Balloon Launch

Nora would like to close the first paragraph with a sentence that tells what the story is about. Which of the following should Nora add after sentence 5?

• For Jayden's birthday they had wanted to do something special.

• The balloons would fly effortlessly across the sky.

• Today Jayden and his dad would be passengers on one of the balloons!

• It was time for a birthday celebration!

What is the most effective way to combine sentences 12 and 13?

• Huge flames shot out of the burner inside the balloon, which was heating the air.

• Huge flames shot out of the burner because the air inside the balloon was heated.

• Huge flames shout out of the burner, the flames heated the air inside the balloon.

• Huge flames shot out of the burner, heating the air inside the balloon.

The transition from the third paragraph to the fourth paragraph is weak. Which sentence could BEST replace sentence 16 and improve the transition between these two paragraphs?

• Finally, it was time for the riders to climb inside the basket attached to the balloon.

• Even though it was time, the strong ropes kept the balloon from taking off.

• When it was finally time, Jayden and his father smiled.

• The time had come, but Jayden began to feel a slight twinge of fear that he hadn't expected.

Sentence 20 does not say what Nora intended it to say. How should she rewrite this sentence?

• With each blast from the air in the burner growing hotter, the balloon was allowed to fly higher and higher.

• With each blast from the burner, the air in the balloon grew hotter, allowing the balloon to fly higher and higher.

• With each blast from the burner, the balloon's air grew hotter, this allowed the balloon to fly higher and higher.

• With each blast from the burner, the balloon grew hotter, allowing the balloon to fly higher and higher in the air.

Nora wants to expand on the idea she has expressed in sentence 23. Which sentence could BEST follow sentence 23?

• The adventure of the day had only just begun.

• As the balloon got higher in the air, things on the ground got smaller and smaller.

• Soon people were the size of ants, and cars and trucks looked like toys.

• Everything on the ground looked different when viewed from the air.

How should sentence 24 be revised?

• For more than an hour, Jayden, his father, and their fellow passengers floated high and floated away above the trees and the town.

• For more than an hour, Jayden, his father, and their fellow passengers floated high above the trees and the town, which was way up high.

• For more than an hour, Jayden, his father, and their fellow passengers floated they were high above the trees and the town.

• For more than an hour, Jayden, his father, and their fellow passengers floated high above the trees and the town.