Famous Things
Cocoa
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions
1.
Do you like chocolate? If so, what kind
of chocolate products do you like to eat?
2. Do you know where chocolate comes from?
3. Where do you think the
first chocolate bar was made?
4. What do you think is the
most popular flavor in the world?
B. Vocabulary Preview
Match up as many words and meanings as you can.
Check this exercise again after seeing the words in context on page 2.
1.
ingredient
a)
to change from a solid to a liquid
2.
ripe
b)
the taste
3.
harvest
c)
to have enough money to buy something
4.
rack
d)
a leader or ruler of a group of countries
5.
bitter
e)
a small package of food given to soldiers
6.
emperor
f)
one of the parts of a mixture
7.
wealthy
g)
ready to be eaten or used
8.
afford
h)
a wooden or metal frame used for holding things
9.
melt
i)
a group of soldiers
10.
ration
j)
to pick or gather plants when they are ripe
11.
troop
k)
a strong, unpleasant taste that is the opposite of sweet
12.
flavor
l)
having a lot of money, rich
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( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1)
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Cocoa
Famous Things
Reading
1.
Cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate.
2. Cocoa comes from the seeds of the cacao tree. About 30 to
50 almond‑sized seeds grow in pods on the tree. When the pods
are ripe, they are harvested, and the seeds are removed and put
on racks to dry in the sun. The seeds are then crushed and most of
the cocoa butter, or oil, is removed from them. A very bitter-tasting
powder remains.
“Mama always said
life was like a box
of chocolates. You
never know what
you’re gonna get.”
—Forrest Gump
3. Over 2,000 years ago, the Mayas of South America discovered how
to dry and crush the cacao seeds and use the powder to make a
drink. They introduced it to the Aztecs of Mexico, and it became their
emperor’s favorite drink. The Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés learned
about it from the Aztecs in 1519. He added cane sugar to the drink to
make it sweeter. He took cacao beans back to Spain and the new drink
was soon very popular with wealthy Spaniards.
4. By 1700, the drink was also popular in France and Great Britain.
In about 1730, a machine that could crush cacao beans was
invented. This made it less expensive to produce cocoa powder,
and soon everyone could afford to enjoy the chocolate drink.
Then, in 1847, an English company mixed melted cocoa butter
with sugar and cocoa powder to create the first chocolate “bar.”
5. The first American chocolate factory was built in 1765.
During World War II, the US Army gave soldiers chocolate
bars as rations, and troops are still given chocolate.
Astronauts have even taken it into outer space.
6. Chocolate is the second most popular flavor in the world, after vanilla.
It is used in cakes, ice cream, and many other desserts, as well as in
chocolate bars. Researchers have discovered that chocolate contains
compounds called antioxidants that may protect against some types
of cancer and heart disease.
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only.
( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1)
2
Cocoa
Famous Things
Comprehension
A. True or False?
Read the statements below.
If the statement is true, write T beside the sentence.
If it is false, write F and correct the information in your notebook.
1.
Cocoa comes from almonds.
2. The Aztecs were the first people to turn cocoa into a drink.
3. The Aztec emperor loved cocoa.
4. Spanish cocoa was a sweeter drink than Aztec cocoa.
5. Chocolate is the most popular flavor in the world.
B. Ask & Answer
Practice asking and answering the following questions with your partner.
Then write your answers in complete sentences in your notebook.
1.
Briefly explain how cocoa powder is made.
2.
How did the Aztecs of Mexico learn about cocoa?
3. How did Europeans learn about cocoa?
4. What happened in 1730 that made cocoa even more popular?
5. How was the first chocolate bar made?
6. List several products that use chocolate for flavoring.
7.
Why may chocolate actually be good for one’s health?
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( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1)
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Cocoa
Famous Things
Vocabulary Review
Complete the sentences using vocabulary from page 1.
You may need to change the word forms.
1.
In the fall, after the farmers
the plants, they have a big Thanksgiving dinner.
2. There are many beautiful dresses hanging on that
3. This coffee tastes very
. I need to add some sugar.
4. In the spring, the snow begins to
5. The war is finally over. The
.
.
will be coming home soon.
6. Mary lost her job last month, so she cannot
7.
to buy a new car yet.
You need to add more salt and pepper to this soup. It doesn’t have enough
8. Don’t eat that green banana. It isn’t
.
yet.
Discussion
1.
Have you ever heard the expression “chocoholic”?
Can you guess what it means? Are you a chocoholic?
2. What does it mean to have a “sweet tooth”? Do you have a
sweet tooth? Do you prefer to have sweet or salty snacks?
3. Researchers have recently discovered that chocolate contains
some compounds that may protect against cancer and heart
disease. Do you think that this is a good reason to eat chocolate
every day? Explain your answer.
4. Why do you think soldiers and astronauts
are given chocolate as part of their rations?
5. Do you crave chocolate sometimes? What other foods do you crave?
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only.
( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1)
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Cocoa
Famous Things
Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION:
LEVEL: Int
In this lesson, students read about the history of chocolate.
TIME:
1.5–2 hours
TAGS:
chocolate, cocoa, history, sweet, dessert
They learn and practice using new vocabulary and discuss
whether or not they are chocoholics.
Pre-Reading
5.
The first chocolate bar was made in 1847
when an English company mixed melted
cocoa butter with sugar and cocoa powder.
A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS
6.
Discuss as a class or in small groups. Answers will vary.
Chocolate is used in cakes, ice cream, and
many other desserts, as well as in chocolate bars.
7.
B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
Chocolate may be good for one’s health since
researchers have discovered that chocolate
1. f
3. j
5. k
7. l
9. a
11. i
contains compounds called antioxidants that may
2. g
4. h
6. d
8. c
10. e
12. b
protect against some types of cancer and heart disease.
Comprehension
Vocabulary Review
A. TRUE OR FALSE?
1. harvest
4. melt
7. flavor
2. rack
5. troops
8. ripe
3. bitter
6. afford
1.
F – Cocoa comes from the seeds of the cacao tree.
2.
F – T he Mayas were the first
people to make cocoa into a drink.
3.
T
4.
T
5.
F – Chocolate is the second most popular flavor in the world.
B. ASK & ANSWER
1.
Cocoa powder is made by crushing dried
cocoa seeds and removing the oil from them.
2.
The Aztecs were introduced to cocoa by the
Mayas of South America over 2,000 years ago.
3.
Europeans learned about cocoa after the Spanish explorer
Hernán Cortés learned about it from the Aztecs in 1519.
4.
Discussion
Discuss as a class or in small groups. Answers will vary.
SPELLING NOTE:
This lesson shows the American spelling of the words Flavor,
Flavoring, and Practice. Most other English-speaking countries
spell these words this way: Flavour, Flavouring, and Practise
(when used as a verb; Practice when used as a noun). Make it
a challenge for your students to find these words in the lesson
and see if they know the alternate spellings.
In 1730, a machine that could crush cocoa beans was invented.
This made it less expensive to produce cocoa powder and soon
everyone could afford to enjoy chocolate-based drinks.
Copyright 2018, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only.
( I N T / V E R S I O N 2 .1)
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