Swallow your reading 47

Earlier this year, the Pentagon released three videos that show unidentified flying objects—yes, UFOs—spotted by military aircraft near U.S. coastlines. Though they’re officially calling them “Unmanned Aerial Systems” (UAS), which essentially translates to drones, the message is clear: nobody knows what they are or where they came from.

This week, two unnamed officials in the U.S. Department of Defense told CNN that the Pentagon is organizing a task force to get to the bottom of the mystery (and other similar sightings). All we know so far is that Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist will be one of its leaders, and the Pentagon is supposed to officially reveal the new organization sometime in the next few days.

Hazard reports for the three sightings disclosed that two of the UAS were white, and they were all visually similar to drones. One of the reasons it’s so important to investigate them is that the random appearance of an unpredictable aircraft poses a threat to U.S. military personnel.

Swallow your reading 47

“I feel it may only be a matter of time before one of our F/A-18 aircraft has a mid-air collision with an unidentified UAS,” one official explained in the report.

Then, of course, there’s the issue of national security; naturally, the Department of Defense wants to know if other countries are developing new surveillance technology or even weaponry that’s hovering over U.S. soil.

And, finally, everybody wants to know if aliens have finally landed on Earth. This is far from the government’s first endeavor to find out. In 2007, the Pentagon launched its most recent classified program (that we know of) to study UFO activity, which ran until 2012. The details of their investigation are still under wraps, but program head Luis Elizondo told CNN in 2017 that they “found a lot.”

“My personal belief is that there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone,” he said.

Swallow your reading 47

Glossary:

Release: to allow something to be shown in public or to be available for use

To get to the bottom of sth: to discover the real but sometimes hidden reason that something exists or happens

Reveal: to make known or show something that is surprising or that was previously secret

Hazard: something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage UFO

Disclose: to make something known publicly, or to show something that was hidden

Investigate: to examine a crime, problem, statement,etc. carefully, especially to discover the truth

To pose a threat: to put someone or something in danger

Collision: an accident that happens when two vehicles hit each other with force

Surveillance: the careful watching of a person or place, especially by the police or army, because of a crime that has happened or is expected

Endeavor: an attempt to do something

Compelling: If a reason, argument, etc. is compelling, it makes you believe it or accept it because it is so strong UFO

Comprehension Questions:

1. How many UFO sightings have there been recently?
2. What were the objects that were sighted?
3. What is the special task force going to do?
4. For what reasons is the US government investigating the UFOs? U