Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

Unit: Mountains, rivers and deserts ⏱ 12 minutes

A Look at the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon

Read about two famous natural wonders in the USA, explore their real measurements, and solve the reading puzzles.

✏️ For the Teacher

• Give students about four minutes to read the short passage quietly before starting the tasks.

• Check the answers together by asking learners to point out the exact sentence in the text.

📖 For the Learner

• First, read the text once to understand the main ideas and note the numbers for size.

• Next, try the eight questions in order from easy to hard, checking the text when you are not sure.

Wide view of the Grand Canyon with red and terracotta rock layers, deep canyon walls, and the Colorado River flowing thr

The steep rock walls and river bed inside the Grand Canyon

The Colorado River and the Grand Canyon

The Colorado River is a famous river in the USA. It is 2333 kilometres long. The river runs through the Grand Canyon, a very big canyon in the USA. Counted along the river, the canyon is 446 kilometres long. In some places, it is as much as 29 kilometres wide from one side to the other. At its deepest, it is 1829 metres from the top of the side to the river. The canyon is young because it formed only in the past five or six million years. The park says it is a work of erosion. Here, water and weather slowly wear away rock.

🏷️ Words to Know

canyon: a very deep valley with tall, steep rock sides.
erosion: the slow breaking down and moving of rock by water and wind.
wear away: to make something smaller or change its shape slowly by rubbing or washing over it.

💡 How We Talk About Size

Look at this sentence:

"The valley is about two kilometres wide, and the cliff behind it is 150 metres high."

Why this works: We put the number and the unit first, and then add words like long, wide, or deep.

Eight Questions: From Easy to Hard

Answer each question below using facts directly from the article.

1 True or False

The Colorado River is in the USA.

____ True ____ False

2 True or False

The Grand Canyon formed more than fifty million years ago.

____ True ____ False

3 Multiple Choice

How long is the Colorado River?

____ a. 446 kilometres ____ b. 1829 metres ____ c. 2333 kilometres ____ d. 29 kilometres

4 Multiple Choice

At its deepest point, how far is it from the top of the side down to the river?

____ a. 29 kilometres ____ b. 1829 metres ____ c. 446 kilometres ____ d. 2333 metres

5 Matching Numbers

Match each measurement to what it describes about the Grand Canyon:

Measurement

Length along the river

Width in some places

446 kilometres

____ Length along the river ____ Width in some places

29 kilometres

____ Length along the river ____ Width in some places

6 Matching Ideas

Match each concept to its meaning from the article:

Concept

Water and weather slowly wear away rock

Formed only in the past 5 or 6 million years

Erosion

____ Water and weather slowly wear away rock ____ Formed only in the past 5 or 6 million years

A young canyon

____ Water and weather slowly wear away rock ____ Formed only in the past 5 or 6 million years

7 Fill in the Words

Complete the sentence from the text:

"Here, water and weather slowly ____ rock."

Type the two missing words that mean slowly destroy or rub off.

8 Short Answer

In some places, how wide is the Grand Canyon from one side to the other?

____ (e.g. 29 km or 29 kilometres)

Write the number and unit (kilometres or km).

Reading: The Colorado River and the Grand Canyon

A Look at the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon

The Colorado River and the Grand Canyon

🏷️ Words to Know

💡 How We Talk About Size

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