How Does a Refrigerator Work? | A2 ESL Science Reading Passage

Use this A2-B1 ESL science reading passage to learn how a refrigerator works. It includes key vocabulary, reading comprehension questions, and answers for English learners.

A refrigerator keeps food cold by moving heat out of the inside space.

Reading Level

A2-B1

Word Count

239 words

Reading Passage

A refrigerator is a machine that keeps food and drinks cold. It helps food stay fresh for a longer time.

A refrigerator does not make cold in a simple way. Instead, it moves heat out of the inside space. When heat leaves, the inside becomes colder.

Inside the cooling system is a special material that can change between a liquid and a gas. As it moves through the refrigerator, it takes heat from the inside.

The warm gas then moves to a compressor. The compressor squeezes the gas and makes it hotter. The hot gas moves through coils, often at the back or bottom of the refrigerator.

The coils let heat move out into the room. As the gas loses heat, it changes back into a liquid. Then it moves inside again and takes in more heat. This cycle repeats again and again.

A thermostat checks the temperature. When the inside is cold enough, the refrigerator can stop for a short time. When it gets warmer, the cooling system starts again.

A refrigerator works by moving heat from inside to outside. This keeps milk, fruit, vegetables, and other foods colder and safer.

A cooling cycle moves heat out and keeps the inside of a refrigerator cold.

Key Vocabulary

Word	Meaning	Example
refrigerator	a machine that keeps food and drinks cold	The refrigerator keeps milk cold.
heat	warmth	The machine moves heat out.
liquid	something that flows and is not a gas or solid	The cooling material can become a liquid.
gas	air-like matter that spreads out	The warm gas moves to the compressor.
compressor	a part that squeezes gas in a cooling system	The compressor helps the cooling cycle.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What does a refrigerator do?
2. How does a refrigerator make the inside colder?
3. What can the special cooling material change between?
4. What does the compressor do?
5. What checks the temperature inside?

Answers

1. It keeps food and drinks cold.
2. It moves heat out of the inside space.
3. It can change between a liquid and a gas.
4. It squeezes the gas and makes it hotter.
5. A thermostat checks the temperature.

Short Summary

A refrigerator keeps food cold by moving heat from inside to outside. A cooling material, compressor, coils, and thermostat work together.

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