Text interpretation: How did gum come about and how is it made?

Text interpretation activity, aimed at sixth graders in elementary school, with questions developed about the text: “How did it come about and how is gum made?”.

You can download this Portuguese language activity in Word template that can be modified, ready to print in PDF and also the answered activity.

Download this Portuguese exercise at:

• Word: Text interpretation: How did gum come about and how is it made? – 6th year – Editable template
• PDF: Text interpretation: How did gum come about and how is it made? – 6th year – To print
• Template: Text interpretation: How did gum come about and how is it made? – 6th year – With answer
• Image: Page 1 – page 2

SCHOOL: DATE:

PROF: CLASS:

NAME:

How did it come about and how is gum made?

No one knows for sure when man started chewing resins extracted from trees, but there are historical records that various peoples of antiquity, such as the Greeks, already had this habit. The habit was also common on the American continent, even before European colonization. The latex of the sapotizeiro – the tree that gives the sapodilla – was used as chewing gum by the Mayans and Aztecs, among other pre-Columbian civilizations. This resin the natives called chicle. The delicacy we know today appeared at the end of the 19th century, more precisely and 1872, the year in which the American inventor Thomas Adams manufactured the first batch of bubble gums and flavored the natural resins with extract of licorice. Over the next few decades, he opened several factories to meet the growing demand from American consumers for the new product.

In the mid-20th century, especially after World War II (1939-1945), natural resins were replaced by substances synthesized from petroleum refining. "The reason for this change was the manufacturing cost, since natural resin is much more expensive than rubber synthetic,” says chemical engineer Múcio Almeida, product development manager at Adams do Brasil. From the 1960s onwards, the first sugar-free gums appeared, which, according to the manufacturers, in addition to decreasing the caries risks, help to keep teeth clean, as they stimulate the production of saliva, which removes particles of foods. With or without sugar, it's good to be careful with this treat. Young children who swallow the gum are at risk for blocked airways or disrupted bowel flow. Another warning: chewing on an empty stomach can cause stomach problems, as there is an unnecessary stimulus to the production of gastric enzymes.

Available at: http//mundoestranho.abril.com.br/alimentação/pergunta_286681
Accessed on: 4 Dec. 2009.

Questions

1) What is the title of the text?
A.

2) The gum as it is known today, originated from what?
A.

3) What is the name of the tree that gives the sapodilla?
A.

4) Did the delicacy we know today appear in when?
A.

5) In the middle of the 20th century, natural resins were replaced by what? What is the reason?
A.

6) According to the text, what do manufacturers say about sugarless gum?
A.

7) What are the consequences for young children who swallow the gum?
A.

8) Why be careful when chewing gum on an empty stomach?
A.

Per Camila Farias

The answers are in the header link.

report this ad