Section 2---Unit 03 Up, Up, and Away!

 Section 2---Unit 03 Sports and Entertainment

Up, Up, and Away!

Imagine an open field just before sunrise. It's covered with hot-air balloons that grow as they fill with warm air. You hear the hum of fans and see the fire of gas burners. Some of the balloons are almost 30 meters tall! As the morning sun lights the field, hundreds of colorful balloon rise into the sky.

The best place to see a sight like the one just described is at a hot-air balloon festival. These happen all over the world, from the United States and Canada to Europe and Asia, and many of them take place in August. At these festivals, balloon pilots test their skills in races or by dropping markers onto targets while visitors cheer them on.

Flying a hot-air balloon is not as easy as it looks. When the air is heated, the balloon rises. Over time, the air cools, and the balloon down. Winds move in different directions at different altitudes, so you can change course by taking the balloon up or down. For safety, pilots prefer to fly when skies are clear and winds are predictable.

If the weather is good, a balloon ride can be an amazing experience. Passengers are struck by the feeling of being in a quiet dream as the balloon moves with the wind. Of course, the view is wonderful, too.

Then, there are the beautiful moments that can happen in the 20 basket. Many hot-air balloon pilots have seen romantic marriage proposals. Some couples even come back to the hot-air balloon to get married! You don't have to be planning a wedding to enjoy a wonderful and peaceful ride in a hot-air balloon. It really is an unforgettable 25 event. As you ride the wind across the sky, you'll also feel your heart and soul soar.

	altitudes	第六級	[名詞] altitude(高度;海拔) 的複數
	amazing	第三級	[形容詞] 驚人的,令人吃驚的; [動詞] amaze(使大為驚奇) 的現在分詞
	balloon	第二級	[名詞] 汽球
	balloons	第二級	[名詞] balloon(汽球) 的複數
	being	第二級	[名詞] 存在;生存;生命;本質
	cheer	第二級	[動詞] 向...歡呼; [名詞] 喝采;鼓勵
	colorful	第三級	[形容詞] 富有色彩的
	couples	第二級	[動詞] couple(連接;結合;成婚;交配) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] couple(一對) 的複數
	described	第二級	[動詞] describe(描述) 的過去式及過去分詞
	directions	第二級	[名詞] direction(方向; 指示) 的複數
	event	第二級	[名詞] 事件
	feeling	第二級	[名詞] 感覺
	field	第二級	[名詞] 原野;田賽場地;野外
	gas	第三級	[名詞] 瓦斯;汽油
	hum	第三級	[動詞] 哼曲子
	imagine	第二級	[動詞] 想像
	markers	第三級	[名詞] marker(標誌;白板筆;馬克筆) 的複數
	marriage	第二級	[名詞] 結婚,婚姻
	married	第二級	[動詞] marry(結婚) 的過去式及過去分詞
	meters	第二級	[名詞] meter(公尺;計量器) 的複數
	onto	第三級	[介系詞] 到...之上;向...之上
	passengers	第三級	[名詞] passenger(乘客) 的複數
	peaceful	第二級	[形容詞] 寧靜的;和平的
	pilots	第三級	[動詞] pilot(駕駛(飛機等);帶領;引導) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] pilot((飛機等的)駕駛員) 的複數
	prefer	第二級	[動詞] 更喜歡
	proposals	第四級	[名詞] proposal(提議;計劃;提案) 的複數
	romantic	第三級	[形容詞] 富於浪漫色彩的; [名詞] 浪漫的人;愛幻想者
	safety	第二級	[名詞] 安全
	skies	第三級	[名詞] ski(滑雪屐) 的複數
	skills	第二級	[名詞] skill(技能) 的複數
	soar	第五級	[動詞] 往上飛舞;翱翔;暴漲
	soul	第二級	[名詞] 靈魂
	states	第二級	[動詞] state(陳述) 的第三人稱單數現在式
	struck	第二級	[動詞] strike(打擊;(鐘)敲響) 的過去式; [動詞] strike(打擊;(鐘)敲響) 的過去分詞
	targets	第二級	[動詞] target(把...作為目標(或對象)) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] target(目標) 的複數
	united	第三級	[動詞] unite(統一;使團結) 的過去式及過去分詞
	view	第二級	[動詞] 察看;將...看成是; [名詞] 視力;視野;看法
	wedding	第三級	[動詞] wed(娶;嫁) 的現在分詞
	wedding	第二級	[名詞] 婚禮

Reading Comprehension

(   ) 1. What is the main idea of the article?

(A) To discuss the different kinds of hot-air balloons

(B) To discuss how to become a hot-air balloon pilot

(C) To discuss balloon festivals from all over the world

(D) To discuss different ways of enjoying hot-air balloons

(   ) 2. What does the writer compare being in a hot-air balloon to?

(A) Moving with the wind                       (B) Being in a dream

(C) Flying through the clouds                        (D) A feeling of amazement

(   ) 3. When would a hot-air balloon pilot most like to fly?

(A) When temperatures are mild

(B) When the morning sun lights the field

(C) When the air is heated enough to raise the balloon

(D) When they can easily know which way the wind blows

(   ) 4. How do pilots test their hot-air balloon flying skills?

(A) By dropping things onto targets       (B) By moving around obstacles

(C) By changing their altitudes quickly   (D) By flying as high as they can

	altitudes	第六級	[名詞] altitude(高度;海拔) 的複數
	amazement	第三級	[名詞] 驚奇,詫異
	article	第二級	[名詞] 文章;報導；論文;物件;條款
	balloon	第二級	[名詞] 汽球
	balloons	第二級	[名詞] balloon(汽球) 的複數
	being	第二級	[名詞] 存在;生存;生命;本質
	compare	第二級	[動詞] 比較
	discuss	第二級	[動詞] 討論
	feeling	第二級	[名詞] 感覺
	field	第二級	[名詞] 原野;田賽場地;野外
	mild	第四級	[形容詞] 溫和的,溫柔的
	obstacles	第四級	[名詞] obstacle(障礙(物);妨礙) 的複數
	onto	第三級	[介系詞] 到...之上;向...之上
	pilot	第三級	[動詞] 駕駛(飛機等);帶領;引導; [名詞] (飛機等的)駕駛員
	pilots	第三級	[動詞] pilot(駕駛(飛機等);帶領;引導) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] pilot((飛機等的)駕駛員) 的複數
	skills	第二級	[名詞] skill(技能) 的複數
	targets	第二級	[動詞] target(把...作為目標(或對象)) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] target(目標) 的複數
	temperatures	第二級	[名詞] temperature(溫度) 的複數