Do you share our passion for Ferris wheels? Whether you’re a fan of these iconic attractions or find them a bit daunting, this post is a special treat for you. Not only will it help you enhance your vocabulary, but it will also improve your listening and reading skills. Ready for the ride? Read on and enjoy the journey!
Let’s start by learning a little about the history of the wheel. Watch the video to do so, and answer the questions below:
- What event prompted George Ferris to invent the wheel?
- Did the invention make him rich?
- What might have inspired the engineer?
- What happened to the original Ferris wheel?
- Where was the original wheel built?
- Is it still standing today?
- According to Paul Durica, would George Ferris be surprised by the popularity of his invention today? Why/why not?
🎧 The audio script
Inventor George Ferris has no small claim to fame because it was Ferris who you might say reinvented the wheel. Roxana Saberi takes us for a spin.
For many summer sun means thrill rides that soar, swirl and defy gravity. But if you need a break from holding your breath, there’s one attraction that lets you catch it – the Ferris wheel, a slow-moving salvation from all that speed.
Reporter: What was your favorite part about the ride? Girl: The top part. You could see like everything from up there.
Reporter: It’s been turning for more than 130 years. So why is it called Ferris?
Paul Durica: Not many people know about George Washington Gale Ferris.
Reporter: Paul Durica is the director of exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum. Who was George Washington Gale Ferris?
Paul Durica: An up-and-coming engineer in the early 1890s. He’d been born in Illinois. He moves to Pittsburgh and it’s around this time that the announcement goes out that the World’s Fair organizers in Chicago are seeking a large-scale attraction.
Reporter continues: One that would top the pièce de résistance at the previous World’s Fair in Paris.
Paul Durica: What a lot of people were responding with were designs that were very similar. We’ll just build a bigger tower than the Eiffel Tower, but it was George Washington Gale Ferris who had the idea to make something on a similar scale but allow it to move.
Reporter continues: Legend has it he was inspired by watching a water wheel turn.
Paul Durica: He believed all along in the science, in the engineering, and he knew that it could work.
Reporter: Even though it hadn’t been done on that scale before.
Paul Durica: Even though it hadn’t been done.
Reporter: Built in less than 6 months, his wheel opened to the public in June 1893. The steel structure was massive, climbing 264 feet, with 36 cars each carrying 60 passengers.
Paul Durica: At the time, it was the tallest object in Chicago.
Reporter: Today an ice rink sits in its place. What was the reception when the Ferris wheel opened here?
Paul Durica: It was an experience unlike people ever really had before. You really sort of lose yourself in the experience as the world below you faded away and then suddenly came back into view and faded away again.
Reporter continues: It’s a sensation that endures to this day. There are enormous wheels worldwide in London, Las Vegas and this one in Dubai rises more than 800 feet.
David Moore: This is the brains of the operations.
Reporter: We paid a visit to the command center at the Dream Wheel in New Jersey. What’s the blue line?
David Moore: So, the black line is your wind speed. The blue line is your relative humidity. So there’s a lot of moving parts…
Reporter: No pressure… David Moore is the Dream Wheel General Operations manager.
David Moore: The original Ferris wheel was steam-driven. We are 100% electronic. No steam, no hydraulics, just all electronics.
Reporter: What makes a wheel so enticing to engineers like yourself?
David Moore: The size, the movement, and it’s a pure work of art in the sky spinning with people on it, enjoying themselves.
Caron Lavis: We’re just naturally drawn to it both as just people but also writers and artists.
Reporter: Professor and author Caron Levis captures its whimsey in her children’s book “Stop That Yawn!” We met her at the famed Wonder Wheel at Coney Island, running since 1920.
Caron Lavis: There’s so much juice in the image for all these contrast that it has for this sort of old and new and delightful. It appears in so many things.
Reporter: The Wheel has its place in popular culture, from the romantic and “The Notebook” to the menacing with Orson Welles in “The Third Man.” As for the original, Paul Durica says it came to a halt soon after the Chicago World’s Fair.
Paul Durica: Nobody wants it, so they decide basically to dynamite it, and that’s the sad end of the original Ferris wheel.
Reporter: They demolished it.
Paul Durica: They demolished it.
Reporter: And out of over a hundred thousand parts… This bolt is one of the few pieces that remain. What Ferris built also broke him. He went bankrupt, got typhoid fever and died at age 37 in 1896. But all these years later, his invention keeps spinning bringing a smile to Ron, Tom and Cougar Peck. How are you related to George Washington Gale Ferris?
Ron: He is our great great great great uncle.
Reporter: Ferris family members couldn’t resist taking a ride on the Centennial Wheel in Chicago. When you see all these kids getting off of this wheel and other wheels, how does that make you feel?
Ron: Very proud. The tradition’s carrying on.
Reporter: What do you think George Ferris would think of all the wheels around the world today?
Paul Durica: George Ferris would not be surprised at all about the popularity of his invention. He had complete faith in himself. He knew it would work. He would probably say, as he kind of surveyed the world and looked at things like the Wonder Wheel and Coney Island or the London Eye, is like, “See, I told you so. This is a great attraction.”
Reporter: It does really give you a pause, time to pause.
Caron Lavis: Yeah, absolutely.
Reporter: Let’s just hang out up here for a while.
Answer key 🔑
- The World’s Fair
- No, it broke him.
- The water wheel.
- It was demolished.
- Chicago
- No, a skating rink sits in its place now.
- He wouldn’t be surprised because he had complete faith in himself.
Vocabulary Practice 1
Study the table below and do the exercise to practice the vocabulary.
| Word/phrase | Meaning | Example |
| a claim to fame | a notable accomplishment that makes someone famous; one thing that makes a person or place important or interesting | 1) Ferris’s claim to fame is the invention of the wheel. 2) The town’s only claim to fame is the castle. |
| to reinvent the wheel | (figuratively) to create something new that is essentially a replication of something that already exists | The amusement park decided not to reinvent the wheel and kept their classic rides, knowing that they were beloved by the community. |
| to hold one’s breath | (figuratively) to wait anxiously for something to happen | As the roller coaster climbed to the top, everyone held their breath in anticipation of the thrilling descent. |
| to catch one’s breath | to recover one’s breath after exertion or excitement | After getting off the spinning teacups ride, the kids needed a moment to catch their breath. |
| up-and-coming | promising, likely to achieve success soon | The new food stalls at the fair are from up-and-coming vendors who are quickly gaining popularity. |
| pièce de résistance | highlight, centerpiece | The haunted house was the pièce de résistance of the Halloween fair, with its elaborate sets and terrifying effects. |
| legend has it | = folklore suggests | Legend has it that the old carousel at the fairground is enchanted and brings good luck to those who ride it. |
| to endure | to last despite challenge | The roller coaster’s popularity has endured for decades, continuing to thrill new generations of riders. |
| enticing | attractive, tempting, alluring. | The enticing aroma of cotton candy wafted through the fairgrounds, luring visitors to the concession stands. |
| whimsey (adjective: whimsical) | playfulness, often characterized by light-hearted and imaginative qualities | 1) The old-fashioned fairground was a perfect example of whimsy, with its charming rides and colorful banners creating a nostalgic, playful atmosphere. 2) The amusement park’s new ride features a whimsical journey through a land of oversized flowers and talking animals |
| menacing | threatening, intimidating | The menacing look of the haunted house’s facade scared some visitors away. |
| to come to a halt | to stop moving or functioning | The Ferris wheel had to come to a halt temporarily for a safety check before resuming its rotations. |
Click the link here and complete the sentences with the right words.
Additional vocabulary from the exercises
- food stall – a small, temporary setup used to sell food and beverages
- (to create) a buzz – excitement, interest, or attention about something
- nerve-wracking (experience) – making you feel very nervous and worried
- eerie (sound effects) /ˈɪri/ – strange, mysterious and frightening
- colossal (roller coaster) /kəˈlɑːsl/ – extremely large
- (to draw) thrill-seekers (from all over) – people who actively seek out exciting, adventurous, and often risky experiences that provide a sense of exhilaration or adrenaline
- bumper car – a popular amusement park and carnival ride where participants drive small, electrically powered cars designed to bump into each other in a controlled environment
- funnel cake – a popular treat often found at fairs, carnivals, and amusement parks
- (the aroma) wafts (through the air) /wɑːft/ – to move gently through the air
- carnival fare – the types of food typically served at carnivals and fairs
- gourmet (cotton candy) /ˈɡʊrmeɪ/ – of high quality and often expensive
- artisanal (popcorn) /ɑːrˈtiːzənl/ – made in a traditional way with high-quality ingredients
Vocabulary Practice 2
Study the vocabulary from the “Additional Vocabulary” list above and complete the text below with the right words. The answer key 🔑 is given below.
The Colossal Pièce de Résistance
As the sun began to set over the carnival, the 1. ___ (= extremely large) Ferris wheel stood tall.. Known for its claim to 2. ___, this iconic ride was the pièce de résistance of the event, 3. ___ (= attracting) thrill-seekers from near and far. 4. ___ has it that the Ferris wheel, with its mesmerizing view, could make even the most seasoned adventurers 5. ___ their breath in awe as it slowly ascended.
Beneath the wheel, the carnival was alive with activity. The 6. ___ (= tempting) aroma of carnival fare, including freshly fried 7. ___ cakes and 8. ___ (= high-quality) artisanal popcorn, 9. ___ through the air from nearby food 10. ___. The 11.___-and-coming food trucks, with their creative and whimsical designs, added to the lively atmosphere, creating a buzz among the crowd.
As the Ferris wheel’s cars creaked and clanked their way to the top, the excitement in the air was palpable. Passengers would occasionally need to 12. ___ their breath, both from the sheer thrill of the ride and the breathtaking views they were presented with. For many, the experience was both nerve-13. ___ and exhilarating.
On the ground, 14. ___ cars bumped and jostled in a playful display of controlled chaos, while the 15. ___ (= scary) glow of the haunted house provided a menacing backdrop to the festivities. Despite the variety of attractions, the Ferris wheel remained the main draw, embodying a sense of whimsy and grandeur that was unmatched.
As the ride approached the end of its cycle and the cars began to come to a 16. ___, the Ferris wheel continued to be a symbol of the carnival’s charm. Its ability to 17. ___ the wheel of traditional amusement park rides with a touch of magic and grandeur made it a standout attraction, capturing the essence of the carnival experience for all who dared to climb aboard.
Answer key 🔑
- colossal
- fame
- drawing
- Legend
- hold
- enticing
- funnel
- gourmet
- wafted
- stalls
- up
- catch
- wracking
- bumper
- eerie
- halt
- reinvent
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