Read the following passage and fill in each blank with ONE suitable word. BLACKPOOL

Many English people now go abroad for their holidays in search of better weather. For many years these were the only commercial trams still operating in Britain. By far the biggest of these resorts is Blackpool, which still welcomes some six million visitors every year.

At the beginning of the 19^th century, Blackpool was a little-known fishing village on the north-west coast of England with a population of fewer than 500. The arrival of the railways in 1846 linked Blackpool with the industrial towns in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. This gave the inhabitants of these towns the chance to (61)……….away from their smoke-filled environment and seek fresh air on the coast.

The visitors soon began to demand organized entertainment and Blackpool was quick to oblige. Theatres and dance halls were quickly provided for the holidaymakers, but the (62)……….striking building was Blackpool Tower, which was erected between 1891 and 1894. The tower was built in imitation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (63)……….it is hardly half the height of the French original. Nevertheless, for many years it was Britain’s tallest structure. The Tower contained a highly decorated ballroom and the Tower Circus.

Along a large part of the seafront is the so-called Golden Mile, a lively area of hot- dig stands, amusement arcades and fortune tellers. At the southern end of the seafront stands the vast Pleasure Beach, (64)……….of exciting rides and more amusement arcades. The Pleasure Beach, which has more visitors every year than any other tourist attraction(s) in Britain, has provided Blackpool with a second tower. This is a 50-metre- high column (65)……….the Space Tower, which an observation car ascends to give a panoramic view of the coastline.

One of the principal attractions of Blackpool to many people is the trams which run along the seafront. For many years these were the only commercial trams still operating

in Britain. However, in recent years several cities (66)……….re-introduced trams on to their streets.

Blackpool has the longest holiday season of any seaside town in Britain. Whilst summer is, no doubt, the busiest time of year, conferences and exhibitions (67)……….place in spring and autumn. From early September until the end of October, crowds come in their thousands to see the Illuminations, when the seafront is transformed (68) ……….a glittering display of colored lights and scenes, with trams disguised as moon rockets and American showboats.

Blackpool is not (69)……….everyone's taste but it is a town with a basic honesty. It does not claim to be smart and sophisticated but simply a place (70)……….people can come and have fun.

(adapted from How to pass FCE - Exam practice in Reading)

This gave the inhabitants of these towns the chance to (61)……….away from their smoke-filled environment and seek fresh air on the coast.