Day 4 only

Day 4 · Saguaro adaptations

Read this passage, then answer all three questions using details from this page. Explain how a detail supports your thinking. You do not need information from another day.

How a Saguaro Handles a Shower

Desert rain may arrive as a light shower. Cacti often have shallow roots that can quickly take in water near the surface. A saguaro’s pleats expand as the plant absorbs rain and shrink as it uses stored water. The folds let its body change size as its water store changes. Cactus pores also open at night, when desert air is cooler and usually more humid, which helps reduce water loss.

These features help cacti manage scarce water, but they do not make storage unlimited. A saguaro can sometimes take in more water than its pleats can accommodate, and its skin may split. The adaptations help the plant respond to changing water supplies; they do not prevent every kind of damage or guarantee that water will always be available.

Sources: National Park Service, Saguaro National Park, “Cacti and Desert Succulents.” Original paraphrase; no source text reproduced.

Question 1

Explain how two features in the passage help a cactus manage water. Connect each feature to what it does.

Use evidence and explain your thinking:

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Question 2

How do saguaro pleats help as the plant takes in and uses water? What detail shows that the pleats have a limit?

Use evidence and explain your thinking:

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Question 3

A reader claims, “A cactus can store any amount of rain safely.” Use the passage to revise or reject that claim.

Use evidence and explain your thinking:

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