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Level: A1

The Little Plant Shop

Green gifts and simple advice.

CEFR A1 · 174 words · ~1 min read · US English

๐Ÿ”Š Listen to this passage

5:44 ๐ŸŽฌ Watch this story on YouTube Learn English with a Very Easy Story โ€” The Little Plant Shop (A1 Beginner) Read the lesson below first. When you understand every line, open the YouTube link above and play this video in your earbuds โ€” while you walk, cook or ride the bus, with nothing to look up and nothing to pause. English you already understand, heard again and again, is what turns reading into listening.
๐Ÿ“– Open in interactive ESL Reader โ†’

In the reader, tap any word or sentence to hear it in English, translate it, or look up a definition.

Words to know

smelled
to seem fresh or sweet to your nose
cactus
a plant with sharp points that needs very little water
pothos
a house plant with long green leaves, easy to grow
sunny
getting a lot of bright daylight
overwater
to give a plant too much water

Picture words from this story

Tap ๐Ÿ”Š to hear a word, or ๏ผ‹ to save just that one to My Flashcards.

  • smelled

    smelled

    Fresh, like rain.

  • cactus

    cactus

    A small cactus.

  • pot

    pot

    A simple white pot.

  • sunny

    sunny

    A sunny shelf.

  • overwater

    overwater

    Too much water!

Every sentence has a โ–ถ button โ€” tap it to hear that sentence read slowly, one word at a time.

A gift for Sam
A gift for Sam

Nora needed a gift for her friend Sam.

gift

She walked past a small plant shop with bright leaves in the window.

plant shop

Inside, the air smelled fresh, like rain.

smelled
โ€œCan I help you?โ€
โ€œCan I help you?โ€

A woman behind the counter said, โ€œHi! Can I help you?โ€

counter

โ€œMy friend just moved to a new apartment,โ€ Nora said.

new apartment

โ€œI want a plant that is easy to care for.โ€

care
Cactus, snake plant, pothos
Cactus, snake plant, pothos

The woman showed her three small plants: a cactus, a snake plant, and a pothos.

cactus

Nora liked the pothos because its leaves were green with yellow lines.

leaves
Water it once a week
Water it once a week

โ€œIt needs light but not too much,โ€ the woman explained.

light

โ€œWater it once a week.โ€

water

Nora bought the pothos, a simple white pot, and a card.

pot

On the card she wrote, โ€œWelcome home.โ€

card
A sunny shelf
A sunny shelf

When she visited Sam that evening, they put the plant on a sunny shelf, where the light was bright but not too strong.

sunny

Sam smiled. โ€œItโ€™s perfect,โ€ he said. โ€œI will try not to overwater it.โ€

overwater

They both laughed.

laughed
More like home
More like home

The little plant made the room look brighter, and the new apartment felt more like home.

home

Check your understanding

  1. Why does Nora want a plant?

    Show answer

    It is a gift for her friend Sam โ€” Her friend Sam just moved to a new apartment, and Nora needs a gift for him.

  2. Which plant does Nora choose?

    Show answer

    The pothos โ€” Nora likes the pothos because its leaves are green with yellow lines.

  3. How often does the plant need water?

    Show answer

    Once a week โ€” The woman explains, 'Water it once a week.'

  4. Nora writes 'Happy birthday' on the card.

    Show answer

    False โ€” On the card she writes, 'Welcome home.'

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