8.2.7.1 8.4.7.1 TREE PARTS and functions * Read the texts and comple correct missing words. Compare with your partner. VIDEO Listen and check. Trees are an essential part of our world. They provide homes for insects and birds, wood for building and the ingredients for making paper. But most importantly, they keep our air clean by turning carbon dioxide into the oxygen that we need breathe. Every part of a tree plays a specific role: 1). ROOTS Trees are the strongest plants in the world. It takes a lot of support to stop such a big structure falling over. The trees' roots spread deep underground and keep the tree standing upright. They are covered 2) very small hairs that suck up water and minerals from the ground. The main roots then take the water to the rest 3).. the tree where it is used in photosynthesis. LEAVES The leaves are the most important part of the tree as they make the plant's food from water, air 6) sunlight. They are full of a special substance called chlorophyll that absorbs sunlight and allows the tree to turn water and carbon dioxide 7) glucose which the tree uses as food. Chlorophyll is what gives leaves their distinctive green colour. CROWN The crown is the top part of a tree. It is made 4) of leaves and branches and performs several roles. It shades the roots from the sun and stops them from drying out. It also gathers energy from the sun and releases extra water 5) the environment to cool down the tree. the BRANCHES Branches are connected 8) trunk and have a lot of shapes and sizes. Leaves, flowers, or fruit can grow on them. They can store glucose from the leaves and serve as a 'pipe' for water and nutrients. A small branch is called a twig. TRUNK The trunk is the central part of the tree which takes water and minerals from the roots to the branches, twigs and, finally, the leaves.