Text Leveling System

Coral Reefs

RDQ:	438	Max Word/Sent	18	Total Words	634		Diff Words	238
Lex	620	Ave Word/.Sent	8	Hi Freq occurs	331	52.2%	Hi freq	78	32.8%
AR	2.5	Long Sentences	0	Low Freq occurs	63	9.9%	Low freq	27	11.3%

]Introduction
Coral reefs are made up of many types and shapes of corals. Reefs are very busy places. Thousands of fish, plants and sea animals live in reefs. ]]
What Is Coral?
The corals that form the reefs aren't rocks or plants. Corals are made up of groups of tiny animals called polyps. Most polyps are smaller than a pea. Thousands of polyps can live on a piece of coral. ]]
One type of coral is called hard, or "stony," coral. They live with plants called algae. The algae is food for the coral. Polyps on stony corals have a hard skeleton. When polyps die, the skeleton is left. Over time, old skeletons help build a reef.]]
The second main type of coral is soft coral. They can bend with the tides. Some soft corals will sting if touched.  ]]
Many corals are named for what they look like. Brain corals look like brains. Elkhorn corals look like the horns on an elk. Sea fan corals look like an open fan.  ]]
A Busy Home Under Water 
Thousands of fish of all sizes, shapes and colors, live in reefs. They depend on the reef for food and for a safe home.  ]]
Shrimp, lobster, crab and starfish eat in reefs. A hole in the reef makes a good home for an eel. ]]
Where Do Corals Live?
Coral reefs need certain living conditions to stay healthy. They need the right depth of water. They need healthy algae plants for food. Both coral and algae need water that is the right temperature. ]
Coral reefs can be damaged easily. Freshwater that comes from rivers can kill coral. Dirt and debris can clog it. The heavy waves from large storms can break reefs apart ]]
There are three types of coral reefs. They are called fringing reefs, barrier reefs, and atolls. Fringing reefs sit close to the shore. Barrier reefs have a large lagoon, or area of water, between the reef and the shore. ]]
An atoll is the third type of reef. An atoll grows in a circle shape. It grows around an old, sinking island. After the island is gone, a water lagoon forms in the center of the atoll. ]]
Danger to Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are very fragile. Both disease and humans damage reefs. Some fast-growing bacteria cause disease. The bacteria can destroy a big reef in just weeks. ]]
Other harmful bacteria attack the algae. If the coral can't eat the algae, the coral starts to starve. If the bacteria are stopped, the coral can recover. If it isn't stopped, the coral will die.  If the coral dies, then the reef will die. ]]
Humans cause most coral reef damage. Some people fish with poisons and explosives. Boats and ships break off large chunks of reefs. Boats can leak gas and oil. Gas and oil leaks harm coral, plants, and fish. ]]
Protecting the Reefs
Coral reefs are beautiful. Reefs are also valuable. Reefs help protect coasts from storms and floods. Much of the world's supply of fish lives in reefs. The fish depend on the reefs for their food. Many reef plants and animals also have other uses. Some are made into medicines. ]]
Many countries try to protect their reefs. They have written laws and rules to follow. But people do not always follow the laws and rules. ]]
Almost 25 percent of the world's reefs have been destroyed. More than half of the rest are damaged. We can all do things to help protect the reefs. We can help even if we don't live near the ocean. 
Remember to not throw things in the water. Learn what we do that makes water temperature rise. Learn what we do that makes bacteria grow. We can all help a little. Coral reefs can stay healthy and beautiful. Then everyone can enjoy them for many years. ]]

Subjective Criteria

Illustrations: Some support

Vocabulary: More decoding/definition issues

Language: Few descriptive words

Sentences: Multiple phrases

Text structure: Formal

Additional activities

Features

Topic

Low Frequency Words

algae	atoll	atolls	bacteria	barrier
coral	corals	debris	depth	disease
elkhorn	explosives	fragile	freshwater	healthy
introduction	lagoon	lobster	medicines	percent
polyps	recover	reef	reefs	starfish
stony	valuable