Task 1: Comprehension Questions Answer the following questions based on the text.
1. What was Joseph Montgolfier doing when he first had the idea that led to the hot-air balloon?
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2. What items did he see floating upwards, which gave him the idea?
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3. What did Joseph initially believe had the power to lift things?
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4. Who did Joseph work with to develop the first hot-air balloon?
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5. What was the first hot-air balloon made from?
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6. Why didn't the Montgolfier brothers go on the balloon's first trip themselves?
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7. Which three animals were the first passengers in the hot-air balloon?
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8. Who was in the crowd that watched the first flight with animals?
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9. When did the first flight with human passengers take place?
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10. How high did the first human flight balloon reach over Paris?
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Task 2: True, False, or Not Stated
1. Joseph Montgolfier was a scientist before he had his idea about the balloon. _____________
2. The first hot-air balloon flight with animals covered a distance of two miles. _____________
3. The sheep, duck, and chicken were unharmed after their flight. _____________
4. Joseph's shirt was burned in the fireplace. _____________
5. The king of France was initially against the idea of human flight. _____________
6. The Montgolfier brothers used straw to create heat for the first balloon. _____________
7. The first human flight also took off from the same location as the animal flight. _____________
8. Jacques Montgolfier was less interested in the experiments than his brother. _____________
9. The first balloon was brightly colored. _____________
10. The success of the first human flight led to the popularization of hot-air ballooning. _________
Task 3: Multiple Choice (Fill in the Blank) Choose the correct word (A, B, or C) to complete each sentence.
1. Joseph noticed that one of his shirts had started to float upwards because of the _____________ . A. wind B. heat C. fan
2. Joseph threw small pieces of _____________ into the fireplace to test his idea.
A. cloth B. paper C. straw
3. The brothers eventually realized that it was _____________ , not smoke, that had lifting power.
A. air B. heat C. smoke
4. The first hot-air balloon was presented on 19th September _____________.
A. 1777 B. 1783 C. 1799
5. The basket for the animals hung _____________ the balloon.
A. inside B. above C. beneath
6. The first balloon flight with animals was considered a great _____________.
A. success B. failure C. experiment
7. The Montgolfier brothers asked the _____________ for permission to send men up.
A. king B. crowd C. inventor
8. The first human flight took place in the city of _____________.
A. London B. Paris C. Lyon
9. The first human passengers flew over the ____________ of Paris. A. rivers B. parks C. rooftops
10. The text states that this event started a long tradition of hot-air _____________.
A. ballooning B. travelling C. inventing
Answer Key: Task 1 1. He was relaxing in front of the fire with his laundry drying nearby. 2. One of his shirts and some small pieces of paper. 3. He believed smoke had the power to lift things. 4. His brother, Jacques. 5. It was made from paper and cloth. 6. They were too nervous. 7. A sheep, a duck, and a chicken. 8. Some members of the French Royal Family / A huge crowd. 9. On 21st November 1783. 10. Around 150 metres. ---
Answer Key: Task 2 1. False (He "moved science" and wanted to become an inventor, implying he wasn't one yet). 2. True. 3. True (They landed "safe and sound"). 4. Not Stated. 5. False (The king agreed to their request). 6. True. 7. Not Stated (We know the human flight was in Paris, but the text doesn't specify the location of the animal flight). 8. Not Stated. 9. Not Stated. 10. True. ---
Answer Key: Task 3
1. B 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. C 6. A 7. A 8. B 9. C 10. A
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