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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on New York's UFO
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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U.F.O. Seen Above New York (15th October, 2010)

A mysterious, shiny object has been seen flying over Manhattan in New York. The sighting happened on Wednesday. New Yorkers immediately started calling the police. Police officials said it was probably some kind of silver balloon. New York resident Joseph Torres, 49, told the city’s Daily News newspaper: "It's been hovering there for a while. I'm just kind of baffled. How can it be ordinary? There is something going on." Air traffic control centres at New York’s airports said they saw nothing strange on their radar screens.

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Do UFOs exist? Is there really life on other planets? Many scientists think the answer to both these questions is ‘yes’. In fact, some scientists say we will make contact with aliens before the year 2025. Would we understand each other? What would we say to them? What would they think about our planet? If we did communicate with aliens, we would know a lot more about other galaxies and our universe. It would also be the most exciting news ever. Or maybe it would be the scariest news headline.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	A mysterious, shiny	a.	of baffled
2	calling	b.	of silver balloon
3.	probably some kind	c.	the police
4.	I'm just kind	d.	screens
5.	There is something going	e.	object
6.	radar	f.	on

Paragraph 2

1.	life on other	a.	and our universe
2	will make contact	b.	planets
3.	before the	c.	headline
4.	other galaxies	d.	with aliens
5.	the most	e.	year 2025
6.	news	f.	exciting news ever

LISTENING GAP FILL

A mysterious, shiny object __________________ over Manhattan in New York. The __________________ on Wednesday. New Yorkers immediately started calling the police. Police officials said it was probably __________________ balloon. New York resident Joseph Torres, 49, told the city’s Daily News newspaper: "It's been hovering __________________. I'm just kind of baffled. How can it be ordinary? There is __________________." Air traffic control centres at New York’s airports said they saw __________________ their radar screens.

Do UFOs exist? Is there __________________ other planets? Many scientists think the __________________ these questions is ‘yes’. In fact, some scientists say we __________________ with aliens before the year 2025. Would we understand each other? What __________________ them? What would they think about our planet? If we did communicate with aliens, we would __________________ about other galaxies and our universe. It would also be the most exciting news ever. Or maybe it would be __________________ headline.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A mysterious, shiny (1) ____ has been seen flying over Manhattan in New York. The sighting happened on Wednesday. New Yorkers (2) ____ started calling the police. Police officials said it was (3) ____ some kind of silver balloon. New York resident Joseph Torres, 49, told the city’s Daily News newspaper: "It's been hovering there for a (4) ____. I'm just kind of baffled. How can it be ordinary? There is something going (5) ____." Air traffic control centres at New York’s airports said they saw nothing strange on (6) ____ radar screens.

Do UFOs (7) ____? Is there really life on other planets? Many scientists think the answer to both these questions is ‘yes’. In (8) ____, some scientists say we will make (9) ____ with aliens before the year 2025. Would we understand each other? What would we (10) ____ to them? What would they (11) ____ about our planet? If we did communicate with aliens, we would know a lot more about other galaxies and our universe. It would also be the most exciting news (12) ____. Or maybe it would be the scariest news headline.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	subject	(b)	verb	(c)	object
2.	(a)	immediately	(b)	now	(c)	instant
3.	(a)	probably	(b)	probable	(c)	probability
4.	(a)	when	(b)	while	(c)	meanwhile
5.	(a)	in	(b)	up	(c)	on
6.	(a)	there	(b)	their	(c)	they’re
7.	(a)	exist	(b)	alive	(c)	is
8.	(a)	opinion	(b)	belief	(c)	fact
9.	(a)	contacted	(b)	contacts	(c)	contact
10.	(a)	say	(b)	speak	(c)	talk
11.	(a)	thought	(b)	think	(c)	thinking
12	(a)	never	(b)	ever	(c)	even

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A mysterious, shiny ojtceb
2.	caingll the police
3.	some kind of silver aonboll
4.	ostmgeihn going on
5.	Air ifarctf control
6.	raadr screens
Paragraph 2
7.	Do UFOs itesx?
8.	life on other pesltan
9.	make tccnoat with aliens
10.	other lxsaieag
11.	our sveriune
12.	news ndieaelh

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	planet? If we did communicate with aliens, we would know a lot more about other galaxies and our
( )	universe. It would also be the most exciting news ever. Or maybe it would be the scariest news headline.
( )	these questions is ‘yes’. In fact, some scientists say we will make contact with aliens before the year
( )	Do UFOs exist? Is there really life on other planets? Many scientists think the answer to both
( )	going on." Air traffic control centres at New York’s airports said they saw nothing strange on their radar screens.
( )	2025. Would we understand each other? What would we say to them? What would they think about our
( )	on Wednesday. New Yorkers immediately started calling the police. Police officials said it was probably
( )	newspaper: "It's been hovering there for a while. I'm just kind of baffled. How can it be ordinary? There is something
( )	some kind of silver balloon. New York resident Joseph Torres, 49, told the city’s Daily News
( 1 )	A mysterious, shiny object has been seen flying over Manhattan in New York. The sighting happened

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	A has mysterious been , seen shiny object.
2.	happened sighting The Wednesday on.
3.	some of balloon Probably kind silver.
4.	something is There on going.
5.	saw radar nothing screens strange on They their.
6.	planets other on life really there Is?
7.	both is to questions ‘yes’ answer these The.
8.	will contact aliens We make with.
9.	It exciting would news be ever the most.
10.	the be would It headline news scariest.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about UFOs for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. UFOS: Search the Internet and find more information about UFOs. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about UFOs. Include imaginary interviews with aliens. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to an alien. Ask him/her/it three questions about life on his/her/its plant. Give him/her/it three things they must do on Earth. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on New York's UFO (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)