Earth Seasons 66778A

1. The problem is to fill in the blanks with the correct words from the list to complete the reading about Earth's axis and seasons. 2. The Earth's axis is the imaginary line it spins around, and it is tilted, not straight up and down. This tilt causes the amount of sunlight to change during the year, creating seasons. 3. The four seasons are summer, fall, winter, and spring. 4. When it is summer north of the equator, it is winter south of the equator because the North Pole tilts toward the sun and the South Pole tilts away from the sun. 5. During summer, days are longer because the sun's rays are more direct. 6. During winter, days are shorter. 7. The longest day of the year north of the equator is called the summer solstice. 8. The summer solstice is also the first day of summer. 9. The shortest day north of the equator is called the winter solstice. 10. The winter solstice is the first day of winter. 11. From the summer solstice to the winter solstice, days get shorter. 12. Halfway between the solstices is the equinox, when day and night are both 12 hours long. 13. At the vernal equinox in spring, the sun rises at the North Pole for the first time in six months. 14. At the same time, the sun sets at the South Pole for almost six months. 15. The polar bears at the North Pole are happy to see the long nights end. Final filled reading: It’s all due to the way Earth spins on its $\text{tilted}$ axis while it travels around the sun each year. We wouldn’t have any seasons at all if the Earth’s axis was straight up and down. But because the Earth’s axis $\text{tilts}$ the amount of sunlight each part of the Earth gets changes throughout the year. There are four $\text{seasons}$ during the year: summer, fall, winter, and spring. When it is summer north of the equator, it is $\text{winter}$ south of the equator. That’s because the North Pole is pointed $\text{toward}$ the sun and the South Pole is pointed $\text{away from}$ the sun. During the summer the days are more direct, and the days are $\text{longer}$. During the winter the days are $\text{shorter}$. The longest day of the year north of the equator is called the $\text{summer solstice}$. It’s also called the first day of $\text{summer}$. The days ahead are hot and great for sports like swimming. The shortest day north of the equator is called the $\text{winter solstice}$. It is the first day of $\text{winter}$. Each day from the summer solstice to the winter solstice gets a little shorter. People long ago feared each year that the sun would go away forever. That’s where the term comes of burning a Yule log in the fireplace that would last all night long. That way, the sun would be encouraged to come back. Halfway between each solstice is an $\text{equinox}$. On those days, the daylight and night are both 12 hours long. In spring in the North, at the vernal equinox, the sun $\text{rises}$ at the North pole for the first time in six months. At the same time, the sun $\text{sets}$ at the South Pole for almost six months. The polar bears at the North Pole must be happy to see the long nights end!