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Na m e : ___ Date: _
Directions: Read the questions below. Keep the topic sentence in mind as you read the story.
Then go back and answer the questions.Reading Comprehension • Saddleback Educational Publishing ©2002 3 Watson, Irvine, CA 92618•Phone (888)SDL-BACK•www.sdlback.com
- What is the topic sentence? __
- In what state is Albuquerque? ____
- What kind of balloons are in the balloon festival? ___
- What time did the wave of balloons take off? __
- What word in the story means “rise up”? __
“come down”? _____ - Do you think Jeannie got to ride in a balloon? __ What makes you think so?
Balloon Fest
I got a postcard from my friend while she was on a trip to New Mexico. She said she
was having lots of fun but the best thing was the balloon festival in Albuquerque. On
the front was a picture of a floating balloon made to look like the face of a giant pig.
Except for the tiny people hanging in the basket below, you’d never realize how big the
balloon was. When she returned, Jeannie told me
more about the festival.
“We got up really early—before sunrise—and
headed to a large open area. There, hundreds of
people were getting set for takeoff just after
sunrise. The air was cold. Little fires dotted the
fields, ready to inflate the balloons. I knew from
science class that as air is heated it expands. The
hot air inside the balloon is lighter than the
outside air, causing it to rise. While riding in the
balloon, the ascent or descent is controlled by
adding or turning down the heat. Slowly the
balloons grew from flat to fat. The balloonists
were lined up in rows. At the signal, each row
turned up their fires and began to rise. Row after
row took to the sky in waves until there were
hundreds of colorful balloons floating and
bobbing above us all at once. It was the most
spectacular sight I’ve ever seen.”Hello
from...ALBUQUERQUE