The Nutritious Num Num

Where can you find the num num plant?

• in Central and Southern Africa

• in Northern and Western Africa

• in Central and Eastern Africa

• in Southern and Eastern Africa

How does the text describe the num num plant?

• The num num plant has heart-shaped leaves, small orange flowers, and a large yellow fruit with a hard shell that is the size of a grapefruit.

• The num num plant has shiny green leaves, thick red flowers, and large red fruits with a hard shell and several tiny seedlings inside

• The num num plant has large cactus-like branches and bright pink and yellow fruit that is white on the inside with tiny black seeds.

• The num num plant has shiny green leaves, white star-shaped flowers, and red oval-shaped fruits that are smaller than a ping-pong ball.

The num num plant has potential health benefits. What evidence from the text supports this conclusion?

• “The num num is a beautiful and useful plant native to South Africa. In the Zulu language, a language spoken by more than nine million people mostly in South Africa, this plant is called amatungulu.”

• 1. “Num num fruits are rich in Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. These nutrients help strengthen bones and boost a person’s immune system to keep them healthy.”

• “Num num fruits are oval-shaped and smaller than a ping-pong ball. The seeds inside the fruit are soft and edible. When cut, these fruits release a white, sticky milk. Monkeys and birds love to enjoy their sweet fruity flesh.”

• “The num num is a sturdy plant that grows well in coastal areas. This plant can handle salt air and strong winds, making it a perfect plant to grow near sand dunes or coastal forests.”

What kinds of communities could benefit most from growing and eating num num plants and fruit?

• communities in cold, mountainous areas that have a lot of pollution and need the num num plant to filter the air

• communities in warm, rainy areas that need to attract tourists in order to do more business and improve their economy

• communities in warm coastal areas that do not already have access to lots of nutritious food options

• communities that have a lot of monkeys and birds and need to feed them to keep them away from homes

What is the main idea of this text?

• The num num plant is a sturdy plant from South Africa that grows well in coastal areas and produces a small, nutritious red fruit that could help local communities.

• The num num plant is a plant from South Africa that grows near the water, can survive tropical storms, and is important to preserving several endangered animal species.

• The num num plant is a plant from South Africa that grows in the desert and produces a large red fruit that can help local communities make more money by selling them

• The num num plant is a plant from South Africa that produces small, oval, red fruits that are sweet and tasty and have soft seeds on the inside that people can eat.

Read the following sentences.

“Currently, some people in these local communities rely on a very small number of food species (including wheat and corn) to get their nutrients. Many of these foods are not as nutritious as the num num fruit. Growing more num num plants and other native plants could promote food diversity in these communities.”

As used in this excerpt, what does the phrase “food diversity” most closely mean?

• better opportunities to make money

• an understanding of different cultures

• knowledge of special cooking techniques

• different types of foods that are available

Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

The num num fruit is more nutritious than foods like wheat and corn and, __________, is better for the people who eat them.

• earlier

• therefore

• instead

• moreover

What kinds of climate and environmental conditions does the num num plant grow well in?

According to the text, what do scholars hope local communities in Southern and Eastern Africa will do with the num num plant?

What benefits might scholars communicate to local communities about the num num plant to encourage people to grow and eat it? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.