Science · Level 2 · 107 words
Eating Sunlight
Original passage © Team AM, written for Hone Literacy.
Animals must find food to get energy, but green plants make their own. Inside their leaves are tiny green parts that capture sunlight. The plant uses that light energy to combine water from the soil with a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. This process turns those simple ingredients into sugar, which feeds the plant and helps it grow. The process is called photosynthesis. As a bonus, the plant releases oxygen, the gas that people and animals need to breathe. So when you stand near a leafy tree on a sunny day, the tree is quietly building food and freshening the air at the same time.
Comprehension questions
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
- A Animals eat plants for energy
- B Plants use sunlight to make their own food
- C Trees grow best in soil
- D Oxygen is a kind of sugar
Show answer
B. Plants use sunlight to make their own food
The passage centers on photosynthesis, how plants use sunlight to make food.
2. According to the text, what gas do plants release during photosynthesis?
- A Carbon dioxide
- B Oxygen
- C Nitrogen
- D Steam
Show answer
B. Oxygen
The text says the plant 'releases oxygen' as a bonus.
3. In the passage, 'capture' most nearly means
- A take in or catch
- B reflect away
- C burn up
- D hide from
Show answer
A. take in or catch
The green parts 'capture sunlight,' meaning they take it in to use its energy.
Source: Written for Hone Literacy. Original passage © Team AM, written for Hone Literacy.