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

🌈 A2 English Reading

Rainbows and Light

Learn how sunlight and water drops make bright colors in the sky!

💡 How to use this lesson

👩‍🏫

For Teachers

Use this 12-minute reading lesson to help students practice scanning for specific details and source facts.

Have students work independently on the questions, then check the evidence-based explanations together.

🎒

For Learners

Read the short article about rainbows carefully and check the small word list for tricky vocabulary.

Answer the 8 questions from easy to hard, then check your answers using the evidence notes under each item.

Example "The lesson starts in five minutes."

School Science News

Rainbows in the Sky

Reading Time: 2 mins

A beautiful full circle rainbow viewed from an airplane window above soft white clouds, bright sunny sky with clear blue

The Met Office is the UK weather service, and NOAA is the US weather service. The Met Office says sunlight and water drops make a rainbow. Light bends and bounces inside small water drops. NOAA says these drops must float in the air. The Met Office says the Sun must be behind you and rain drops in front of you. White sunlight has many colours. NOAA says red is on the outside and blue is inside. The Met Office says a second rainbow is weaker and outside the first one. NOAA says a higher Sun makes a smaller rainbow arch. The Met Office says you can see a full circle rainbow from a plane!

📖 Word Helper

Met Office

The official weather service of the United Kingdom.

NOAA

The weather and ocean service of the United States.

water drop

A very small ball of water from rain.

float

To stay light in the air without falling fast.

Practice Questions

8 Tasks

True / False

The Met Office is the weather service of the UK.

____ True ____ False

True / False

You must stand with the Sun in front of you to see a rainbow.

____ True ____ False

Multiple Choice

What happens to light inside water drops according to the Met Office?

____ a. It turns into water drops ____ b. It bends and bounces ____ c. It stops moving completely

Multiple Choice

Which colour is on the outside of the rainbow according to NOAA?

____ a. Red ____ b. Blue ____ c. Green

Matching Idea

Which statement describes the second rainbow according to the Met Office?

____ c. It is weaker and outside the first rainbow ____ a. It is stronger and inside the first rainbow ____ b. It has no colours at all

Matching Idea

What happens when the Sun is higher in the sky according to NOAA?

____ a. It makes a smaller rainbow arch ____ b. It makes a bigger rainbow arch ____ c. The rainbow stops bouncing

Short Answer

Where can you see a full circle rainbow according to the Met Office?

____ (Type your answer here...)

Short Answer

What does NOAA say must float in the air to make a rainbow?

____ (Type your answer here...)

Reading: How Rainbows Work

Rainbows and Light

💡 How to use this lesson

For Teachers

For Learners

Rainbows in the Sky

📖 Word Helper

Met Office

NOAA

water drop

float

Practice Questions

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