Reading Comprehension: Who Made the First Chewing Gum?

Reading Comprehension: Who Made the First Chewing Gum?

Read the following passage and then complete the tasks below:  

We all enjoy a good chew now and then, but did you know that chewing gum was first made by the Indians? The chewing gum that was bought and sold in America in the nineteenth century was originally made by the Maya Indian tribe. The ancient Maya chewed a substance called chicle, taken from the sapodilla tree, as a way to quench thirst or fight hunger.  It is extracted from the tree, where Farmers make a cut in the trunk of the tree and the liquid that comes out is collected and then dried. Then the gum goes through another process by adding different flavours to make the gum taste better. At that time, only kids and single women were allowed to chew it in public. Married women and widows could chew it privately to freshen their breath, while men could chew it in secret to clean their teeth. Chewing gum was then brought to Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century and it soon became an instant hit. Due to the huge demand, chewing gum was produced in factories, using the same method as the Maya tribe did. These days, chewing gum is flavoured in countless flavours, most common are mint or strawberry. It is sold and enjoyed everywhere and it is bought by both young and old alike.

Answer the following in full sentences:

1. Which tribe made the first chewing gum? __________________________________

2. What is ‘chicle’? _______________________________________________________

3. In the beginning, who was allowed to chew gum in public? _____________________

4. Where is modern gum made? _____________________________________________

Circle (True) or (False). And then correct all mistakes:

1. Chewing gum has been around for years.                                     True            False

2. It was used to stop hunger and thirst.                                        True            False

3.  Everyone could chew gum in public.                                             True            False

4.  Factories have a different way to make chewing gum.                True            False

5. All ages enjoy eating Chewing gum.                              True       False

Discussion: Do you like eating chewing gum? If yes, which flavour do you like?