Moss Is Not a Compass
Written by Studio AM.
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Moss does not know which way is north. It grows where its needs are met: enough moisture, a suitable surface, and protection from harsh drying. In some places, the north side of a tree stays cooler and damper because it receives less direct sun. Moss may be thicker there, which can make the familiar rule seem plausible.
The rule fails in many settings. A nearby wall can shade the south side. Rain may strike one side of a trunk, while bark texture and overhanging branches change where water remains. Even two trees a few steps apart can show different patterns. In the Southern Hemisphere, the sun's path changes the simple north-side story, but local shade still matters more than a slogan.
A mossy trunk is therefore evidence about a tiny habitat, not a dependable compass. Notice which surfaces are damp, shaded, or rough. For direction, use a map, a compass, marked routes, or several reliable landmarks instead.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the passage mainly explaining?
The answer is C: Moss reflects local moisture and shade, so it is useful habitat evidence but an unreliable compass.
The passage gives several local causes of moss growth, then concludes that a mossy trunk describes a tiny habitat rather than providing dependable direction.
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Question 2 of 4
Why might two nearby trees show moss on different sides?
The answer is D: Each tree can have different shade, bark, rain exposure, and remaining moisture.
The text explains that walls, rain, bark, and branches alter local conditions. Those factors can differ even a few steps apart, producing different moss patterns.
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Question 3 of 4
What does "dependable" mean in the final paragraph?
The answer is A: Reliable enough to be trusted
The passage contrasts moss with maps, compasses, routes, and reliable landmarks for finding direction. Dependable therefore means trustworthy or reliable.
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Question 4 of 4
Why may moss be thicker on a tree's north side in some places?
The answer is B: That side may receive less direct sun and stay cooler and damper.
The opening paragraph directly links the possible north-side pattern to less direct sun and the cooler, damper conditions that may result.
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