Rare Fruit Goes on Sale for Nearly $1,000

Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. pungent / ˈpʌnʤənt / (adj) – having a very strong smell
    Example:

    Some people do not like to eat the fruit because of its pungent smell.


  2. crossbreed / ˈkrɑːsˌbriːd / (v) – to combine two types of things to create a new one
    Example:

    The farmer crossbred a pineapple and a strawberry to create a pineberry.


  3. unheard of / ˌʌnˈhɚdˌʌv / (adj) – not known or recognized
    Example:

    The scientists discovered a species of plant that was previously unheard of.


  4. talk of the town / tɑːk ʌv ðə taʊn / (idiom) – the topic of many people’s conversations
    Example:

    After winning the competition, he became the talk of the town.


  5. disbelief / ˌdɪs.bɪˈliːf / (n) – the state of not believing that something is true
    Example:

    She expressed her disbelief at her brother’s ghost story.


Article

Read the text below.

A rare type of durian is on sale for nearly $1,000 in West Java, Indonesia.


Durian is an oval-shaped fruit known for its spiky husk, creamy texture, and pungent smell. It is known as the King of Fruits around Southeast Asia and has many varieties.


A new and rare variety of durian, called J-Queen, was recently created by an Indonesian man called Aka. To produce a J-Queen, Aka crossbred two high-quality durian varieties that he obtained from different parts of Indonesia. The result is a round yellow-gold durian that tastes like peanut and butter. It is believed that the J-Queen tree can bear fruit only once every three years.


According to Aka, he produced the J-Queen because he wanted to uplift the well-being of farmers in Indonesia. However, he has not shared the J-Queen seeds with other farmers, making him the only producer of the fruit.


Local farmers are also doubtful of Aka’s claims. They said that Aka’s durian variety is unheard of. They even added that the acknowledged rare types of durian cost only around 15,000 to 200,000 rupiahs [roo-PEEuhs] or around $1 to $14.


Despite the steep price, two J-Queens have already been sold. The remaining ones are still on display at a shopping center in West Java and have become the talk of the town. On social media, many people posted photos with the rare fruit, while some expressed their disbelief at the price. One person even said that buying the fruit is not worth it, claiming that a motorcycle that can last for years was a much better purchase.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think the J-Queen variety of durian would be popular in your country? Why or why not?
• How do you think the production of the J-Queen variety will help Indonesian farmers? Explain.

Discussion B

• In your opinion, why do people develop or sell rare and expensive things?
• What rare and expensive thing would you buy? Discuss.