Баранова, Starlight 8. Учебник. Module 4a

A – An alien spacecraft probably crashed on a ranch in the Roswell region and it was captured by some people.
В – I think some people reported finding a strange wreckage and they think alien bodies were examined at Roswell Army Base.
C – A police officer reported a sighting of an alien spacecraft in Socorro, New Mexico.
D – Thousands of people witnessed strange lights over Phoenix, Arizona.

I think the text is about a journalist investigating the case of the UFO crash landing in New Mexico in 1947 and whether or not it may actually have happened.

1 D smiling, amusing sights, fun
2 A hoping to find … , instead … disturbed a rattlesnake
3 F fascinated, couldn’t help wondering
4 C asked, told me

The writer’s purpose is to inform readers of what a tour is like. She wanted to give us an idea of what it’s like at Roswell on the UFO Discovery Tour and how it can make a sceptic wonder if it’s all true or not.

1 trip
2 spot
3 desert
4 examined
5 site
6 locals
7 events
We all enjoyed the tour of the famous site that lasted three hours.
He made a mark on the tree as we walked through the forest so that he could find his way back.
That diner sells dessert such as ice cream in the shape of an alien!
Please inform us if you experience any problems watching our documentary online.
UFO-seekers are a common sight in this area.
You should respect the natives and their customs in this village.
Scientists have been reviewing the facts since the crash trying to find out how it happened.

wandered away: walked without a purpose
debris: destroyed remains
creepy: scary
soared into the sky: moved quickly up
hovering: floating in the same position
eerie: strange & frightening
disturbed: bothered
disappointed: felt unhappy

We use the passive to talk about actions when the person who carries out the action is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context. We also use the passive in format writing such as in a news report or headline.
We form the passive with be + past participle of the main verb. The subject in the active sentence becomes the agent in the passive sentence and is introduced with ‘by’ whereas the object in the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.

was asked, was greeted, were driven, were taken, would be shown, were taken, had ever been seen, was made, were drawn, could be seen, had been witnessed
2 The UFO museum was opened by the mayor.
3 Roswell, New Mexico is visited by lots of UFO-spotters.
4 Preparations are being made for the town’s first UFO festival.
5 A UFO tour is being started by Sam in the area.
6 Many strange lights have been seen by locals in the desert.
7 Bill’s book about local mysteries will be published next month.

A – A flying saucer was captured on a ranch in the Roswell region.
B – A strange wreckage and alien bodies were examined at the Roswell Army Base.
C – A sighting of an alien spacecraft is reported by a police officer in Socorro, New Mexico.
D – Strange lights have been witnessed by thousands of people over Phoenix, Arizona.

Everyone was really friendly when we arrived. I was amazed by all the UFO-themed places along the freeway; hotels, souvenir shops, billboards and road signs all showed aliens. Ruth is a sceptic, but we both agreed this assignment might be fun. At the crash site we were told about how the events unfolded on that day back in 1947 and then we visited Building 84 where the aircraft was taken for examination. All the stories were interesting, but the creepy sketches of aliens on autopsy tables at the museum were so fascinating that even Ruth was impressed. While sleeping under the stars that night, I saw Ruth staring up into the dark sky with her camera ready hoping to witness the next alien event. I think the place and the stories had affected her and all of us. We left slightly disappointed, but a little less doubtful about whether or not aliens exist.