How Do Lungs Help Us Breathe? | A2 ESL Science Reading Passage

Use this A2-B1 ESL science reading passage to learn how lungs help us breathe. It includes key vocabulary, reading comprehension questions, and answers for English learners.

The lungs move air in and out and help oxygen reach the blood.

Reading Level

A2-B1

Word Count

204 words

Reading Passage

We breathe all day and all night. Most of the time, we do not think about it. The lungs help move air in and out of the body.

When we breathe in, air enters through the nose or mouth. The air travels down a tube called the windpipe. Then it moves into the lungs.

Inside the lungs, the air reaches many tiny air spaces. These spaces help move oxygen into the blood. The blood carries oxygen to the brain, heart, muscles, and other body parts.

The body also makes a waste gas called carbon dioxide. The blood carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs. When we breathe out, this gas leaves the body.

The lungs do not move by themselves. A muscle called the diaphragm helps them. When the diaphragm moves down, the lungs fill with air. When it moves up, air leaves the lungs.

Chest muscles also help with breathing. They make more space for the lungs when we breathe in. They help the chest become smaller when we breathe out.

The lungs are important because they bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide. Every breath helps the body get the gas it needs and remove what it does not need.

Air enters the lungs, oxygen moves into blood, and carbon dioxide leaves.

Key Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
lungs	organs in the chest that help us breathe	The lungs fill with air.
oxygen	a gas that the body needs to live	Blood carries oxygen around the body.
carbon dioxide	a gas the body makes and breathes out	We breathe out carbon dioxide.
diaphragm	a large muscle below the lungs that helps breathing	The diaphragm moves when we breathe.
windpipe	the tube that carries air to the lungs	Air moves down the windpipe.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. Where does air enter the body?
2. What gas does the body need from the air?
3. What gas does the body breathe out?
4. What does the diaphragm do?
5. Why are the lungs important?

Answers

1. Air enters through the nose or mouth.
2. The body needs oxygen.
3. The body breathes out carbon dioxide.
4. The diaphragm helps the lungs fill with air and let air out.
5. The lungs bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide.

Short Summary

The lungs help us breathe by moving air in and out. They bring oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the body.

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