Science · Level 2 · 107 words

Eating Sunlight

Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.

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

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4 questions
1. What is the main idea of this passage?

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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?

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B. Oxygen
The text says the plant 'releases oxygen' as a bonus.

3. In the passage, 'capture' most nearly means

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A. take in or catch
The green parts 'capture sunlight,' meaning they take it in to use its energy.

4. Based on the passage, what would most likely happen to a green plant kept in a dark room?

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B. It would struggle to make its food
Plants use light energy to combine water and carbon dioxide into sugar, so a plant with no sunlight could not build the food it needs to grow.

Source: Written for Fluency. Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.