UFO

According to the article, when did people begin to think unknown objects in the sky might be visitors from other planets?

• in ancient times
• about a century ago
• over the last ten years
• only within the last

As explained in the article, how did "flying saucers" get their name?

• pilot saw unknown flying objects and said they looked like giant saucers
• pilot described unknown flying objects, doubters said his lies were as big as saucers
• pilot compared the movement of unknown flying objects to the movement of saucers skipping across water
• pilot saw a group of round objects flying through the air, he concluded saucers were being thrown into the sky

According to the article, which heavenly body is often mistaken for a UFO?

• the Star of Bethelehem
• a constellation
• the sun
• Venus

According to the article, what mental habit makes us likely to draw mistaken conclusions about unknown objects in the sky?

• we fill in missing information and make connections where none exist
• because we can determine size and distance so easily, we trust our eyes
• We refuse to accept anything as fact unless it is supported by solid evidence
• because we have read so many science fiction stories, our imaginations are overactive

Part A
"The most famous UFO crash allegedly occurred when something -- skeptics say a top-secret spy balloon, believers say a spacecraft with alien pilots--crashed on a ranch in the desert outside of Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947, and the debate rages to this day."
What is the meaning of skeptics in the paragraph?

• pilots
• officials
• doubters
• westerners

Which word from the paragraph is the context clue that most clearly supports the answer in Part A?

• famous
• believers
• spacecraft
• debate

"Strange lights over Arkansas fueled much speculation on the internet until the Air Force debunked the UFO claims, explaining that flares had been dropped from airplanes as part of routine training."
What is the most likely meaning of debunked in the sentence?

• listened to
• proved untrue
• explained clearly
• found evidence for

The sighting of a UFO on the ocean floor was attributed to a Swedish scientist, but that researcher, Peter Lindberg, merely said the thing he detected in blurry images was "completely round," an assertion not supported by the low-resolution sonar image.

• location on a map
• shape of an object
• claim or declaration
• scientific experiment

In the article, the author lists and describes nine reported UFO sightings between 2007 and 2012. What is the most likely purpose for this list?

• support the claim that UFOs are real
• illustrate how common the sightings have been
• to encourage readers to watch for UFOs on their own
• to prove that UFO sightings are becoming a problem in this country

Part A
Which of the following best states a central message of the article?

• Never trust what others say
• consider becoming a science reporter
• do not always believe what you think you see
• keep your imagination alive by gazing at the night sky