970 A Plant Puzzle

A Plant Puzzle
A Plant Puzzle
By Josh Adler
Livingthingslikeplants,animals,andpeopleneedenergytosurviveandgrow.People
eatfoodforenergy,butmostplantsuseenergythattheygetfromsunlight.
Whenyoulookatplantssuchasatree,flower,orgrass,whatdoyousee?
Youmightnoticetheirstems,trunks,branches,leaves,roots,orflowers,buthowdo
theygrow?Whataretheymadefrom?Howdidtheplantmakethoseparts?
Lifeisapuzzleinmanyways.Peopledon'tallagreeonhowlifestartedorwhyitexists.
Yetasimplewayofthinkingabouthowplantsgrowistothinkoftheplantitselfasapieceofa
largerpuzzle.
Eachplantisapartofitsuniqueenvironment.Differentenvironmentscouldbeoceans,
forests,deserts,orcities.Eachenvironmentalsohasitsownclimate,whichispartiallybased
onhowmuchsunandrainanareareceiveseveryyear.
Sinceonlycertainplantsgrowinhot,cool,wet,ordryclimates,eachenvironmentis
madeupofdifferenttypesofplantlife.Adesertmaygrowpalmtreesandcacti,whileaforest
maygrowtallpinesoroaktrees.
Inorderforaplanttogrow,itneedsthreeveryimportantpuzzlepieces:water,carbon
dioxide,andlight.Plantsusetheirrootstotakeinwaterfromtheground.Theyusetheir
leavestotakeinsunlightandcarbondioxidefromtheair.

2014 ReadWorks, Inc. All rights reserved.
A Plant Puzzle
Plantsusethesethreepuzzlepiecestomaketheirownfoodinaprocesscalled
photosynthesis.Usingtheenergyfromthesun,plantsconvertwaterandcarbondioxideinto
sugar.Thissugarfeedstheplantsgrowthfromaseedlingintoanadult.Intheprocess,the
plantreleasesoxygenintotheair.
Anotherimportantpiecetothegrowthofmanyplantsissoil.Usingtheirroots,plants
takeinnutrientsfromthesoilthathelpthemgrow.Givingaplantaspotincleansoilis
importanttomakesureitdoesntabsorbanythingharmfulfromthedirt.
Plantsmaketheirfoodfromcarbondioxide,waterandlight.Theyusethisfoodtogrow
stems,trunks,roots,branches,leaves,andflowers.Nowwhenyoulookatatree,flower,or
evenabladeofgrass,youcanseeallthepiecesoftheplantandhowtheentirepuzzlefits
together.

Questions: A Plant Puzzle
Name:
Date:
1. Where do plants get their energy from?

A
B
C
D
the moon
sunlight
their stem
their roots
2. What does the passage describe?

A
B
C
D
how
how
how
how
plants
plants
plants
plants
make
make
make
make
food
food
food
food
using
using
using
using
light, water, and carbon dioxide

only water and light
oxygen, sugar, and soil
sugar, light, and water
3. The climate determines which plants can grow in a particular environment.

What evidence from the passage best supports this conclusion?
A Each plant is a part of its unique environment. Different environments could be
oceans, forests, deserts, or cities.
B Each environment also has its own climate, which is partially based on how
much sun and rain an area receives every year.
C A desert may grow palm trees and cacti, while a forest may grow tall pines or
oak trees.
D Since only certain plants grow in hot, cool, wet, or dry climates, each
environment is made up of different types of plant life.
4. What would happen to a plant if it grew in polluted soil?
A
B
C
D
The
The
The
The
plant
plant
plant
plant
would
would
would
would
grow faster than in clean soil.

grow the same as in clean soil.
not be healthy and could die.
absorb more nutrients from the soil.
5. What is this passage mostly about?

A
B
C
D
how plants grow

sunlight and water
energy sources
nutrients in soil
1
6. Read the following sentences: Using their roots, plants take in nutrients from the soil
that help them grow. Giving a plant a spot in clean soil is important to make sure it
doesnt absorb anything harmful from the dirt.
As used in the passage, what does absorb most nearly mean?
A
B
C
D
use something
take something in
go under something
put something out
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Different environments have different plants. _________, deserts have cacti and
rainforests have ferns.
A
B
C
D
However
Finally
Meanwhile
For example
8. With what process does a plant make its own food?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2
9. What are the three puzzle pieces that a plant needs to grow?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
10. Explain whether plants could make their own food without sunlight.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3

970 A Plant Puzzle

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

970 A Plant Puzzle

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

970 A Plant Puzzle

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Plant Puzzle

Questions: A Plant Puzzle

1. Where do plants get their energy from?

2. What does the passage describe?

light, water, and carbon dioxide

3. The climate determines which plants can grow in a particular environment.

grow faster than in clean soil.

5. What is this passage mostly about?

how plants grow

Questions: A Plant Puzzle

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

8. With what process does a plant make its own food?

Questions: A Plant Puzzle

You might also like