A
how water evaporates
B
how rivers carry water
C
where rainwater goes
D
what raindrops look like
Sometimes, it rains. It rains and rains. The rain comes down in heavy sheets. Sometimes, it rains so hard that it makes it difficult to see.
We all know what it's like when it rains. But have you ever wondered where all the rainwater goes? Does it just disappear? Well, we know things can't just disappear. We know it has to go somewhere, right?
Here's how it works. Raindrops fall to the ground. They join together. They form rain puddles. Then more raindrops fall. The rain puddles get bigger and bigger. Finally, they overflow.
Like the raindrops, the rain puddles join together. They form a stream. The stream carries the water down the hill. After a while, the stream joins a river.
Rivers carry the rainwater down the mountain. The water travels in a river for a long distance. Some rivers are very long. The Mississippi River is 2,320 miles long!
After traveling in the river for a long time, the water finally makes it home. When the water makes it home, it joins the biggest body of water in the world: the ocean.
So now you know where all the rainwater goes. But wait! Where does it come from?
The water sits in the ocean. Most of it will stay there for a very long time. But some of it evaporates. This means it changes from a liquid to a gas. It moves from the ocean to the air. The ocean water becomes a cloud!
Clouds are a lot like rivers. Strange, right? But it's true! Clouds are like rivers because they both carry water over long distances. Clouds can carry millions of gallons of water for thousands of miles. The water from the ocean travels in the clouds. It makes its way back to the mountains. Then it falls from the sky in the form of rain. And the circle is complete.
1 answer
The author of this passage is most interested in explaining
C) where rainwater goes.
The passage describes the journey of rainwater from when it falls to the ground, forms puddles, flows into streams, joins rivers, and eventually makes its way to the ocean, further providing an explanation of the water cycle.
