First, study any unfamiliar words here:
| 🥦 broccoli 🥦 (noun) A green vegetable with a thick stem and small, dark green flowers on top. I ate some broccoli with my dinner. My mom says broccoli is very healthy. 👉 come on 👉 (phrasal verb) Used to encourage someone or to show disbelief. Come on, we are going to be late! Come on, you don’t really believe that, do you? 🔄 continued 🔄 (verb – past tense of continue) To keep doing something without stopping. She continued to read even though she was tired. The rain continued all night. 🥒 cucumber 🥒 (noun) A long, green vegetable that has a mild taste and is often eaten in salads. I like to eat cucumber slices with salt. She put cucumber in her sandwich. 🥒🥒 cucumbers 🥒🥒 (noun – plural of cucumber) More than one cucumber. The salad has tomatoes and cucumbers. My dad grows cucumbers in our garden. 🌱 dirt 🌱 (noun) The soil or earth where plants grow. My shoes are covered in dirt. The farmer planted seeds in the dirt. 🤔 feel like 🤔 (phrasal verb) To have the feeling of wanting to do something or being a certain way. I feel like eating ice cream. He feels like he doesn’t belong here. 🛠️ fix 🛠️ (verb) To repair something that is broken or not working. Can you fix my bike? She fixed the mistake in her homework. 🔥 heat 🔥 (noun) The feeling of being hot or warm. The heat from the fire kept us warm. I don’t like the heat in the summer. 👀 look like 👀 (phrasal verb) To have a similar appearance to something or someone. You look like your brother. That cloud looks like a rabbit! 😊 proud 😊 (adjective) Feeling happy and satisfied about something you have done. She is proud of her drawing. I feel proud when I help others. 🤫 quietly 🤫 (adverb) In a way that makes little or no noise. She spoke quietly so she wouldn’t wake the baby. He quietly walked out of the room. 😱 scary 😱 (adjective) Making you feel afraid or nervous. That movie was really scary! The thunderstorm was scary last night. 😀 smile 😀 (verb/noun) To make a happy expression with your mouth; a happy facial expression. She smiled when she saw her friend. His smile made me feel better. 🕊️ softly 🕊️ (adverb) In a gentle or quiet way. She spoke softly to the baby. The wind blew softly through the trees. 🍋 sour 🍋 (adjective) Having a taste like a lemon, not sweet. This lemon is very sour. I don’t like sour candy. 🗣️ spoke about 🗣️ (phrasal verb – past tense of speak about) Talked about something. She spoke about her trip to Japan. We spoke about our favorite books in class. 🔴 spots 🔴 (noun – plural of spot) Small, round marks on something. The dog has brown spots on its fur. There are some spots on my shirt. 🍓🍓 strawberries 🍓🍓 (noun – plural of strawberry) More than one small, red fruit with tiny seeds on the outside. We picked fresh strawberries at the farm. I love eating strawberries with cream. 🍓 strawberry 🍓 (noun – singular) A small, red fruit with tiny seeds on the outside. She put a strawberry on top of the cake. I ate a big, sweet strawberry. 👅 taste 👅 (noun/verb) The flavor of something; to experience a flavor. This soup has a great taste! Can I taste your drink? ✋ touch ✋ (verb) To put your hand or finger on something. Don’t touch the hot pan! She touched the soft kitten. 🗣️ voice 🗣️ (noun) The sound a person or character makes when they speak. Her voice is very soft. I heard a deep voice in the other room. 🔙 went back 🔙 (phrasal verb – past tense of go back) Returned to a place. We went back home after school. He went back to his seat. |
Word Count: 1430
Reading Level: CEFR B1
I Am Not a Fruit?
Brock was a small broccoli. His home was on a big dinner table in a family’s old house. Many fruits and vegetables were on this table. Every day, Brock saw apples, bananas, strawberries, and oranges on one side. On the other side, he saw carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other broccoli. Brock knew he was a vegetable, but he felt different in his heart. He thought, “Maybe I am really a fruit.” This idea made him feel worried and not sure about himself.
“I am green and I grow in the dirt,” Brock said to himself. “That is what vegetables do. But I feel sweet and fun inside, like a small fruit. Am I a vegetable or a fruit?”
Brock turned his head to see everything around him. It was a special night. The family made a big meal, and the table was full of food. There was bread, soup, salad, and many other dishes. The fruits sat in a bright bowl next to the fruit salad. The vegetables sat in a big green bowl near the big salad plate. Brock was part of the green salad, but he felt more interested in the fruit salad. He moved closer, trying to hear the fruits’ talk.
“I am so sweet,” said a red strawberry. “People love to eat me!”
“Oh, come on,” said a green grape. “We are all nice to eat. People like our flavor because we are sweet and a little sour.”
A yellow banana joined their talk. “Yes, we are soft and sweet. People eat us for breakfast or as a snack!”
The fruits were all laughing. Their colors were bright under the kitchen light. Brock felt a strong wish to be with them. “They look so happy,” he thought. “Will they let me be with them if I am not really a fruit?”
Brock then looked at the vegetables. They were also talking to each other. A long orange carrot spoke in a low sound, “I have many healthy things. People eat me in their salad.”
A short cucumber said, “Yes, we help people stay strong. That is why they like vegetables.”
A tall piece of celery moved its head up and down. “We are fresh and crunchy. Sometimes, people use us in soups or eat us with a small nut spread.”
The vegetables were happy with who they were. They knew people liked them because they are good for the body. But Brock did not feel their same joy. He wanted to be sweet, not just green. “I don’t know where I fit in,” Brock said very quietly. “Should I go with the fruits, or stay with the vegetables?”
All at once, Brock felt a soft, light touch on his head. A big tomato moved across the table and stopped next to him. “Hello, Brock,” said the tomato. “You look worried. What is the matter?”
Brock took a deep breath. “I am not sure who I am,” he said. “I look like a vegetable, but I think I am really a fruit. I want to be sweet, and I want to feel bright inside. It makes me afraid because I do not know where I should be.”
The tomato gave a small smile. “I know how you feel,” it said in a nice way. “Many people think tomatoes are vegetables, but by science, we are fruits. Still, most people use us like vegetables in cooking. It can be strange.”
Brock watched the tomato with big eyes. “Really? Do you think you are a fruit or a vegetable?”
The tomato answered, “I just feel like me. I have small bits inside, so I am a fruit in one way. But I am not always sweet, so people use me like a vegetable. Sometimes I am with fruits, and sometimes I am with vegetables. I do not worry too much about names. You are Brock. You are special because you are you.”
Brock thought about these words. He felt a little less worried. But he still wanted to know more. He walked carefully to the fruit salad bowl. The strawberries, grapes, and bananas were talking with joy.
“Excuse me,” Brock said in a soft voice. “Can I talk with you? I know I am a broccoli, but I think I might be a fruit inside my heart.”
The fruits all looked at him. The strawberry spoke first. “You are green. Are you sure you are one of us?”
Brock said, “I am not sure. But I feel that I want to be sweet and bright like you.”
The grape said in a warm voice, “Yes, we are sweet, but we also get brown spots or become too soft. We are not perfect. Sometimes, we have our own problems.”
The banana said, “It is true. Being a fruit is nice, but that does not mean it is always better. You must do what feels right for you. Vegetables are also good to eat, and people like them.”
Brock listened and understood. Maybe being a fruit would not fix all his problems. He said goodbye to the fruits and went back to the green bowl with the other vegetables.
In the bowl, the carrot and cucumber were talking with a piece of green leaves. Brock came closer. “Hello,” he said. “Can I ask you something important?”
“Sure,” said the carrot.
Brock asked, “Can vegetables also be fun or bright, like fruits? Can we be funny and sweet sometimes?”
The cucumber answered, “Yes, of course. We can be funny, and we can taste good too. Our job is to make people healthy. But that does not mean we cannot be fun. Our green color is bright in its own way.”
The green leaves nodded by moving softly. “Some vegetables are a little sweet, like carrots or peppers. Others are not sweet, like some green leaves. But each vegetable has its own flavor. Broccoli has a strong flavor that many people enjoy. You do not need to be a fruit to be special.”
Brock felt less worried. He understood that fruits and vegetables are both good in different ways. Each one has good things that make it special. The tomato, the fruits, and the vegetables all showed him that he was fine just the way he was.
Then, Brock heard a loud call from a child at the table. “Dinner is ready!” the child said. The whole family came together around the table. Everyone was excited to eat. Brock felt afraid. “They will eat me soon,” he thought. “That is scary. But maybe this is the reason I am here.”
He looked at the other vegetables. They were not worried. The carrot gave him a happy look and said, “This is why we are here, Brock. We help people by giving them strength. They need food to live.”
The cucumber added, “Yes, do not worry. We do our best to be good to eat. That is our use.”
Brock felt a sudden rush of bravery. “You are right,” he said. “I want to be myself, even if I am eaten. I will stay true to who I am.”
Right then, a big spoon picked Brock up and put him on a plate with chicken and rice. A person in the family took a fork and looked at Brock. “Broccoli is my favorite,” the person said with a happy face. “I like its strong flavor!”
Brock felt proud. He understood that it did not matter if he was a fruit or a vegetable. He was Brock—a funny, green broccoli with big ideas. He made people glad and gave them food that was good for their bodies.
The person took a small piece with the fork. Brock felt the heat of kindness and welcome. Even while being eaten, he stayed true to who he was. He was not only a vegetable or a fruit—he was Brock.
As the meal continued, the fruits went into a sweet fruit salad, and the other vegetables went into a fresh green salad. The family ate and spoke about their day. On the plate, it was as if Brock’s inner self said, “Yes, I am a vegetable. Yes, I sometimes think I am a fruit. But I am happy to be me, and I am happy to be part of this dinner.”
No matter who you are, be yourself—even if others do not understand. Brock the Broccoli learned it is okay to feel different. In the end, our differences make us special. Be who you are, even if you are eaten!
Questions about the story:
1. Where does Brock live?
A) In a garden
B) On a dinner table
C) In a refrigerator
D) In a soup
2. What makes Brock feel different?
A) He is smaller than other vegetables
B) He grows on a tree
C) He thinks he might be a fruit
D) He is not green
3. What do the fruits say about themselves?
A) They are crunchy and fresh
B) They are sweet and people love to eat them
C) They grow underground
D) They do not taste good
4. How does the tomato help Brock?
A) It tells Brock to stop thinking about the problem
B) It tells Brock that tomatoes are vegetables
C) It explains that tomatoes are called vegetables but are really fruits
D) It tells Brock to join the fruit salad
5. Why does Brock visit the fruits?
A) He wants to be sweet like them
B) He wants to eat them
C) He wants to leave the dinner table
D) He does not like vegetables
6. What do the vegetables say about themselves?
A) They are not fun
B) They help people stay strong
C) They are only good for salad
D) They want to be fruits
7. What does Brock learn at the end?
A) He should be a fruit
B) He is special just as he is
C) Fruits are better than vegetables
D) He does not want to be eaten
Answer Key:
1. Where does Brock live?
A) In a garden
B) On a dinner table ✅
C) In a refrigerator
D) In a soup
2. What makes Brock feel different?
A) He is smaller than other vegetables
B) He grows on a tree
C) He thinks he might be a fruit ✅
D) He is not green
3. What do the fruits say about themselves?
A) They are crunchy and fresh
B) They are sweet and people love to eat them ✅
C) They grow underground
D) They do not taste good
4. How does the tomato help Brock?
A) It tells Brock to stop thinking about the problem
B) It tells Brock that tomatoes are vegetables
C) It explains that tomatoes are called vegetables but are really fruits ✅
D) It tells Brock to join the fruit salad
5. Why does Brock visit the fruits?
A) He wants to be sweet like them ✅
B) He wants to eat them
C) He wants to leave the dinner table
D) He does not like vegetables
6. What do the vegetables say about themselves?
A) They are not fun
B) They help people stay strong ✅
C) They are only good for salad
D) They want to be fruits
7. What does Brock learn at the end?
A) He should be a fruit
B) He is special just as he is ✅
C) Fruits are better than vegetables
D) He does not want to be eaten
Conversation Starters:
Working with a partner or small group, please discuss a few of these questions, and try to reference the content of the story as much as possible. Also, please try to use any grammar or vocabulary that you are studying recently, and take notes when you hear a new word or learn a new way to say something.
- Feeling Different – Brock feels like a fruit even though he is a vegetable. Have you ever felt different from others around you? How did you deal with that feeling?
- Fruits vs. Vegetables – The tomato explains that it is both a fruit and a vegetable in different ways. Can you think of other foods that people sometimes confuse? Why do you think this happens?
- Identity and Labels – Brock worries about being called a vegetable or a fruit. Do you think labels (like “student,” “athlete,” “artist”) are important? Why or why not?
- Food Personality – If you were a fruit or a vegetable, which one would you be and why? Would you rather be sweet like a fruit or strong like a vegetable?
- The Purpose of Food – Brock learns that vegetables help people by making them healthy. Why do you think different foods are important for our health? What is your favorite healthy food?
- Overcoming Fear – At the end of the story, Brock feels afraid but then finds courage. Can you share a time when you felt afraid but did something brave anyway?
- Being Yourself – The story teaches that being yourself is important. What do you think it means to “stay true to who you are”? How can we support others in being themselves?
If you are completing these conversations for a class activity, please share your group’s most interesting ideas and opinions with the rest of the class.
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