Nature & colour words · News English
A picture shows autumn trees
A satellite sees orange and red trees from space.
Read the story, check the words, then answer the questions and speak.
Trees change colour
What colours can you see?
1NASA shared a picture on 7 October 2026. It shows trees in the northeastern United States. Some trees are orange. Some are red. It is autumn there.
2The picture comes from Terra. Terra is a satellite: a machine in space. It took this picture on 6 October. We can see colours across a large area. Clouds hide some trees.
3Why do leaves change colour? In autumn, days get shorter. The weather gets cooler. Leaves have less of the material that makes them green. Other colours become easier to see.
4This is a picture from space, not a picture taken under a tree. Look at the photo. Can you find an orange area? Can you find a cloud?
Original teaching summary. Models and practice sentences are illustrative learning examples, not news quotations.
Word help · Three useful words
Read the meanings and examples. Choose one word to use in your own sentence.
leaf
a thin, flat part of a plant
This leaf is green.
autumn
the season after summer
Trees change colour in autumn.
cloud
a white or grey shape in the sky
The cloud hides the sun.
Check your reading · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Useful English: is and are
One thing: This leaf is red. More than one: These leaves are red. Use a colour after is or are.
Describe two colours around you. Use is for one thing and are for more than one.
Model and help
Model: My bag is blue. My shoes are black.
Speak: your ideas
Describe two colours around you. Use is for one thing and are for more than one. Speak for 30-45 seconds.
Labelled model answer
My bag is blue. My shoes are black.
This is an illustrative learning example, not a news quotation.
Alone: repeat without the model. Tutor: ask one follow-up question.
Mastery check · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Sources and reporting date
Original NASA feature: 7 October 2026. Exact publication time is unavailable. The satellite photograph was taken on 6 October 2026.
- NASA MODIS: Fall Colors in the Northeastern United States
Original NASA feature: 7 October 2026. Exact publication time is unavailable. The satellite photograph was taken on 6 October 2026. - Photograph source and credit
Satellite photograph acquired on 6 October 2026, featured on 7 October. Resized for display.