Maria woke up early on Saturday morning. She wanted to visit the farmers market in the town square. The market opened every Saturday from eight in the morning. Maria made a shopping list before she left the house. She needed vegetables, fruit, bread, and some fresh eggs. She also wanted to find fresh herbs for her soup recipe. The walk to the market took about fifteen minutes. When Maria arrived, the market was already full of people. The smell of fresh bread filled the air. She walked past colorful stalls with fruits and vegetables. The first stall had big, red tomatoes. 'These tomatoes are from my garden,' said the farmer with a smile. Maria picked up a tomato and smelled it. It smelled wonderful, much better than the tomatoes in the supermarket. She bought one kilogram of tomatoes. Next, she stopped at a stall with many kinds of cheese. A young woman offered her a small piece to taste. The cheese was creamy and had a strong, pleasant taste. 'This is our best goat cheese,' the woman explained. Maria decided to buy a small piece of the goat cheese. She continued walking and found a stall with fresh herbs. There was rosemary, thyme, basil, and parsley. Maria loved the strong smell of the fresh herbs. She bought a bunch of parsley and some thyme. These would be perfect for her vegetable soup. At the next stall, she found a wide selection of apples. The farmer had green apples, red apples, and yellow apples. 'Which apple do you recommend?' Maria asked. 'The red ones are sweet and good for eating,' the farmer answered. 'The green ones are better for cooking or making juice.' Maria chose a bag of red apples and a few green ones. She was happy because the green apples would be great for the soup too. After the fruit stall, she headed to the bread baker. The baker had many kinds of bread: white, brown, and with seeds. There was also fresh sourdough bread with a hard, crispy crust. 'The sourdough is baked this morning,' the baker said proudly. Maria touched the bread and felt the warm crust. She bought a whole sourdough loaf. At the egg stall, a farmer had eggs in different sizes. The eggs were brown and looked very fresh. 'These come from our free-range chickens,' the farmer explained. Maria bought twelve eggs and placed them carefully in her bag. She looked at her list and realized she had everything she needed. But then she saw a stall with honey and jams. The jars were filled with different flavors: strawberry, blueberry, and plum. Maria loved blueberry jam on her morning toast. She decided to buy one jar of blueberry jam. She also bought a small jar of local honey for her tea. Her shopping bag was now quite heavy. She sat down at a small cafe next to the market. She ordered a cup of coffee and a piece of apple cake. The cake was soft, sweet, and tasted like cinnamon. While she rested, she thought about the meal she would cook. She planned to make a big pot of vegetable soup for dinner. The tomatoes, herbs, and apple would make the soup rich and tasty. She would also invite her neighbor Anna to share the meal. Anna always appreciated a home-cooked meal. After her coffee, Maria walked home with a full shopping bag. She was glad she had found such fresh, local food. The farmers market was definitely her favorite place to shop.
English Story (A2)At the Farmers Market
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
Maria visits the local farmers market on a Saturday morning, buying fresh tomatoes, goat cheese, herbs, apples, bread, eggs, jam, and honey. She enjoys the fresh, local produce and the friendly vendors, and plans to make a big pot of vegetable soup for dinner.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What meal did Maria plan to cook for dinner?
2
What did the farmer say about the red apples?
3
What did Maria order at the cafe next to the market?
4
Who did Maria plan to invite for dinner?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
