PaginePaginepagineapp.comIn autumn, many trees trade their green leaves for bright shades of yellow, orange and red. But the colours were partly hidden there all along.
During spring and summer, leaves are full of chlorophyll, a green chemical that helps trees make food from sunlight. There is so much chlorophyll that it covers up other colours.
As days grow shorter and cooler, trees stop making chlorophyll. The green fades, revealing yellow and orange pigments. Some trees, like maples, also make new red pigments in autumn.
Eventually, the leaves fall. The tree rests through winter, saving energy until spring, when new green leaves unfold.
A Pagine Original passage.
1. What is chlorophyll?
2. Why can't we see yellow and orange in summer?
3. What causes trees to stop making chlorophyll?
4. Which colour do some trees make new in autumn?
5. What does the tree do in winter?
6. Explain the cause-and-effect relationship in paragraph 3.
Worksheets › Grade 4 › Reading comprehension
Free 4th grade reading comprehension worksheet: "Why Do Leaves Change Colour?", an original non-fiction passage with 6 questions. Answer key included. Skill: Reading informational text: key details and main idea. Level: Grade 4 — also suits Year 5 (UK).
Yes — it is free to print for home or the classroom. Sign in with a free Pagine account, then use the Print button or save it as a PDF.
It is designed for Grade 4 (ages 9–10), but use it with any child who is ready.
Reading informational text: key details and main idea.
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