The Four Seasons: Earth's Tilt and Orbit — Reading Comprehension

The planet we live on, Earth, goes through four main seasons: spring, summer, fall (autumn), and winter. These changes happen each year because of two important things: Earth's tilt and its orbit around the Sun.

Earth spins around an invisible line called its axis. This axis is not straight up and down—it is tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees. Because of this tilt, different parts of Earth get different amounts of sunlight during the year.

As Earth moves in its orbit (the path it takes around the Sun), the tilt causes the Sun’s rays to hit the Northern and Southern Hemispheres differently. When the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun, the Northern Hemisphere gets more sunlight and has warmer weather. This is called summer there. At the same time, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, so it has winter. Six months later, the situation switches, and the Northern Hemisphere has winter while the Southern Hemisphere has summer.

When neither hemisphere is tilted directly toward or away from the Sun, both get about the same amount of sunlight. These times are called equinoxes and happen in spring and fall. Days and nights are nearly equal in length during equinoxes.

People notice the seasons in many ways. For example, trees lose their leaves in the fall, and flowers bloom in spring. In summer, the days are longer and warmer, which is perfect for swimming or playing outside. In winter, the days are shorter and colder, and some places even get snow!

Interesting Fact: The word “solstice” comes from Latin and means “sun stands still.” Solstices mark the longest and shortest days of the year!

What causes the four seasons?

Which season has the longest days?

What is Earth's axis?

Why do trees lose leaves in fall?

What happens during equinoxes?

Which months have solstices?

The Sun's rays always hit Earth the same way.

What does 'orbit' mean?