In 1886 John Pemberton, a druggist in Atlanta, Georgia, made a brown syrup by mixing coca leaves and cola nuts. Pemberton sold the syrup in his drugstore as a medicine to cure all kinds of problems. Pemberton called his all-purpose medicine "Coca-Cola."
When few people bought Coca-Cola, Pemberton sold it to another druggist, Asa Candler. Candler decided to sell Coca-Cola as a soda-fountain drink instead of as a medicine.
At the soda fountains in drugstores, the syrup was mixed with soda water to make the drink Coca-Cola. Candler advertised a lot and sold his syrup to many drugstores. Soon everyone was going to soda fountains and asking for Coca-Cola.
Candler saw no reason for putting Coca-Cola into bottles. But two businessmen thought this would be a good idea. They got permission from Candler, and before long they became millionaires.
As of 1903, coca leaves were no longer used in Coca-Cola. The exact ingredients used and their quantities are not known--the Coca-Cola Company keeps its recipe a secret.
World War I helped make Coca-Cola popular outside the United States. The Coca-Cola Company sent free bottles of the drink to U.S. soldiers fighting in Europe. Coca-Cola became very popular with the soldiers--so popular that the U.S. Army asked the company to start ten factories in Europe. After the war, these factories continued to make Coca-Cola. Today, there are Coca-Cola factories around the world.
a. A doctor
b. A druggist
c. A scientist
2. What illnesses could Coca-Cola cure?
a. All
b. Only a few
c. A headache and a stomachache
3. Who decided to sell Coca-Cola as a soda-fountain?
a. John Pemberton
b. American soldiers
c. Asa Candler
4. What components does the Coca-Cola Company use?
a. The same as many years ago.
b. It’s unknown.
c. They are quite different from the first components.
5. Was it necessary to pour Coca-Cola into bottles?
a. Yes, because it was tastier in bottles.
b. No, but it was useful for businessmen.
c. Yes, because without it Coca-Cola was dangerous.
6. When did Coca-Cola become popular?
a. During the World War I
b. During the World War II
c. When America was discovered
7. What is the synonym for the word ‘permission’ (paragraph 4)?
a. Opinion
b. Question
c. Approval
d. Visualization
