Conversation: Discussion - Nutritious Food

 

(The four friends are sitting on the grass in the school park. Ben is holding his stomach.)

Ben       :  I'm so hungry. My breakfast was too small.

Luca      :  Me too! Let's go to the canteen. I want to buy fried noodles.

Mia        :  Again, Luca? That's not healthy. My mom always says, "You are what you eat."

Zara       :  She's right. But healthy food is expensive. A salad costs more than noodles. It's a problem.

Ben       :  True. I wish healthy food was cheaper. Or maybe... free?

Luca      :  Free food? Yes, please! That's a great idea!

Mia        :  It's not a simple idea, Luca. How? The government doesn't have a magic tree with money.

Zara       :  But it's important. Good food helps our brains. If we eat better, maybe our grades get better too. It's an investment.

Ben       :  Maybe for little kids? So they grow up strong and smart.

Mia        :  That could work. But where does the money come from? From taxes? Our parents' taxes?

Luca      :  I don't know. I just like the "free food" part.

Zara       :  It's not just free food. It's free good food. There's a difference. They need to teach people why it's important.

Mia        :  Exactly! Education is key. Otherwise, people might just sell the good food and buy junk food.

Ben       :  So, free healthy meals and lessons about nutrition? In school? That sounds perfect.

Zara       :  Okay, but how will the food come to every school? That's a big operation.

Ben       :  Yeah, trucks? But that makes pollution. Not very "green".

Mia        :  Good point! Maybe each school can have a small garden? Students can learn to grow vegetables. It's fresh and no plastic.

Luca      :  Work in a garden? Uh, that sounds like hard work. I just want to eat.

Zara       :  (laughing) But Luca, you can eat the food you grow! It's like a magic trick. Seed becomes salad.

Ben       :  And what about the kids? Will they like the healthy food? If it's not tasty, they will throw it away. Big waste.

Mia        :  True. The cooks are important. They need to make healthy food delicious. Maybe a cooking competition for the best school meal!

Zara       :  Another thing... will kids feel bad if their family is poor and they get free food? We don't want that.

Ben       :  Oh, I didn't think of that. That's sad. Maybe the program is for all students in a school? So, no one feels different. Everyone eats together.

Mia        :  That's a smarter way. Community, not charity.

Luca      :  So, let me understand... we get free, tasty food from our garden, cooked by a great chef, and we all eat together? Okay, now I really like this idea! When does it start?

(Everyone laughs.)

Zara       :  See? Now we think about the environment, psychology, and waste. It's a big puzzle.

Ben       :  But a very important puzzle. Let's tell our teacher about these ideas.

Mia        :  Let's go to the canteen first. I have an apple. We can share.

Ben       :  You're the best, Mia. Let's go!

 

Vocabulary List from the Dialogue

Hungry	Taxes	Tasty
Small	Difference	Cooks
Healthy	Education	Competition
Expensive	Key	To feel bad
Free	Think	Charity
Important	Eat	Community
Better	Buy	Environment
Right	Wish	Psychology
Simple	Helps	Puzzle
Good	Understand
Breakfast	Solve
Food	Share
Problem	Operation
Idea	Pollution
Government	Green
Money	Garden
Brains	Grow
Grades	Waste
Investment	Throw away

Comprehension Questions (Directly from the text):

1. Where are the four friends at the beginning of the conversation?

2. What does Luca want to buy from the canteen?

3. According to Zara, what is one reason people might not choose healthy food?

4. What is Luca's initial reaction to Ben's idea of free food?

5. What does Zara say is the difference between "free food" and "free good food"?

Analysis and Inference Questions (Requiring deeper thought):

6. Mia mentions her mom's saying, "You are what you eat." What does this common phrase mean?

7. Zara calls providing healthy food an "investment." What does she mean by this? What is the expected return on this investment?

8. What are two potential problems Mia and Ben identify with the idea of a free food program?

9. How does Mia's idea of a school garden solve more than one problem they discussed?

10. Why does Ben suggest that the free meal program should be for all students in a school, not just those who need it?