Reading Comprehension — The Bumblebee's Secret Door

Read two short passages about the parts of a flower and the insects that visit it and answer ten questions.

Parts of a Flower

Uncle Paul picked a mallow flower. "The coloured part is called the corolla," he said. "It is made of five petals. Underneath is a ring of five small green leaves called the calyx. Each little leaf is a sepal."

Next he showed them a foxglove. It looked like the finger of a glove, all in one piece.

"This flower has only one petal," said Claire.

"Look closely at the edge," said Uncle Paul. "It is split into five little points. The five petals have grown together."

"Why does a flower need a calyx?" asked Jules.

"Before the flower opens, the sepals wrap tightly around the bud. They protect it from sun, cold and rain. The petals are the flower's best clothes, but the calyx is its raincoat."

The Secret Door

Bees, butterflies and beetles visit flowers for a sweet drink called nectar. As they push inside, they get covered in yellow pollen. Then they carry it to the next flower they visit. Flowers need this pollen to make seeds.

But some flowers are shut tight. The snapdragon's two lips are closed, with no way in. How does an insect find the door?

"Look," said Uncle Paul. In the middle of the snapdragon's lower lip was a bright yellow spot. He pressed it with his little finger, and the flower opened its mouth.

"The yellow spot is a sign," he said. "It says, 'Enter here.' A bumblebee always lands right on it. The door opens, the bee climbs in and drinks the nectar, and it comes out covered in pollen."

Adapted from The Story-book of Science by Jean-Henri Fabre (1917).