Pre-Listening Exercise
Do you believe that life exists on other worlds in the universe? What do you think this life looks like? Do you think that UFOs really exist?
Idioms
“stretch the truth” = exaggerate the truth
“My brother said he saw an alien, but he sometimes stretches the truth. It probably was just a bear.”
“cool as a cucumber” = very relax and at ease
“The captain was cool as a cucumber when aliens boarded our ship.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
Police Officer: Hello. 24th Precinct. Officer Jones speaking.
Man: Help. Yeah, uh, it was wild, I mean really bizarre.
Police Officer: Calm down sir! Now, what do you want to report?
Man: Well, I’d like to report a UFO sighting.
Police Officer: A what?
Man: What do you mean “what?” An unidentified flying object!
Police Officer: Wait, tell me exactly what you saw.
Man: Well, I was driving home from a party about three hours ago, so it was about 2:00 AM, when I saw this bright light overhead.
Police Officer: Okay. And then what happened?
Man: Oh, man. Well, it was out of this world. I stopped to watch the light when it disappeared behind a hill about a kilometer ahead of me.
Police Officer: Alright. Then what?
Man: Well, I got back in my car and I started driving toward where the UFO landed.
Police Officer: Now, how do you know it was a UFO? Perhaps you only saw the lights of an airplane [No], or the headlights of an approaching car [No]. Things like that happen, you know.
Man: Well if it was that, how do you explain “the BEAST”?
Police Officer: What do you mean, “the BEAST”?
Man: Okay. I kept driving for about five minutes when all of a sudden, this giant, hairy creature jumped out in front of my car.
Police Officer: Oh, yeah. Then what?
Man: Well, then, the beast picked up the front of my car and said, “Get out of the car. I’m taking you to my master!” Something like that.
Police Officer: Wow? A hairy alien who can speak English! Come on!
Man: I’m not making this up, if that’s what you’re suggesting. Then, when I didn’t get out of the car, the beast opened the car door, carried me on his shoulders to this round-shaped flying saucer, and well, that’s when I woke up alongside the road. The beast must have knocked me out and left me there.
Police Officer: Well, that’s the best story I’ve heard all night, sir. Now, have you been taking any medication, drugs, or alcohol in the last 24 hours? You mentioned you went to a party.
Man: What? Well, I did have a few beers, but I’m telling the truth.
Police Officer: Okay, okay. We have a great therapist that deals with THESE kinds of cases.
Man: I’m not crazy.
Police Officer: Well, we’ll look into your story. Thank you.
Vocabulary and Sample Sentences
- precinct: the office of a police department in a particular area
– Let’s go down to the police precinct and report the burglary. - bizarre: strange or unusual
– That’s the most bizarre story I’ve ever heard. - unidentified: unknown or impossible to determine the origin
– The police were able to capture the criminal through an unidentified source. - out of this world: unbelievable, incredible
– You have to see his enormous house. It’s out of this world. - approaching: coming closer
– Citizens have been urged to flee the area because of the approaching hurricane.