Text interpretation: Smell of wet earth

Activity of text interpretation, aimed at students in the fifth year of elementary school, about the smell of wet earth. Did you know that the smell of wet earth is the work of bacteria? Let's better understand this very interesting subject? So, read the text carefully! Then answer the various interpretative questions proposed!

You can download this text comprehension activity in an editable Word template ready to print to PDF and also the answer activity.

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• Word: Text interpretation: Smell of wet earth – 5th grade – Editable template
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• Template: Text interpretation: Smell of wet earth – 5th grade – With answers

SCHOOL: DATE:

PROF: CLASS:

NAME:

Read:

Did you know that the smell of wet earth is the work of bacteria?

The day is hot and suddenly that rain is falling to cool you down. The first drops just touch the ground to feel that pleasant smell of wet earth. A scientist would say: "Huumm, how good this smell of... bacteria!" That's it! The aroma we smell comes from these microscopic beings, which can be very useful for humans and even for… camels!

We generally associate bacteria with disease, but some of these beings are harmless, believe me. This is the case of Streptomyces coelicolor, bacteria that live in the soil and manufacture a substance called geosmin. It is this geosmine, activated by water or the humidity of the earth, that makes us notice the smell of wet earth.

In addition to being an excellent producer of antibiotics – drugs indicated to fight some diseases of bacterial origin – this bacterium is, let's say, an ally of camels. The characteristic odor they produce from moisture helps camels find water in the desert. Of course, to smell the smell, produced by bacteria in such a dry environment, camels need to have a super nose. And they do count! Thanks to this heightened sense, they are able to find water more than fifty miles away. That's the scent!

As they drink the water and come out dripping, the camels have no idea, but they give the bacteria a helping hand. This is how they spread the spores - structures produced by bacteria that will allow they reproduce elsewhere, something indispensable for the existence of this kind of microorganism.

I bet that now, when you see a movie with camels and deserts or when you walk in a wet garden and smell the earth, you will remember that there are also good bacteria. So help spread this good news. After all, if it weren't for these microorganisms, camels could die of thirst. Have you ever thought of the world without these curious animals?

Andreza Moura Pinheiro da Silva.
“Ciência Hoje das Crianças” magazine. Edition 202.
Available in: .

Questions

Question 1 - In “The aroma we smell comes from these microscopic beings, which can be very useful for humans and even for… camels!”, which microscopic beings does the text refer to?

Question 2 - In the fragment “In general, we associate bacteria with diseases, but some of these beings are harmless, believe me.”, the highlighted term could be replaced by:

( ) "because".

( ) "although".

( ) "therefore".

Question 3 - In the excerpt "This is the case of Streptomyces coelicolor, bacteria that live in the soil and manufacture a substance called geosmin.”, the underlined part intends to:

( ) conclude.

( ) explain.

( ) to compare.

Question 4 - Highlight the word that introduces a purpose to follow:

“[…] drugs indicated to fight some diseases of bacterial origin […]”

Question 5 - About the bacteria "Streptomyces coelicolor" and camels, the text states that:

( ) the bacteria Streptomyces colicolor we help camels.

( ) camels help bacteria Streptomyces colicolor.

( ) the bacteria Streptomyces colicolor help camels and vice versa.

Question 6 – In the sentence "Thanks to that keen sense, are capable of finding water more than eighty kilometers away.”, the highlighted fact expresses:

( ) the cause of another.

( ) the time of another.

( ) the consequence of another.

Question 7 – In "That is that it's faro!”, the word underlined:

( ) retrieves information.

( ) displays information.

( ) complements information.

Question 8 – In the segment “So, help spread this good news.”, the author of the text:

( ) makes an invitation.

( ) gives an order.

( ) expresses a wish.

By Denyse Lage Fonseca
Graduated in Languages ​​and specialist in distance education.

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