05 Trees

The main part of a tree is called a trunk. There are two main kinds of trees: conifers and broad-leaved.

Conifers grow in a triangular shape, while broad-leaved trees are usually rounded. In order to be called a tree, a plant must be over 6 metres tall and have only one trunk. If it is less than 6 metres tall, it is called a shrub. Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world. They can grow to be well over 100 metres tall!

The various parts of a tree all work together in order to grow. Leaves make food by using sunlight and gases in the air. The roots take water and minerals from the soil. The leaves need water, and the roots need food. The trunk carries sap up and down the tree. Sap is the name of the tree's food.

The leaves of broad-leaved trees are thin, flat, and usually wide. These trees are usually deciduous. This means that they lose their leaves in fall. The veins in a leaf carry food and water around the leaf. Young leaves are especially tasty to deer and other animals.

Conifers are trees that produce cones. Many of them have hard, spiky needles, which animals cannot eat. Some trees have beautiful blossoms, which attract bees and other insects. On conifers, the cones are blossoms. Male cones produce pollen and this is blown to the female ones and seeds begin to grow.

Some trees use their fruit to spread seeds. Animals eat the fruit and leave the seeds in their droppings. These seeds may grow into new trees.

Word List

broad : wide

spiky : sharp

droppings : waste from the body

You Practice

I. Answer the following questions.

1) What are the main differences between broad-leaved trees and conifers?

2) What happens if a tree is less than 6 metres tall?

3) Which trees are the tallest?

4) How do new conifers begin growing?

5) If you were a tree, would you rather be a broad-leaved tree or a conifer? Why?

II. Fill in the blanks—Complete these sentences with words from the reading.

1) If a plant is not tall enough, it is called a s _ _ _ _.

2) Deciduous trees l _ _ _ their leaves in fall.

3) Some trees spread seeds by using f _ _ _ _.

4) Animals like to eat young l _ _ _ _ _.

5) Leaves need s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in order to grow.

III. True / False / Not Given—Write T if the sentence is true, F if it is not true, or NG if there is no information about this sentence.

____ 1) All trees produce fruit.

____ 2) The shape of all leaves is basically the same.

____ 3) A redwood tree is a kind of shrub.

____ 4) Wind helps new trees grow.

____ 5) Animals like to eat spiky needles.