Unseen Passage for Class 3: How Shadows Are Born

  • 155 words
  • 5 questions
  • Ages 8–9
  • With answers

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Read the passage

Radha asked her grandmother why her shadow always followed her. "Is it my friend?" she asked. Her grandmother smiled and sat down to explain.

"A shadow is born when light is blocked," she said. "Light travels in straight lines from the sun. When you stand in the way, the light cannot pass through you, so your shape appears as a shadow on the ground behind you."

Grandmother took Radha to the window. In the morning, Radha's shadow was very long. At noon, when the sun was straight above, her shadow was short and sat almost under her feet. At evening, her shadow was long again, stretching away from the sun.

"The shadow changes because the sun moves across the sky during the day," said Grandmother. "But it is always you, just in a different form." Radha looked at her shadow and smiled. She had always thought it was magic, and in a way, it was.

Questions

  1. What makes a shadow?

    1. Darkness
    2. Light being blocked by something
    3. The ground beneath your feet
    4. Rain or clouds

  2. When is Radha's shadow the longest?

    1. At noon when the sun is straight above
    2. In the morning and in the evening
    3. Only at night
    4. It is always the same length

  3. Why does Radha's shadow change during the day?

    1. Her body changes
    2. The sun moves across the sky, so the angle of light changes
    3. Shadows naturally change every hour
    4. It does not change

  4. What did Grandmother mean by saying the shadow is "always you"?

    1. The shadow has a mind of its own
    2. The shadow is made from the shape of your body
    3. You and the shadow are two different things
    4. Shadows think like people do

  5. Why did Radha find the shadow magical?

    1. Because shadows are rare
    2. Because she did not understand how it worked before, but now she does
    3. Because shadows only appear at certain times
    4. Because shadows can talk

Answers

Show the answer key
  1. Light being blocked by somethingA shadow is born when light is blocked, and your shape appears on the ground.
  2. In the morning and in the eveningIn the morning and evening, the shadow was very long. At noon, when the sun was straight above, it was short.
  3. The sun moves across the sky, so the angle of light changesThe shadow changes because the sun moves across the sky during the day, changing the angle of light.
  4. The shadow is made from the shape of your bodyEven though the shadow changes shape and position, it is always made from the shape of Radha's body.
  5. Because she did not understand how it worked before, but now she doesRadha had always thought it was magic, but now she understands the science. In a way, the science itself is magical.

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