CHEWING GUM
We think of chewing gum as a modern American invention. But this is only partly true. For thousands of years people have chewed gum resin, a juice collected from trees. In Mexico, for example, Indians have long chewed chicle, the gum resin from the sapodilla tree.
In 1850 Mexico and the United States fought a war over Texas. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana led the Mexican soldiers. When Mexico lost the war, Santa Ana had to leave his country. He went to live in New York and he took with him a large amount of chicle.
An American inventor, Thomas Adams, bought some chicle from Santa Ana. He wanted to make the chicle into rubber but his plan failed. Adams then decided that chicle was better as something to chew. In 1871 he made and sold the first gum balls. These gum balls were a great success.
Then, in the 1890s, a man named William Wrigley first made chewing gum as we know it today. William Wrigley had little education or money, but he had an idea. He made gum into flat sticks and added special flavours. Today, Wrigley's Spearmint gum and Juicy Fruit gum are among the most popular chewing gums in America.
How did modern chewing gum spread from the United States to other countries? During World War I and World War II, the US Army, found that chewing gum kept soldiers from getting thirsty. So American soldiers were given chewing gum each day. The soldiers who fought in Europe often gave gum to the people they met. Gum became as popular as it was in the United States. Today, of course, chewing gum can be found around the world.
61. Chewing gum is not quite an American invention because
A. it was invented by the Indians in Mexico. B. people have chewed gum resin for thousands of years.
C. only a part of the chewing gum was invented by the American.
D. it does not come from the sapodilla tree.
62. In 1850 Mexico and the United States fought a war
A. to control the. supply of chewing gum. B. to gain control of Texas.
C. because Texas had the biggest source of chicle.
D. to prevent General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana from taking chicle back to Mexico.
63. Adams's plan to make chicle into rubber was
A. a great success. B. protested by Santa Ana. C. not welcomed by the public. D. unsuccessful.
64. Adams's gum balls
A. were made from rubber. B. sold very well.
C. were better for chewing than rubber. D. tasted better than Santa Ana's chicle.
65. Wrigley's chewing gum
A. was flat and specially flavoured. B. was made from spearmint and fruit.
C. was different from the one we know today. D. looked like balls and tasted sweeter.
