A Short Story of Chocolate

Reading comprehension (PP. 1-2)

• When did chocolate become known for people?

• What did Columbus bring with him from his trip to India and present to the Spanish King Ferdinand?

• How did the King react to those gifts Columbus gave?

• Chocolate was not known in Europe until after 1492 when Columbus returned from his first exploration overseas.

• New treasures which were agricultural mostly, including cocoa beans

• The King might not be impressed with the small dark bitter cocoa beans.

Grammar

• What would eventually become the favorite food and drink of millions took a long time and many innovations to become popular.

• Columbus, who thought he had reached India, not a new continent, returned with many new treasures, many of them (being) agricultural.

Reading comprehension (PP. 3-4)

• Who was Hernando Cortez? Did he do anything about chocolate?

• How was Cortez received by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma?

• Did Aztec do anything to change chocolatl?

• Did Cortez do anything to change chocolatl?

• Cortez was a Spanish explorer, who is most remembered for his brutal conquest of Mexico.

• He and his men were offered grand gold cups of the emperor’s royal drink, chocolatl, meaning warm liquid.

• The Aztec did nothing to change chocolatl.

• Cortez adjusted chocolatl by sweetening it with cane sugar.

Grammar

• When introduced to the Aztec Emperor Montezuma in 1519, he and his men were offered grand cups of the emperor’s royal drink, …

• When (he and his men were) introduced to the Aztec Emperor Montezuma in 1519, he and his men were offered grand cups of the emperor’s royal drink, …

Reading comprehension (PP. 5-7)

• How did chocolatl become popular?

• Did Spanish people know how to produce chocolatl?

• What happened when chocolatl spread to England?

• Chocolatl became popular when combined with other spices, such as cinnamon, vanilla and hot chili pepper.

• Chocolatl production was kept as a secret which was revealed by monks 100 years later.

• In England, the first chocolate houses appeared.

Reading comprehension (PP. 8-9)

• What change was made to the traditional methods of making chocolate?

• What advantages did the cocoa press bring?

• What improvements were made to chocolate?

• Chocolate was made in mass production and with steam engines in the cocoa grinding process.

• With the invention of the cocoa press, chocolate dropped in price and the quality of the beverage was improved.

• With the introduction of a smooth chocolate for eating and the addition of milk.

Grammar

• The invention of the cocoa press … by squeezing out part of the cocoa butter, the fat that occurs naturally in cocoa beans.

• The second development occurred ..., creating the product we enjoy today known as milk chocolate.