Free Reading Practice - How trees get food

How trees get food - photosynthesis

Have you ever wondered how trees eat? Trees do not have mouths like us, but they still need food to grow big and strong. Trees make their own food using a special process called photosynthesis. This is a word that means trees absorb sunlight and turn it into food. 

Trees need three main things to make food: sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Sunlight comes from the sun. Water comes from the soil and is absorbed by the tree’s roots. Carbon dioxide is a gas that is all around us in the air. Carbon dioxide is bad for our health, it comes from old vehicles. 

The tree’s leaves are very important. Leaves are like tiny factories. They take sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide and turn them into sugar. Sugar is the food that helps the tree grow. This sugar travels from the leaves down to the trunk, branches, and roots. 

The roots of the tree do more than just hold the tree in the ground. Roots drink water from the soil and also take in minerals. Minerals are tiny bits of nutrients that help the tree stay healthy. Without water and minerals, the tree cannot make enough food so it won't grow well. 

The tree’s trunk or stem and branches act like highways. They carry the sugar and water to every part of the tree. This helps the tree grow leaves, flowers, fruits, and new roots. Trees also need oxygen, which they get from the air. Trees give us oxygen too! This is the reason why trees are essential for life forms on Earth. They not only feed themselves, but they also help humans and animals breathe. Some trees store extra sugar in their roots or trunk. 

This sugar can be used later when the tree needs it. For example, in winter, when there is less sunlight, trees can use the stored sugar to survive. Different types of trees have different ways to get food. Some trees have big leaves to catch more sunlight. Others have deep roots to reach water far underground. But all trees need sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and minerals to live. 

So next time you see a tree, remember it is working hard to make its own food. Trees are amazing! They can make food from sunlight, water, and air. They grow tall and strong because they know how to feed themselves.

English Khmer Meanings

1. Tree 🌳: ដើមឈើ
2. Leaf 🍃 : ស្លឹកឈើ
3. Root 🌱: ឬសឈើ
4. Sunlight ☀️ : ពន្លឺព្រះអាទិត្យ
5. Water 💧 : ទឹក
6. Carbon dioxide 🌬: កាបូនឌីអុកស៊ុីត
7. Photosynthesis 🍀: ការធ្វើរស្មីសំយោគ
8. Sugar 🍭: ជាតិស្ក
9. Mineral 🪨 : ជាតិរ៉ែ
10. Trunk 🌲: ដើមឈើ

English Meaning

1. Trees 🌳 – Big plants with a strong trunk and many branches.
2. Leaves 🍃 – Green parts of a plant that make food.
3. Roots 🌱 – Parts under the ground that hold the plant and take in water.
4. Sunlight ☀️ – Light from the sun that helps plants grow.
5. Water 💧 – Liquid plants need to live and grow.
6. Carbon dioxide 🌬️ – A gas in the air that plants use to make food.
7. Photosynthesis 🍀 – The way plants make food using sunlight, water, and air.
8. Sugar 🍭 – Food made by plants to give them energy.
9. Minerals 🪨 – Nutrients in the soil that help plants grow strong.
10. Trunk 🌲 – The thick main stem of a tree that holds it up.

Matching Practice

Match the words in A with their meanings in B.

Column A ( words)

1.Trees 🌳
2. Leaves 🍃
3. Roots 🌱
4. Sunlight ☀️
5. Water 💧
6. Carbon dioxide 🌬
7. Photosynthesis 🍀
8. Sugar 🍭
9. Minerals 🪨
10. Trunk 🌲

Column B (Meanings)

A. The main part of the tree that carries food and water
B. Tiny nutrients from soil that help trees stay healthy
C. Light from the sun that helps trees make food
D. Big plants with trunks, branches, and leaves
E. A gas in the air that trees use to make food
F. The food trees make to grow big and strong
G. The process trees use to make food
H. Parts of the tree under the ground that take in water
I. Liquid that trees drink from the soil
J. Parts of the tree that make food

Multiple Choice Questions 

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