A Revolutionary Invention: From Chewing Gum to Bubble Gum

Choose one quotation from the passage which supports the claim that chewing gum has served unexpected purposes over time.

• "Another company called Beeman's added a substance called pepsin to its recipe and sold it as being able to relieve indigestion." (paragraph 3)

• "And then came an accident in 1928 by an accounting employee at the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia." (paragraph 4)

• "When he determined that his latest recipe was less sticky than previous ones and stretchy enough to form a bubble, he saw possibilities that differentiated this gum from the other chewing gums on the market." (paragraph 5)

• "Around the end of World War II, a candy company called The Topps Candy Company started its own brand of bubble gum." (paragraph 7)

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Choose one quotation from the passage that illustrates marketing’s influence on the popularity of bubble gum.

• "Henry Fleer coated the chicle, which really was flavorless, with a sugary white coating and called his product, 'Chiclets.'" (paragraph 2)

• "His sales approach was simple: teach the employees at the local grocery stores how to blow bubbles with his gum, so they can teach their customers." (paragraph 6)

• In 1953, the Topps Candy Company saw another opportunity to market its bubble gum with the introduction of Bazooka Joe baseball cards with a piece of gum in each." (paragraph 7)

• "While many colors of bubble gum are currently on the market, pink remains the most popular seller." (paragraph 10)

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Part A: How does the passage convey that fate played a role in creating bubble gum?

• Bubble gum owes its origin and appearance to a series of coincidences.

• Bubble gum only became popular because of its sticky texture.

• Chewing gum is historically more appealing than bubble gum.

• Chewing gum can be used in multiple ways unlike bubble gum.

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Part B: Which two quotations from the passage show evidence of the answer in Part A?

• "Archaeologists also determined that almost every culture has chewed ‘gum.’” (paragraph 1)

• "The Wrigley’s brand of gum was marketed as a treat or candy.” (paragraph 3)

• “A man by the name of Frank Canning sold his gum as a ‘dental gum’ and called it Dentyne.” (paragraph 3)

• “And then came an accident in 1928 by an accounting employee at the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia.” (paragraph 4)

• "The only food coloring available when Diemer created his new recipe was pink and so became the common color for bubble gum products to come.” (paragraph 5)

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Why did the author write this selection?

• to tell us how much he likes gum

• to distinguish between chewing gum and bubble gum

• to tell about some famous people

• to educate the reader about the history of gum

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What are some things the author does to make sure this selection informs?

• He spends lots of time explaining how gum has been marketed so that we can go out and learn more about it.

• He discusses all the different products that can be made using gum and how they can grab people's attention.

• He uses descriptions of how gum was developed and changed over time and the important people involved in that process.

• He explains, at leangth, the differences between gum in the ancient times and gum today.

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In which paragraph does the author give information about what happened in the distant past?

• the 1st paragraph

• the 3rd paragraph

• the 6th paragraph

• the last paragraph

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What could the author add to this selection to help you understand it better?

• pictures of the people and original products mentioned

• graphs of gum marketing success

• a list of links to learn more about gum

• a bazooka Joe comic strip

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Based on the context clues in paragraph 1, what does "chicle" mean?

• tree sap

• tree bark

• tree roots

• tree leaves

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Which best describes Walter Diemer?

• He was a brilliant inventor and scientist.

• He was an accountant who liked to experiment with gum recipes.

• He was a salesman who convinced people to try chewing gum.

• He was a soldier who enjoyed when he received gum in a care package.

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