US Shoots Down UFOs, Says Not Aliens
Listen to the article (New Zealand accent)
On Monday, the White House spoke about UFOs that the US military recently shot down over North America. The government says that the unidentified flying objects (UFOs) were likely not from aliens or space.
The White House Press Secretary says she understands people’s concerns, but also says that there is no sign of aliens.
Monday’s statement from the US government is different from what the US Air Force said on Sunday. A general from the air force said that he would not rule out aliens or any other possibilities yet.
The general made that statement after a US fighter jet shot down a strange object near the US-Canada border. It was the third time the US shot down a UFO in February. The first object was a Chinese balloon carrying electronics which was shot down on February 4th.
The US government says the balloon from China was used for spying.
In the US, many people are very curious about where these objects come from. A survey in 2020 found that almost half of Americans believe that UFOs are real and have visited Earth.
In recent years, the US military started investigating UFOs more seriously. They want to learn about any strange objects that are seen in space, the sky or even underwater. Military leaders are investigating hundreds of reports about these objects.
In June 2021, the U.S. government released a report about 144 UFO encounters. The report did not deny the possibility that the unidentified objects might be from space.
Vocabulary27 words
- The White House
- The place where the President of the United States lives and works; sometimes used instead of “the president” or “the US government”
- UFO (unidentified flying object)
- something seen in the sky that isn’t easily explained or understood
- Military
- armed forces; army; agency or department of a government for combat/war
- Shoot down
- to use weapons to destroy something in the sky; to make someone or something fall to the ground by shooting it
- Likely
- high chance; surely; high certainty; more than 70%
- Alien
- ? ; a living thing from another planet; something foreign
- Space
- the area outside of Earth
- Press Secretary
- a person who works for the government and talks to the media about what the government is doing
- Concern
- worry; anxiousness; anxiety; unease; distress;
- Sign
- a signal that something exists or that shows what might happen in the future; indication; demonstration; mark; proof
- Statement
- a clear message; declaration; announcement
- Air Force
- part of the military that uses airplanes and helicopters to protect the country
- General
- an important person in the military; a manager or boss in the military
- Rule out
- to decide that something is not possible or likely; exclude; eliminate; reject
- Fighter jet
- an airplane with a powerful “jet” engine for combat/war
- Border
- the line that separates two countries; the edge or outside part of an area
- Electronics
- products that use electronic parts; small electrical parts, such as transistors and chips, that are used in electronic equipment
- Spying
- The act/action of secretly collecting information about someone or something, especially for military or political reasons
- Curious
- wanting to know more about something; interested in; intrigued
- Survey
- a poll or questionnaire; a set of questions for the public to understand opinion
- Find
- realize; learn; discover;
- Investigate
- to research; to study; to find out more
- Leader
- someone who is in charge of a group or organization; a boss or manager
- Report
- a written description of an event; story; article; the results of a study or project
- Release
- make available to everyone; launch; put on the market
- Encounter
- to meet or come across something or someone; experience
- Deny
- to say that something is not true
Discussion questions
- What are your thoughts on the possibility of aliens or UFOs visiting Earth? Do you believe in their existence or not?
- Do you think the US military, or any military, is justified in shooting down "UFOs" or unidentified objects in the sky?
- How do you think society would react if it was confirmed that aliens exist and have visited Earth?
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