Lesson 7

The History of Chocolate

1- Vocabulary
2- Reading
3- Listening
4- Homework
 Vocabulary 1

Aroma /əˈroʊmə/ noun (countable)

Meaning: strong and pleasant smell.
The aroma of strawberries makes me feel happy.

Beverage /ˈbev(ə)rɪdʒ/ noun (countable)

Meaning: a hot or cold drink. It’s usually used in formal contexts.
I’m going to an interview for a food and beverage manager position.
I need a beverage. (I need a drink)

Cluster /ˈklʌstər/ noun (countable)

Meaning: a small group of people or things that are very close to each other.
The company is located in that cluster of buildings, but I don’t know where
exactly.

Combine /kəmˈbaɪn/ verb

Meaning: If you combine two or more substances, you mix them to produce a
new substance.
I’m going to combine water with this chemical to produce a new product.
To make a cake, you need to combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
 Vocabulary 2

Condensed /kənˈdenst/ adjective

Meaning: concentrated. When you condense a liquid, it becomes thicker.
I don’t really like the taste of condensed milk.

Contemporary /kənˈtempəˌreri/ adjective

Meaning: related to the present time. We use it mostly to talk about art, society
and ideas.
Technology is the core of the contemporary society.

Cultivate /ˈkʌltɪˌveɪt/ verb

Meaning: to prepare land to grow crops
Asian farmers cultivate mostly rice and fruits.

Divine /dɪˈvaɪn/ adjective

Meaning: like a god, or related to a god.
What happened to Ali was divine intervention. He should have died in that
horrific car accident.
 Vocabulary 3

Humid /ˈhjumɪd/ adjective

Meaning: if the weather is humid, it is wet and hot.
Some places are extremely humid most of the year.

Odor /ˈoʊdər/ noun (countable)

Meaning: an unpleasant smell
There is a stranger odor coming from the basement.

Palate /ˈpælət/ noun (countable)

Meaning: the top inside part of the mouth
You can touch your palate with your tongue.

Paradise /ˈperəˌdaɪs/ noun (countable)

Meaning: a perfect place
I hear that the beach in this city is a paradise.
 Vocabulary 4

Plantation /plænˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ noun (countable)

Meaning: A farm on a large area of land that grows certain types of crops.
Ahmed is very rich. He owns a very big coffee plantation in South America.

Rapid /ˈræpɪd/ adjective

Meaning: moving or happening quickly
Population growth is happening at a rapid rate.

Rate /reɪt/ noun (countable)

Meaning: the speed at which something happens
What is your heart rate?
Our population is growing at an alarming rate.

Soothing /ˈsuðɪŋ/ adjective

Meaning: if something is soothing, it makes you relaxed and less worried
The soothing sound of her voice makes me fall asleep.
 Vocabulary 5

Subtle /ˈsʌt(ə)l/ adjective

Meaning: if something is subtle, it’s not easy to understand or notice.
There is a subtle difference in color between the two paintings.

Texture /ˈtekstʃər/ noun

Meaning: the way that something feels when you touch it.
There is a new product that improves the texture of your skin.

Toxic /ˈtɑksɪk/ adjective

Meaning: if something is toxic, then it’s poisonous to humans, animals and the
environment.
Don’t take more than one capsule per day, because this medication can be
extremely toxic.

Vary /veri/ verb

Meaning: to change and be different from a situation to another
Salaries can vary from one city to another.
Many people believe that chocolate originally came from Europe. However, chocolate, called the
“food of the gods,” was first made in the Americas. The first chocolate was very different from
contemporary chocolate.
Wild chocolate tress can grow easily in the humid Amazon rainforest. Clusters of flowers growing
on these trees turn to seeds. About 20 to 60 cacao beans can be found in the seeds. Cacao beans
are the ingredient needed to create sweet, soothing, and delicious chocolate treats.
The Mayan and Aztec cultures both thought that chocolate trees were brought from paradise by
gods. The Mayans and Aztecs used the beans from this divine tree to create a special beverage
with a very pleasant odor. Surprisingly, the Aztecs believed that it would be toxic to women and
children.
In the 1500s, the Spanish explorer Cortes met the Aztecs, Cortes became quite interested in the
plantations where the Aztecs cultivated chocolate trees. When he returned to Europe, he took
cacao beans with him. He introduced the people of Spain to the Aztecs’ chocolate beverage.
Over the next 100 years or so, kings, queens, and members of the upper class enjoyed drinking
chocolate. They enjoyed it even more once they learned to add sugar to the beverage! Soon,
chocolate had spread all across Europe. New machines allowed chocolate makers to perfect their
products and produce them at a very rapid rate.
Preparing the beans in special ways brought out the aroma of chocolate. The beans were
combined with condensed milk to give the chocolate a smooth texture.
Today, contemporary chocolates with subtle flavors fill the shelves of expensive chocolate shops.
The different types of chocolate available today vary widely. True chocolate lovers can tell
which is best, though. They will tell you that the flavor of high quality chocolate stays on the
palate long after you finish it.
The /dʒ/ Sound
The /dʒ/ Sound
/dʒ/ vs /d/