Section 1.unit 1 Doc

SECTION 1 - THE PARANORMAL UNIT 1 - UFOs PART ONE A. TEXT Why is Kennth's story of particular interest in the history of UFO investigations? "They flew ... like a saucer" At 2pm on 24 June 1947 Kenneth Arnold, an experienced pilot, took off in his own plane from Washington State. He was heading for Oregon. On his journey he had to fly over some mountains where a large plane had recently disappeared. Arnold planned to spend an hour searching for the lost plane in the hope of getting a $5000 reward. By 3 pm Arnold had seen nothing, so he turned in the direction of his next stop. He was flying at 2800 metres in good conditions with a clear sky. As he recalled later: "I hadn't flown more than two or three minutes when a bright flash reflected on my plane. It really surprised me - I thought I was too close to another aircraft. I looked everywhere in the sky but couldn't find where the reflection was coming from, until I looked to the left and north of Mount Rainer, where I observed a chain of nine peculiar looking aircraft flying at about 2900 metres. I thought they were jets." But the longer he looked, the less like jets they seemed. He could see no tails, and their movement and formation were unusual. They were flying in and out of mountain peaks, 30 - 40 kilometres away. They were not very large, but they were obviously level, they looked like a thin black line, but when they turned on their sides, Arnold could see their shape - like discs: "I am convinced that they were some type of aircraft, but they didn't look like any type of plane that I know." When he landed, Arnold went to report what he had seen to the FBI, but their office was closed. So instead he went to the local newspaper to tell his story. Describing the movement of the objects, he said: "They flew erratic, like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water." Later a reporter used the phrase "flying saucer", and this has been used to describe UFOs ever since.

B. EXPLANATIONS UFO (pl ~s):

unidentified flying object: vật thể bay không xác định được (nhất là một đĩa bay).

saucer [n]:

đĩa nhỏ, nông, để đựng chén

flying saucer:

đĩa bay

head for [v]: in the hope of: I called in the hope of finding her at home

chuyển động về phía (một vị trí) với hy vọng... (Tôi gọi điện với hy vọng là cô ấy ở nhà)

reward [n]:

tiền thưởng

flash [n]:

chớp sáng

phản chiếu reflect[v]: (Anh ấy nhìn vào mặt mình phản chiếu trong gương) He looked at his face reflected in the mirror. aircraft [n] (pl không đổi):

máy bay

observe [v]:

nhìn và nhận biết, quan sát

jet [n]:

máy bay phản lực

tail [n]:

đuôi (máy bay)

movement [n]:

sự chuyển động

formation [n]:

đội hình

aircraft flying in formation:

máy bay bay theo đội hình

unusual [adj]:

không bình thường

When they were flying level ...:

Khi chúng bay ngang (tức không đảo cánh), ...

When they turned on their sides:

Khi chúng đảo bay nghiêng,...

disc [n]: (US disk):

vật dẹt, tròn, hình đĩa (vd: đồng tiền)

to be convinced that ...: tin chắc, quả quyết (là)... I was convinced I saw you there, but it must (Tôi chắc là đã thấy anh ở đó, song hẳn là một người khác nào đó) have been someone else FBI (abbr US):

Federal Bureau of Investigation: Cục điều tra liên bang

erratic [adj]:

thất thường, không đều

skip [v]:

di chuyển nhanh, thất thường

ever since:

suốt từ đó

C. FACT CHECK Read the text and answer the questions. a. Why was Kenneth Arnold going to look for the lost plane? b. In what ways were the objects Arnold saw different from ordinary planes? (or jets?) c. Why didn't Arnold tell the FBI about what he had seen? Answer Key D. YOUR OPINION Read the text again carefully and answer the questions.

a. Which details and facts about Arnold make the story sound true and convincing? b. Is there any evidence, or can you think of any reasons to suggest that Kenneth Arnold lied about what he saw?

Answer Key E. WORD CHECK 1. Which of these phrases does not describe the objects Arnold saw? Tick in the box. a. nine peculiar looking aircraft b. a thin black line c. discs d. they were jets e. like a saucer 2. Which phrases tell the reader that: a. Kenneth Arnold was used to flying. b. looking for the lost plane was not the main purpose of Arnold's journey. c. the weather was not bad for flying. d. Kenneth Arnold had never seen planes like this before. e. Kenneth Arnold had tried to report what he had seen to the FBI.

Answer Key PART TWO

A. TEXT If Renato Nicolai told you his story, would you believe it, or not? Decide, as you read the text, and give reasons for you decision. Nothing known on the globe On 8th January 1981 Renato Nicolai, aged 55, a retired civil servant, living in the south-east of France, was working in his garden. About 5 pm, as the light was starting to fade, he heard a whistling sound, and looked round to see a "device" at treetop height, descending towards the ground. Nicolai moved to a higher position so that he could look down at it. He was then about 30 metres away. The "device" was like two plats, one upside down so their edges touched. Where they joined, a kind of thick band ran round the object. It was about 2.5 metres across, and a dark grey colour. Beneath it there were four projections that might be legs, and two circles that might be hatches. After only a few seconds the object took off again, with as little sounds as it had arrived. The sighting was over. Nicolai's wife was out at the time. When she returned and heard his story, she didn't believe him. But the next morning the two of them went to the place where Nicolai claimed the object had been. They found clear marks on the ground. They decided to inform the police, who in turn alerted GEPAN, France's official UFOmonitoring organisation. GEPAN decided that the marks on the ground could only have been made by some sort of machine. Soil analysis showed that the ground had been affected by heat and pressure. There were also significant changes in the biochemical make-up of vegetation - which were not due to accidental pollution or natural causes.

B. EXPLANATIONS globe [n]:

quả địa cầu, quả đất

retired [adj]:

đã nghỉ hưu

civil servant [n]:

công chức

fade [v]: ... as the light was starting to fade...

phai, nhạt, tan (... khi ánh sáng bắt đầu mờ dần)

whistle [v]:

huýt sáo, huýt còi, (gió) rít

device [n]:

thiết bị. (Ở đây cũng chưa hẵn là một thiết bị, vì thế nên tác giả để từ "device" trong ngoặc kép) Thiết bị đó giống như hai chiếc đĩa, một chiếc úp lại The device was like two plates, one upside down so that để hai vành đĩa chạm vào nhau. their edges touched. at treetop height:

cao ngang ngọn cây

descend [v]:

đi xuống, hạ xuống

band [n]: When they joined, a kind of thick band ran round the

dải, băng Khi hai chiếc đĩa hợp lại, có một cái gì đó như một

object.

dải băng dài chạy chung quanh vật đó.

projection [n]:

cái nhô ra từ một bề mặt, hình ảnh tưởng tượng ra trong trí óc

cửa ra vào trên máy bay hoặc tàu vũ trụ hatch [n]: Phía dưới nó (tức là the "device") có bốn phần nhô Beneath it there were four projections that might be legs ra, có thể là các chân, và hai lỗ trống hình vòng tròn, and two circles that might be hatches. có thể là các cửa ra vào. sighting [n]: The sighting was over:

sự trông thấy Những cảnh tượng đó đã qua đi (Ở đây có nghĩa là vật lạ đó biến mất, không còn trông thấy nữa)

claim [v]: ... the place where Nicolai claimed the object had been.

tuyên bố, quả quyết, khẳng định ... nơi mà Nicolai quả quyết là vật đó đã xuất hiện

alert [v]:

báo động

GEPAN:

cơ quan chính thức của Pháp theo dõi về UFO

biochemical [adj]:

sinh hóa

make-up [n]:

sự cấu tạo, kết cấu; thành phần

vegetation [n]:

cây cối, thực vật nói chung

C. FACT CHECK a. Write a list of the "facts" in the text. (Write in note form) b. Write a list of information that may not be true.

Answer Key D. WORD CHECK 1. What are the three nouns and noun phrases used to describe the "thing" that Renato says he saw?

2. Find words in the text which mean the same as: a. it was beginning to get dark b. as high as the tops of the trees c. definite, obvious signs d. detailed examination of the soil

e. caused by 3. Which verb is used to show that Nicolai was not sure whether or not the object had legs and hatches? 4. Distinctions: what is the difference in meaning between these pairs: a. heat and pressure? (Give examples of the effects of heat and pressure on soil and plants) b. pollution or natural causes? (Give examples of environmental pollution and damage to the environment due to natural causes)

Answer Key PART THREE A. TEXT What do you think this text will tell you? UFOs: What are they? The theories that have been advanced to explain - and explain away - the existence of UFOs range from the mundane to the mystical. Here is a brief review of common current theories. The extra-terrestrial hypothesis (ETH): UFOs are spacecraft manned by visitors from outer spae. Probably the least likely explanation, given the sheer distances involved in the intergalactic travel and the extraordinary variety of UFO experiences. The galactic brotherhood: Two quasi-religious variations of the ETH. The alien visitors are watching over humanity for its own good, or else they are demonic beings. Parallel universes: UFOs are not from outer space, but are manifestations of a parallel universe - or universes of which we get occasional glipses. Intriguing, but as yet impossible to prove. Visitors from the interior: The Earth is hollow and houses an advanced civiliation that is responsible for the UFO phenonmenon. Fantastic theory with no scientific credibility. Hallucination: All UFO experiences are hallucinations. This "all in the mind" approach appeals to sceptics, but UFO believers have come up with an ingenious variant - that aliens are planting UFO hallucinations in our brains. Difficult to prove.

Birth trauma: UFO experiences are hallucinations closely linked to memories of birth. Theory advanced by American professor Alvin Lawson. Can be tested. Metal projections: UFOs are projections of the mind, created by intense emotional activities, that may become visible to people other than their creators. The psychologist C. G. Jung (1875 - 1961) believed such projections came from the collective unconscious. Federal hypothesis: Government agencies take advantage of public interest in UFOs to disguise illegal or dangerous rocket and weapons testing as UFO activity. A highly plausible theory. Earth energy: UFOs are natural phenomenon caused by geological activity in the Earth's crust. Eminently testable.

The silhouette of a "flying saucer" (above) looms in the sky above American suburbia. Some enthusiasts consider photos like this to be incontrovertible evidence of the existence of UFOs as real physical objects, but experienced investigators know only too well how easily such images can be faked, and how ambiguous even totally genuine photographic records often are.

B. EXPLANATIONS theory [n]:

lý thuyết

advance [v]:

đưa ra

explain sth away [v]:

thanh minh, bào chữa, biện bạch

existence [n]: Do you believe in the existence of ghosts?

sự hiện hữu, tình trạng hoặc hiện tượng có thực Anh có tin là có ma không?

range [v]: biến đổi, biến thiên Their ages range from 25 to 50 / between 25 (Tuổi của họ nằm trong khoảng từ 25 đến 50) and 50. mundane [adj]:

tầm thường, nhạt nhẻo, vô vị

review [n]:

sự điểm lại; báo cáo

current [adj]:

đang thịnh hành, đang phổ biến

extra-terrestrial [adj]:

ngoài trái đất

hypothesis [n]:

giả thuyết

man [v]: cung cấp, bố trí nhân lực A war ship manned by experienced officers. Chiếc tàu chiến được bố trí những sĩ quan thiện chiến. likely [adj]:

có khả năng, có thể xảy ra.

sheer [adj]: a sheer waste of time:

hoàn toàn hoàn toàn lãng phí thời gian

intergalactic [adj]:

giữa các thiên hà

extraordinary [adj]:

lạ thường, khác thường

brotherhood [n]:

mối quan hệ như anh em, tình anh em

the galactic brotherhood :

những người anh em từ thiên hà

quasi- [pref]: a quasi-official body: a quasi-scientific explanation: quasi-religious variations:

gần như là, hầu như là một hội đồng gần như là chính thức một sự giải thích có vẻ như là khoa học các biến thể có vẻ như tôn giáo

alien [adj]:

xa lạ

watch over sth [v]:

trông coi, canh gác

demonic [adj]: thuộc về ma quỷ The alien visitors are watching over Những người khách lạ đang trông coi con người vì lợi ích của con humanity for its own good, or else they are người, nếu không vậy thì chúng là ma quỷ. demonic beings. parallel [adj]:

song hành, cùng tồn tại

parallel universes:

các vũ trụ cùng tồn tại (với vũ trụ này)

manifestation [n]:

sự thể hiện

glimpse [n]:

cái nhìn thoáng qua

intriguing [adj]:

hấp dẫn, đầy quyến rũ

interior[n]:

phía trong, phần bên trong

hollow [adj]:

rỗng

house [v]:

cung cấp chỗ ở, là chỗ ở của

fantastic [adj]:

kỳ quái, không tưởng

credibility [n]:

phẩm chất có thể tin cậy được

sceptic [n]:

người hay hoài nghi

ingenious [adj]:

thông minh, độc đáo

appeal [v]:

hấp dẫn hoặc thích thú (với ai)

This "all in the mind" approach appeals to sceptics, but UFO believers have come up with an ingenious variant - that aliens are planting UFO hallucinations in our brains.

Quan điểm "tất cả chỉ là tưởng tượng" này rất hấp dẫn đối với người hay hoài nghi, nhưng những người tin là có UFO đã đi đến một cách diễn đạt khác rất độc đáo - rằng những người ngoài trái đất đã “cấy” ảo giác về UFO trong đầu của chúng ta.

trauma [n]:

chấn thương; chấn động về cảm giác gây tác hại lâu dài

the collective unconscious:

những người cùng một lúc mất ý thức

plausible [adj]:

đáng tin cậy

geological [adj]:

thuộc về địa chất

the Earth crust:

vỏ trái đất

eminently [adv]:

một cách rõ ràng

silhouette [n]:

bóng; hình bóng

loom [v]:

hiện ra lờ mờ

suburbia [n]:

vùng ngoại ô

incontravertible [adj]:

rõ rành rành

fake [v]:

giả mạo

C. READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH a. What do you expect the rest of the text to be about? (Bạn mong đợi phần còn lại của bài khoá nói về điều gì?) b. What is the difference in meaning between "mundane" and "mystical"? c. Look at the photograph, and read the paragraph in bold type. What are the two problems of photographic evidence like this? (Hãy nhìn bức ảnh và đọc đoạn văn in đậm. Hai vấn đề của loại bằng chứng bằng hình ảnh như thế này là gì?)

Answer Key D. READ ABOUT THE NINE THEORIES OF UFOs E. THE WRITER DESCRIBES THE NINE THEORIES OF UFOs AND ALSO COMMENTS ON THEM. Next to each theory write the comment, like the example in (i). Theory i) Extra-terrestrial hypothesis ii) Galactic brotherhood iii) Parallel universe iv) Visitors from interior v) Hallucination vi) Birth trauma vii) Mental projection viii) Federal hypothesis ix) Earth energy

Comment Probably the least likely explanation

Answer Key F. WORDS Here are some pairs of words from the text. How are they related to each other? Write one of these codes next to each pair.

SA - same meaning SI - similar but not exactly the same meaning O - opposite in meaning U - unrelated in meaning a. theory/hypothesis b. mundane/mystical c. universe/civilisation d. sceptic/believer e. intriguing/ingenious f. aliens/humanity g. illegal/dangerous h. plausible/likely i. alien/demonic j. hallucination/projection k. variant/variation

Use your dictionary to help with this exercise if you wish. Answer Key G. PRACTICE Click here to view exercises for Section 1 - Unit 1.