Reading Comprehension |
| Story |
The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest. It covers an
area of nearly 2.8 million square miles, which is nearly the size of
the continent of Australia. The Amazon Rainforest gets its life
from the majestic Amazon River, the world's second largest river,
which runs directly through the heart of the region. The rainforest
itself is simply the drainage basin for the river and its many tributaries.
The vast forest itself consists of four layers, each featuring its own
ecosystems and specially adapted plants and animals.
The forest floor is the lowest region. Since only two percent of the sunlight
filters through the top layers to the understory, very few plants grow here.
The forest floor, however, is rich with rotting vegetation and the bodies of
dead organisms, which are quickly broken down into nutrients integrated
into the soil. Tree roots stay close to these available nutrients and decomposers
such as millipedes and earthworms use these nutrients for food.
The understory is the layer above the forest floor. Much like the forest floor,
only about 2- 5 percent of the sunlight reaches this shadowy realm. Many of
the plants in the understory have large, broad leaves to collect as much
sunlight as possible. The understory is so thick that there is very little air
movement. As a result, plants rely on insects and animals to pollinate their
flowers.
The layer above the understory is the canopy. This is where much of the
action in the rainforest occurs. Many canopy leaves have specially
adapted leaves which form "drip tips". Drip tips allow water to flow off
the leaves which prevents mosses, fungi, and lichens from occupying
the leaves. Leaves in the canopy are very dense and filter about 80
percent of the sunlight. The canopy is where the wealth of the rainforest
fruits and flowers grow. Bromeliads, cup-like plants, provide drinking
pools for animals and breeding locations for tree frogs.
The emergent layer is above the canopy, and is the top layer of the
rainforest. Trees in the emergent layer break through the canopy and
may reach heights of 200 feet. Leaves in the emergent layer are small
and covered with a special wax to hold water. Seeds are blown to
other parts of the forest. Trees which rise to the emergent layer are
massive. Many are braced by huge buttress roots. Trunks can be 16
feet in circumference. Many animals that survive in the emergent
layer never touch the ground.
1. The Amazon Rainforest covers an area nearly the size of the continent
of_____
answer - Australia
2. Which of the following is not a layer of the rainforest?
answer - Subcanopy
3. Which layer of the rainforest is right above the forest floor?
answer - Understory
4. Most of the fruits and flowers of the rainforest grow in its _____.
answer - Canopy
5. _____ provide drinking pools for animals and breeding locations for
tree frogs.
answer - Bromeliads
6. Many trees in the ____ of the rainforest are braced by huge buttress
roots.
answer - Emergent Layer
7. Animals that live in the ____ may never touch the ground.
answer - Emergent Layer
8. Why do few plants grow in the understory?
answer - There's not a lot of sunlight
9. Why do plants in the understory have to rely on insects to pollinate
them?
answer - There is very little wind in the understory.
10. Which of the following is NOT true?
answer - The canopy is higher than the emergent layer.
SCORE - 10/10
I have learned that there are different types of layers in the Amazon
RainForest. And also that many animals that live in the emergent layer
are more likely to never touch the ground. But fun fact is that the Amazon
is the size of Australia.
