Read the passage. Answer the questions. The paragraphs are numbered to help you with the questions.
1 Tropical rainforests are homes to many animals and people, and help support our lives. Rainforests are hot, rainy places with lots of huge trees. The plants have many leaves. They are found in places like Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
2 When scientists talk about rainforests, they talk about the three sections or layers of them. The bottom layer is called the “ground layer”. Here live people, animals and plants. The ground is lush and damp. The next layer is the “understory” which is bushy. You can find trees and animals in this layer, too. The top is called the “canopy”. It is very thick. Very little light gets in, so the rainforest is dark. The canopy is the protection for the rainforest.
3 If you look down from an airplane on a rainforest it looks like a big green carpet or green grass everywhere. The plants from the rainforests help the world to breathe. They make oxygen for us. We need this to breathe.
4 Many animals and insects live in rainforests on the bottom, understory or canopy levels. There are monkeys, parrots, toucans, birds, jaguars, snakes, butterflies, frogs, anteaters, and ants.
5 Beautiful plants live there, too. Flowers like the hibiscus, orchid, and passion flower thrive in rainforests.
6 The rainforests are home to lakes, streams, and rivers. Here live other creatures like crocodiles, water lizards, turtles, snakes, and fish.
7 People in tribes have called the rainforests their home for centuries. They can find most everything they need to live on right in the rainforests.
8 Groups are helping to keep the rainforests alive for the people and animals there and for us to keep fresh air on earth.
