Sentence:  Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good <WSD>deal</WSD> in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An indefinite quantity or amount; a lot ("now usually qualified by" (great) "or" (good)).