Hot Air Ballooning IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

The Hot Air Ballooning IELTS Reading Answers are provided below in a clear table format. You can compare your responses with the correct answers and understand where you made mistakes.

Hot Air Ballooning IELTS Reading Answers – Overview

The IELTS Reading section is one of the most important parts of the IELTS exam. It checks your ability to understand detailed information, identify facts, locate specific answers, and interpret diagrams.

The passage Hot Air Ballooning talks about the history of hot air balloons, early balloon flights, modern balloon design, safety rules, and ballooning organizations. This passage is useful for IELTS Reading practice because it includes different question types that commonly appear in the exam.

In this article, you will find the Hot Air Ballooning reading passage, questions, answers, and explanations to help you improve your reading accuracy.

Question Types in Hot Air Ballooning Reading Passage

The passage includes the following IELTS Reading question types:

IELTS Reading True / False / Not Given

In this question type, you need to decide whether the statement agrees with the passage, contradicts the passage, or is not mentioned.

IELTS Reading Short Answer Questions

In short answer questions, you need to write a word or short phrase from the passage. Always follow the word limit given in the instructions.

IELTS Reading Diagram Completion

In diagram completion questions, you need to label parts of a diagram using words from the passage. Read the related paragraph carefully and identify the exact terms.

Strategies to Solve Hot Air Ballooning Reading Answers

For True / False / Not Given, remember that writing “Yes” instead of “True” or “No” instead of “False” may cost you marks.

For Short Answer Questions, the answers usually appear in the same order as the questions. This is known as the progressive order of questions.

For Diagram Completion, look carefully at the diagram labels and understand what type of word is required. The answer is usually a noun or noun phrase from the passage.

In IELTS Academic Reading, passages are generally taken from books, magazines, journals, and newspapers. These passages test your ability to read and understand academic-style content.

Practising passages like Hot Air Ballooning IELTS Reading Answers can help you improve skimming, scanning, vocabulary, and answer-location skills.

IELTS Reading Passage – Hot Air Ballooning

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

Hot Air Ballooning

A. Two French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, are mainly credited with originating the hot air balloon. Using the idea that hot air is lighter than cold air, they were able to lift a small silk balloon 32 metres into the air. The brothers later sent a balloon 10,000 metres into the air, where it descended and then burst. Their work attracted the attention of the French Science Academy because the discovery of the properties of hot air balloons helped in the study of weather patterns and the environment.

B. It was not until several years later that a balloon capable of carrying passengers was launched. The first flights were carried out using animals. After these successful flights, two passengers, Jean Francois Pilatre and Francois Laurent d’Arlandes, flew for 29 minutes across Paris in a balloon. They kept the balloon in the air by feeding the fire in the centre of their wicker basket.

C. In 1785, the discovery of hydrogen-powered flights led to the death of Pilatre. This tragedy contributed to a decline in the popularity of hot air ballooning and increased interest in hydrogen balloons. In the 1950s, hot air ballooning became popular again as a leisure activity and sport, although it later lost popularity as other forms of air transport developed. Today, balloons are available in many sizes, shapes, and designs.

D. In 1987, British entrepreneur Richard Branson crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a balloon called the Virgin Atlantic Flyer. Four years later, he and Per Lindstrand of Sweden flew around 8,000 kilometres from Japan to Northern Canada in their balloon, the Virgin Pacific Flyer. This balloon was almost 10,000 cubic metres larger than the previous one and made the longest hot air balloon journey in history. The Pacific Flyer was designed to fly in transoceanic jet streams and reached a top land speed of 394 kilometres per hour.

E. Today, many designs and types of equipment are available, including baskets that can carry two to 35 or more passengers, divided compartments, and specially designed flame-resistant fabrics. However, the basic parts of a hot air balloon have remained mostly unchanged. Propane fuel tanks are usually placed inside wicker baskets. The burners are attached to suspension wires just above the basket and are partly covered by the skirt. The balloon is made up of gores, which extend from the skirt to the top of the balloon and are further divided into separate panels. This part is called the envelope. A self-closing flap at the top of the envelope allows hot air to escape at a controlled rate. This helps limit ascents or bring the balloon down. This flap is called the parachute valve and is controlled by the vent line, a rope that runs down from the parachute valve and hangs above the basket.

F. Flying a hot air balloon requires considerable skill. The controls are simple, but the pilot must understand how to use them correctly. To lift the balloon, the pilot releases propane by operating a control. By increasing or reducing the propane gas flow, the pilot can control the balloon’s speed, but not its horizontal direction. Because of this, balloons are often followed by a ground crew, who may need to collect the pilot, passengers, and balloon from different landing locations. To fly a hot air balloon, a pilot must have a commercial pilot’s licence and at least 35 hours of flight training. There are no legal safety requirements for passengers, but passengers should know about the flight crew and their qualifications. For safety reasons, hot air balloons do not fly in the rain because the heat of the balloon may cause surface water to boil and damage the fabric.

G. The Balloon Federation of America is one of the major hot air ballooning organisations in the United States. Founded in 1961, the BFA welcomes anyone interested in ballooning or “lighter than air” flying. It has discussion forums, meetings, and exhibitions across the United States and beyond. One of its main principles is that the future of ballooning is strongly connected to the safety of enthusiasts. The BFA offers several training programmes, from beginner classes for those seeking a basic licence to advanced pilot achievement programmes. Although the simulator does not directly lead to a pilot’s licence, it can give beginners a sense of what professional balloon pilots experience.

Hot Air Ballooning IELTS Reading Questions

Questions 1–4

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?

Write:

True – if the statement agrees with the information
False – if the statement contradicts the information
Not Given – if there is no information on this

1. The brothers Montgolfier were the first individuals to soar in a hot air balloon.
2. Late in the eighteenth century, hot air ballooning became less fashionable.
3. The volume of the largest hot air balloon exceeded 75,000 cubic metres.
4. Membership in the BFA is restricted to citizens of the United States.

Questions 5–7

Answer the questions below using words from the passage.

5. Who was the entrepreneur’s companion on the longest balloon flight?
6. Who follows the flight of a hot air balloon to recover it after it lands?
7. What can newcomers to the sport use to learn about the sensation of balloon flight?

Questions 8–11

Label the diagram below using no more than two words from the passage for each answer.

8. A = __________
9. B = __________
10. C = __________
11. D = __________

Hot Air Ballooning Reading Answers with Explanations

1. False

Explanation: The passage states that Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier are credited with originating the hot air balloon. However, the first human passengers mentioned were Jean Francois Pilatre and Francois Laurent d’Arlandes. Therefore, the Montgolfier brothers were not the first individuals to fly in a hot air balloon.

2. True

Explanation: The passage explains that in 1785, Pilatre’s death contributed to a decline in the popularity of hot air ballooning. This supports the statement that hot air ballooning became less fashionable late in the eighteenth century.

3. False

Explanation: The passage mentions that the Virgin Pacific Flyer was nearly 10,000 cubic metres larger than the earlier balloon. It does not say that the largest hot air balloon exceeded 75,000 cubic metres. Therefore, the statement is false according to the given information.

4. Not Given

Explanation: The passage says that the BFA welcomes anyone interested in ballooning and has activities in the United States and beyond. However, it does not clearly state whether membership is restricted to US citizens.

5. Per Lindstrand

Explanation: Paragraph D states that Richard Branson flew with Per Lindstrand of Sweden on the longest hot air balloon journey.

6. Ground crew

Explanation: Paragraph F explains that balloons are often followed by a ground crew, who may need to collect the pilot, passengers, and balloon after landing.

7. Balloon simulator

Explanation: Paragraph G mentions that the simulator can give beginners a sense of the experience felt by professional balloon pilots.

8. Parachute valve

Explanation: Paragraph E explains that the self-closing flap at the top of the envelope is called the parachute valve.

9. Envelope

Explanation: The passage states that the part of the balloon made up of gores and panels is known as the envelope.

10. Panels

Explanation: Paragraph E mentions that the gores are divided into separate panels.

11. Gores

Explanation: The balloon is described as being made up of gores, which extend from the skirt to the top of the balloon.

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Conclusion

The Hot Air Ballooning IELTS Reading Answers will help you check your performance and understand the correct answer locations. Practise this passage carefully to improve your reading speed, vocabulary, and accuracy.

For better IELTS Reading scores, focus on identifying keywords, understanding the question type, and locating answers directly from the passage. Regular practice with passages like Hot Air Ballooning Reading Answers can improve your confidence and help you perform better in the IELTS exam.

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