The following is a student draft. It may contain errors.

Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?

The Splendor of Fall Leaves

(1) As the days get cooler, trees and shrubs put on an impressive fashion show in all the shades of red, yellow, purple, and browns. (2) Leaves that were once green all summer long start to change colors and fall becomes the time when trees show off these vibrant colored leaves.

(3) Leaves are more than just a fashion statement. (4) Leaves are nature's food factories. (5) Plants take water from the ground through their roots. (6) They take a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. (7) Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into glucose, which is a kind of sugar. (8) Plants use glucose as food for energy and as a building block for growth. (9) The way plants turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar is a called photosynthesis. (10) This process means to "put together with light." (11) A chemical called chlorophyll helps make photosynthesis happen. (12) And, chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color.

Where do Autumn Colors Come From?

(13) Some plants retain a great deal of their foliage through much of the spring and summer, but the leaves do not retain their green color for long. (14) There are various pigments of colors, including yellow pigments known as xanthophylls and the orange pigments called carotenoids. (15) Red and purple pigments come from anthocyanins, which are manufactured from the sugars that are trapped in the leaf. (16) These fall colors are actually always present in the leaves throughout the growing season, but only show up in the fall. (17) When all the color pigments are gone during extreme weather conditions, the only pigment that remains are tannins, which are brown.

What Makes Leave Change Color?

(18) Trees are sensitive to these changes in their environment, so as the season begins to change, the trees "know" to start getting ready for winter. (19) Leaves are green in the spring and summer because that is when they are making the most amounts of chlorophyll. (20) But, as summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. (21) As a result, the trees will rest and live off the food they stored during the warmer months. (22) They begin to shut down their food-making factories and the bright green fades away from the leaves, revealing the reds, oranges, and yellows.

3
Select the correct answer.
If the writer wanted to provide more information about the process of how leaves take in nutrients and energy, which graphic would be best to add to the passage?

A.
a chart listing the names of scientists who discovered how photosynthesis works
B.
a map of the world showing where leaves tend to change colors the most
C.
a painting of trees in a forest to highlight the beauty of fall-colored leaves
D.
a diagram showing the process by which photosynthesis takes place