Balloon Fiesta

If you love stories by Jules Verne and have always dreamt of going for a ride in a hoy air balloon. England is the country for you. Every August England celebrates the biggest hot air balloon festival in Europe. The festival takes place in Bristol, a world centre for ballooning and is called the Bristol Balloon Fiesta.

The festival was founded 25 years ago and has an amusing history. It began in 1978 when Don Cameron, owner of the world’s largest balloon manufacturer, Cameron Balloons, decided to create an event that would help balloonists from all over the world to get together.

On the weekend of the 7th- 9th September 1979, a small group of balloonists got together to celebrate the first Bristol Balloon Fiesta. Twenty-seven balloons shot into sky and were cheered by a large group of spectators. Not all the balloons were from England, some came from Germany, Luxemburg and Ireland. Local businesses and some national companies sponsored the Fiesta. Each sponsor was given a balloon to display his or her advertising banner. A total of 117 flights were made and the first balloon festival was declared a success. Over the years, the festival has grown to become Europe’s largest hot air balloon festival enjoying crowds of delighted spectators and national media coverage.

This year the Balloon Fiesta has celebrated its 25th anniversary. The show started on the 27th of August and lasted 4 days. Alongside traditional round shaped balloons there were also so called “special shapes’ which are balloons in the form of different objects and characters such as cartoon characters and cars.

Of course, the main condition for this festival to be successful is not good management but the weather, which, as you all know, is England’s worst enemy. Nobody in the whole world knows how many wonderful hopes and events have been ruined by its Majesty the Rain.

England celebrates the British Balloon Fiesta every …

a) month b) autumn c) August

2. The festival was founded …

a) to show the best balloons manufactured in England.

b) to help balloonists from different countries to get together.

c) to honour Don Cameron.

3. The first British Balloon Fiesta was held …

a) in 1879 b) in 1978 c) in 1979

4. The first balloonists that attended the festival were from …

a) England, Ireland, Germany and Luxemburg.

b) England and Ireland.

c) England and America.

5. The Balloon Fiesta was …

a) a success b) boring c) a failure

6. The businessmen who sponsored the first Fiesta …

a) were allowed to ride in a hot air balloon.

b) were given a balloon.

c) could display their advertising banner on the balloons.

7. Today the Balloon Fiesta is held for …

a) a month b) 4 days c) 7 days

8. The festival has been celebrated for …

a) 25 years b) 50 years c) 35 years

9. The shape of the balloons …

a) is traditional round.

b) is round and oval.

c) sometimes can be in the form of cartoon characters and cars.

10. The main enemy of the Balloon Fiesta is …

a) snow b) rain c) bad management

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