Nonfiction · Level 2 · 140 words

The Fridge Anyone May Open

Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.

A community fridge is a shared refrigerator placed where people can reach it. Neighbors, shops, or gardens leave suitable food. Anyone who needs food may take some without proving need. Clear labels and regular cleaning help keep the fridge useful.

Sharing chilled food requires care. Organizers set rules about dates, damaged packages, and foods that may be unsafe. Volunteers check temperatures and remove spoiled items. These tasks do not guarantee perfect safety, but they reduce avoidable risks.

The fridge does more than move leftovers. It can give surplus food a nearby destination and let people choose what fits their household. Its open door also creates responsibility over many days. Donors must offer food they would willingly serve, and visitors should leave enough for others. A community fridge works when welcome and maintenance are treated as parts of the same practice.

Comprehension questions

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4 questions
1. What is the main idea of the passage?

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D. A community fridge combines open food sharing with labeling, cleaning, safety rules, and shared responsibility.
The passage explains both access and the maintenance practices that make access workable.

2. Why do volunteers remove spoiled items?

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A. Removing them reduces a preventable food-safety risk.
The second paragraph connects inspection and removal with reducing avoidable risks.

3. What does “surplus” mean in the final paragraph?

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B. more than is currently needed
The food is given a nearby destination instead of remaining unused.

4. Who may leave suitable food?

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C. neighbors, shops, or gardens
The opening paragraph names three possible sources.

Source: Written for Fluency. Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.