HOW DID WE HAVE POTATO CHIPS?

Peru's Inca Indians first grew potatoes in the Andes in about 200 B.C. Spanish conquistadors brought potatoes to Europe, and colonists brought them to America. Potatoes are fourth on the list of the world's food staples – after wheat, corn and rice. Today, Americans consume about 140 pounds of potatoes per person every year while Europeans eat twice as many.

One of our favorite ways to eat potatoes is in the form of potato chips. While Benjamin Franklin was the US ambassador to France, he went to a banquet where potatoes were prepared in 20 different ways. Thomas Jefferson, who succeeded Franklin as our French ambassador, brought the recipe for thick-cut, French-fried potatoes to America. He served French fries to guests at the White House in 1802 and at his home, Monticello.

On August 24, 1853 at Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga, NY. A native-American chef, George Crum, created the first potato chips. He became angry when a diner complained that his French fries were too thick, so he sliced the potatoes as thinly as possible making them too thin and crisp to eat with a fork. The diner loved them, and potato chips were born. In 1860 Chef Crum opened his own restaurant and offered a basket of potato chips on every table.

In the 1950s, in Ireland, Joe "Spud" Murphy and Seamus Burke, produced the world's first seasoned crisps, Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar. In the United Kingdom and Ireland crisps are what we in the United States call potato chips while chips refer to our French fries. Ketchup flavored chips are popular in the Mid-East and Canada. Seaweed is popular in the Asia, and Mexicans like chicken flavored chips. Other flavors from around the world include: paprika, pickled onion, béarnaise, meat pie, Chili Crab, Salmon Teriyaki, Borscht, Caesar Salad, Roasted Sausage, Firecracker Lobster, Roast Ox, Haggis and Black Pepper, Olive, and Spaghetti.

About 27 pounds of potato chips are produced from 100 pounds of potatoes. Americans consume 2-4 billion pounds of potato chips every year, and spend more than $7 billion a year on them.

(Source: http://mrnussbaum.com)

READING COMPREHENSION:

1. What happened in 1950?
   1.   The world's first seasoned potato chips were produced
   2.   The world's first potato chips were produced.
   3.   The world's first french fries were produced.
   4.   The world's first seasoned French Fries were produced.
2. Europeans eat _______ potatoes than Americans.
   1.   the passage doesn't say
   2.   more
   3.   about the same amount
   4.   less
3. Who was Seamus Burke?
   1.   The customer who made George Crum angry.
   2.   One of the people who invented seasoned potato chip.
   3.   One of the French ambassadors
   4.   One of the people who invented the French fry.
4. Which of the following is a true?
   1.   Ketchup flavored Potato Chips are most popular in America.
   2.   Potato Chips are only popular in America.
   3.   Different flavored Potato Chips are popular in different parts of the world.
   4.   Potato Chips are not really eaten very much in Asia.
5. The first potato chips were made in....
   1.   Europe
   2.   New York
   3.   China
   4.   France
6. What does the word "consume" mean in the following statement?
   
   Today, Americans consume about 140 pounds of potatoes per person every year ...
   1.   play with
   2.   buy
   3.   eat
   4.   store
7. What question is answered in the second paragraph?
   1.   Who served potato chips in the White House?
   2.   Who invented the potato chip?
   3.   How many pounds of potatoes are eaten per person in America each year?
   4.   When were salt and vinegar chips invented?
8. Which happened last?
   1.   Europeans brought potaotes to America.
   2.   Conquistadors brought potaotes to Europe.
   3.   Benjamin Franklin saw how potatoes were served in different ways while in France.
   4.   Thomas Jefferson served potato chips at Monticello.
9. Potato Chips are called _________ in the United Kingdom.
   1.   crisps
   2.   potatoes
   3.   chips
   4.   fries
10. Based on the passage, it can be inferred that potatoes are _________ foods in the world.
1.   unimportant
2.   important
3.   average
4.   fun