How Do Umbrellas Keep Us Dry? | A2 ESL Science Reading Passage

A few pieces of cloth and metal can make a small roof you can carry. Read this short science passage, then try five questions about an umbrella's parts.

Reading Level: A2–B1   ·   Word Count: 191 words   ·   5 questions

Read the passage   |   Try the questions

The canopy catches rain above the child.

Reading Passage

You open an umbrella on a rainy day. Above your head, it forms a small roof. Many raindrops land on this roof instead of your hair and clothes. But how can such a thin cover stop the rain?

The wide cloth top is called the canopy. Its material helps keep water out. Many umbrellas use synthetic cloth with a special coating. Together, the cloth and coating make it harder for water to pass through. Drops can collect on the curved top and roll toward its edges.

Below the cloth are thin supports called ribs. They spread out when you open the umbrella. Without them, the soft cloth would fall down instead of staying above your head.

The long central stick connects the top to the handle. You hold the handle to keep the cover in place as you walk.

An umbrella cannot stop all rain. Wind may blow drops under its edge. A strong wind can also bend the supports or turn the cover inside out. The material, shape, and weather all affect how dry you stay. An umbrella is a useful little roof, but it is not a closed room.

Name the canopy, ribs and handle. How much water a cover blocks depends on its material and condition.

Key Vocabulary

umbrella — a tool that protects you from rain or sun
She carries an umbrella.

canopy — the wide cloth cover of an umbrella
Drops land on the canopy.

ribs — thin supports that hold an umbrella open
The ribs support the cloth.

handle — the part of an object that you hold
Hold the handle with one hand.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What part of the umbrella catches many raindrops?
2. How do the cloth and coating help?
3. What would happen without the ribs?
4. What connects the top to the handle?
5. Why can you still get wet under an umbrella?

Answers

1. The canopy catches many raindrops.
2. They make it harder for water to pass through.
3. The soft cloth would fall down.
4. A long central stick connects them.
5. Wind can blow rain under the edge.

Short Summary

An umbrella's cloth cover blocks rain, while its ribs hold the cover open. Wind can still blow some drops underneath.

More Easy Readings

• What Makes Wind?
• What Is the Water Cycle?

Science reference: MIT on water-repellent fabrics.