many people still hold conspiracy theories about UFO sightings.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The ruins of the Roswell craft were originally discovered by
   a. a farmer
   b. a spy
   c. a policeman
   
2. A news article claimed that the US military had found
   a. a Soviet spycraft
   b. a time machine
   c. a flying saucer
   
3. The US military originally claimed the craft was
   a. a drone
   b. a weather balloon
   c. a surveillance device

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you believe that any UFO sightings have actually been aliens? Why or why not?
2. UFO theories have started to become popular again. Why do you think this is?

Transcript

The Roswell incident was a reported UFO sighting in 1947. It began when W. W. Brazel, a farmer from Roswell, New Mexico, discovered the ruins of a strange aircraft. Brazel brought some scraps from the aircraft to the local police, who took the evidence to the US military. By then, rumours were beginning to circulate. A news article claimed that the military had discovered a “flying saucer”, and there were reports of alien bodies recovered from the craft. The military originally claimed that the aircraft was a weather balloon. Over 40 years later, they explained that it was part of a classified mission to spy on Soviet nuclear projects. The “bodies” were likely test dummies. The US government’s secrecy during the Cold War made UFO reports common. Today, many people still hold conspiracy theories about UFO sightings.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2c 3b