Why read this: This short story is about a real grocery store in Los Angeles where prices are very high. Students will read about a place that is famous because it is expensive, and they will learn simple words about shops, food and young people's lives in America.
What to notice: Notice the high prices in the first paragraph: $16.50, $21 and $44. Notice why young people like the store — because it feels special and because famous people shop there. Notice that Erewhon is healthy food, but also fun food.
Skills practised: Reading: finding key numbers and facts in a short text; understanding simple sentences; matching a reason to a result. Writing: writing short sentences about a place using details from the text.
An expensive grocery store in Los Angeles
Why young people pay $21 for a smoothie
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
Erewhon is a famous grocery store: a shop that sells food — 杂货店；食品店 in Los Angeles. The store is very expensive. One bowlbowl: A round, deep dish used for holding food or liquid. — 碗；盆 of chicken soup costs $16.50. One strawberry smoothiesmoothie: A smooth-talking person — 能言善道的人 costs $21. One small jarjar: A small, approximately cylindrical container, normally made of clay or glass, for holding fruit, preserves, etc., or for ornamental purposes — 玻璃罐 of sea-mossmoss: Any of various small, green, seedless plants growing on the ground or on the surfaces of trees, stones, etc.; now specifically, a plant of the phylum Bryophyta (formerly division Musci) — 苔藓 gelgel: Any gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair — 凝胶（美容用） costs $44. These prices are much higher than at a normalnormal: According to norms or rules or to a regular pattern — 正常的 supermarket.
But many young people love the store. Famous people like the Kardashians shop there. Customers take photos of the food and post them online. The fruits and vegetables are placed carefullycarefully: In a way that gives a lot of attention to avoid mistakes or accidents. — 小心地；仔细地 so they look beautiful. The store feels special.
Erewhon has only ten shops. They are all in Los Angeles. If you do not livelive: To be alive; to have life — 活着；生存 in Los Angeles, you can pay to get the food delivereddeliver: To take something, such as goods or letters, to a person or place. — 递送；投递 to your home. Some customers eveneven: Exactly, just, fully — 正好 travel to Los Angeles just to visit the store.
Why is Erewhon so popular? The store sells healthy food. Many young Americans today care about their diet: the food you choose to eat every day — 饮食. Erewhon's shelvesshelf: a flat piece of wood or other material fixed to a wall or in a cupboard, used for putting things on — 架子；搁板 are full of healthy food with unusualunusual: Different from what is normal or expected; not common. — 不寻常的；罕见的 names. But the food is also fun. For example, the store sells "buffalo cauliflowercauliflower: The edible head or curd of a cauliflower plant — 花椰菜（食材） bitesbite: The act of biting — 咬；咬一口." They are made with vegetables, but they are fried and tastytasty: Having a pleasant or satisfying flavor; delicious — 美味的. Erewhon is healthy, but it is not boring.
The people who run Erewhon also do cleverclever: Quick at learning and understanding things; intelligent. — 聪明的；机灵的 things with price. Customers can pay $200 a year to become a member: a person who belongs to a group or club — 会员. Members get a small discountdiscount: A reduction in the usual price of something. — 折扣；减价 and some free smoothies. They also feel part of a special group. This makes the store feel even more important.
But Erewhon will probably not grow much bigger. The people who run the store think there are only four or five cities in America where people will pay so much for food. Erewhon is expensive on purposepurpose: The reason why something is done. — 目的；用途. It is not a store for everyone.
Erewhon is a famous grocery store: a shop that sells food — 杂货店；食品店 in Los Angeles. The store is very expensive. One bowlbowl: A round, deep dish used for holding food or liquid. — 碗；盆 of chicken soup costs $16.50. One strawberry smoothiesmoothie: A smooth-talking person — 能言善道的人 costs $21. One small jarjar: A small, approximately cylindrical container, normally made of clay or glass, for holding fruit, preserves, etc., or for ornamental purposes — 玻璃罐 of sea-mossmoss: Any of various small, green, seedless plants growing on the ground or on the surfaces of trees, stones, etc.; now specifically, a plant of the phylum Bryophyta (formerly division Musci) — 苔藓 gelgel: Any gel intended for a particular cosmetic use, such as for styling the hair — 凝胶（美容用） costs $44. These prices are much higher than at a normalnormal: According to norms or rules or to a regular pattern — 正常的 supermarket.
But many young people love the store. Famous people like the Kardashians shop there. Customers take photos of the food and post them online. The fruits and vegetables are placed carefullycarefully: In a way that gives a lot of attention to avoid mistakes or accidents. — 小心地；仔细地 so they look beautiful. The store feels special.
Erewhon has only ten shops. They are all in Los Angeles. If you do not livelive: To be alive; to have life — 活着；生存 in Los Angeles, you can pay to get the food delivereddeliver: To take something, such as goods or letters, to a person or place. — 递送；投递 to your home. Some customers eveneven: Exactly, just, fully — 正好 travel to Los Angeles just to visit the store.
Why is Erewhon so popular? The store sells healthy food. Many young Americans today care about their diet: the food you choose to eat every day — 饮食. Erewhon's shelvesshelf: a flat piece of wood or other material fixed to a wall or in a cupboard, used for putting things on — 架子；搁板 are full of healthy food with unusualunusual: Different from what is normal or expected; not common. — 不寻常的；罕见的 names. But the food is also fun. For example, the store sells "buffalo cauliflowercauliflower: The edible head or curd of a cauliflower plant — 花椰菜（食材） bitesbite: The act of biting — 咬；咬一口." They are made with vegetables, but they are fried and tastytasty: Having a pleasant or satisfying flavor; delicious — 美味的. Erewhon is healthy, but it is not boring.
The people who run Erewhon also do cleverclever: Quick at learning and understanding things; intelligent. — 聪明的；机灵的 things with price. Customers can pay $200 a year to become a member: a person who belongs to a group or club — 会员. Members get a small discountdiscount: A reduction in the usual price of something. — 折扣；减价 and some free smoothies. They also feel part of a special group. This makes the store feel even more important.
But Erewhon will probably not grow much bigger. The people who run the store think there are only four or five cities in America where people will pay so much for food. Erewhon is expensive on purposepurpose: The reason why something is done. — 目的；用途. It is not a store for everyone.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
How much does a strawberry smoothie cost at Erewhon?
- 02
Where can you find Erewhon stores?
- 03
Why do customers pay $200 a year to become a member?
- 04
Describe three things that make Erewhon feel special. Use information from the article.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Name two kinds of food that Erewhon sells. Explain if they are healthy or tasty.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
How much does a strawberry smoothie cost at Erewhon?
- 02
Where can you find Erewhon stores?
- 03
Why do customers pay $200 a year to become a member?
- 04
Describe three things that make Erewhon feel special. Use information from the article.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Name two kinds of food that Erewhon sells. Explain if they are healthy or tasty.
Suggested length: ~50 words