Earth — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading Passage

Planet Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only known planet in the universe to support life. It is often called the Blue Planet because about 71 percent of its surface is covered by water. Earth is home to millions of species of plants, animals, and other living things, all of which depend on its land, water, and atmosphere to survive.

Earth has three main layers: the crust, the mantle, and the core. The crust is the thin outer layer where we live. Beneath the crust is the mantle, a thick layer of hot rock that can flow slowly over millions of years. At the very center is the core, which is made mostly of iron and nickel. The inner core is solid, while the outer core is liquid.

Earth’s surface is divided into large sections called tectonic plates. These plates float on the mantle and move very slowly — just a few centimeters each year. When plates push against each other or pull apart, they can cause earthquakes and volcanoes. Over millions of years, the movement of plates has shaped the continents and ocean floors we see today.

Earth’s surface includes seven large landmasses called continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. The continents are surrounded by four major oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic. Together, the oceans and continents make up Earth’s varied surface, which includes mountains, deserts, plains, and forests.

Earth is surrounded by a layer of gases called the atmosphere. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by blocking harmful radiation from the Sun and holding in heat so temperatures stay suitable for living things. The most common gases in the atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen. Without the atmosphere, Earth’s surface would be too cold and too exposed to survive.

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