Meaning: 'Autumn' refers to the season between summer and winter, characterized by the shedding of leaves from deciduous trees.

Wrong options:

• summer: The word 'summer' refers to the warmest season of the year, which does not fit the context of increasing darkness indicating a change to autumn.
• salvage: The word 'salvage' is a verb meaning to rescue or save something, which does not fit as a noun indicating a season.
• slimy: The word 'slimy' is an adjective describing something that is covered in slime, which is irrelevant in the context of seasons.
• leaves: The word 'leaves' is a plural noun referring to the foliage of plants, which does not indicate a season.
• roots: The word 'roots' refers to the underground part of a plant, which is not relevant to the seasonal context.

Correct answer: leaves

Explanation: The word 'leaves' is a plural noun that fits grammatically as the object of the verb 'recouping.' The context indicates that the plant is gathering materials from its foliage before they fall off, making 'leaves' the correct choice.

Meaning: 'Leaves' are the green parts of a plant that are typically flat and thin, responsible for photosynthesis.

Wrong options:

• summer: The word 'summer' does not fit as it refers to a season rather than a part of the plant.
• salvage: The word 'salvage' is a verb and does not serve as a noun that can be recouped from the plant.
• slimy: The word 'slimy' is an adjective and does not refer to any part of a plant.
• roots: The word 'roots' refers to the part of the plant that anchors it in the soil, which is not relevant in this context.

Correct answer: waxy

Explanation: The word 'waxy' is an adjective that describes the type of coatings on evergreen foliage. It fits grammatically and contextually as it explains how evergreens protect their needles from freezing.

Meaning: 'Waxy' refers to a texture that is smooth and shiny, resembling wax, which helps in protecting the leaves.

Wrong options:

• summer: The word 'summer' does not fit as it refers to a season rather than a descriptive quality of the coating.
• salvage: The word 'salvage' is a verb and does not describe a protective feature of foliage.
• slimy: The word 'slimy' is an adjective that describes something covered in slime, which is not relevant to the context of plant protection.
• leaves: The word 'leaves' is a noun and does not describe the protective feature of the foliage.
• roots: The word 'roots' refers to the part of the plant that anchors it in the soil, which does not relate to the protective coatings.

Correct answer: shed

Explanation: The word 'shed' is a verb that fits grammatically as it describes the action taken by broadleaf plants. The context indicates that these plants lose their leaves, making 'shed' the appropriate choice.

Meaning: 'Shed' means to allow something to fall off or to discard, in this case, the leaves of the plants.

Wrong options:

• summer: The word 'summer' does not fit as it refers to a season rather than an action taken by plants.
• salvage: The word 'salvage' is a verb meaning to rescue or save, which does not describe the action of losing leaves.
• slimy: The word 'slimy' is an adjective and does not describe an action related to leaves.
• leaves: The word 'leaves' is a noun and does not convey an action, making it inappropriate here.
• roots: The word 'roots' refers to the part of the plant that anchors it in the soil, which does not relate to the action of shedding.

Correct answer: salvage

Explanation: The word 'salvage' is a verb that fits grammatically as it describes the action of the plants trying to recover nutrients. The context indicates that before shedding leaves, plants attempt to save important nutrients, making 'salvage' the correct choice.

Meaning: 'Salvage' means to rescue or save something from loss, in this case, nutrients from the leaves.

Wrong options:

• summer: The word 'summer' does not fit as it refers to a season rather than an action taken by plants.
• shed: The word 'shed' is a verb that describes the action of losing leaves, which does not fit the context of recovering nutrients.
• slimy: The word 'slimy' is an adjective and does not describe an action related to nutrient recovery.
• leaves: The word 'leaves' is a noun and does not convey an action, making it inappropriate here.
• roots: The word 'roots' refers to the part of the plant that anchors it in the soil, which does not relate to the action of salvaging nutrients.