Take a man with a quirky dream to create a tiny gourmet sweet, mix in a well-established candy manufacturer, and what do you get? Jelly Bellies are not your average jelly beans. Instead, they have exotic flavors like buttered popcorn, chili mango, tutti-frutti, and more.
The driving force behind Jelly Belly jelly beans was an American named David Klein, who wanted to create what he called the Rolls-Royce of jelly beans. Klein had the idea to make gourmet jelly beans but didn't have the means to produce them, so he approached a well-established candy company to manufacture them. The Herman Goelitz Candy Company had a reputation for producing delicious, high quality candy. By using natural ingredients and a special production process, Goelitz was able to infuse the jelly beans with appealing flavors. In 1976, the first Jelly Belly jelly beans consisted of eight flavors. They have been so successful over the years that there are now 50 official flavors.
These gourmet jelly beans were definitely a cut above the ones other companies were making at the time. However, there is more to the success of Jelly Bellies than just the ingredients or the manufacturing process. Much of the candy's success came from Klein's idea to market the beans in single flavors, which had never been done before. The beans managed to catch the attention of then California Governor Ronald Reagan, who had more than three and a half tons shipped to the White House for his presidential inauguration in 1981. Reagan also credited Jelly Belly jelly beans with helping him kick his habit of smoking. The former US president was so fond of Jelly Bellies that he even had a special holder for them installed in Air Force One.
1. According to the article, who had a dream to create an amazing new jelly bean?
(A) Ronald Reagan.
(B) Herman Goelitz.
(C) David Klein.
(D) Rolls-Royce.
2. What was one of the keys to Klein's success?
(A) He wanted to manufacture jelly beans himself.
(B) He sold jelly beans in individual flavors rather than in assorted mixes.
(C) He convinced an American president to be his spokesperson.
(D) He bought the Herman Goelitz Candy Company.
3. What did Ronald Reagan do in 1981?
(A) Resigned from the presidency of the United States.
(B) Took over as head of a candy company.
(C) Invested in Klein's charity.
(D) Ordered a lot of candy for the ceremony where he was sworn in as president.
4. What does "credited" in the final paragraph mean?
(A) Attributed.
(B) Spent wildly.
(C) Consumed.
(D) Used medically. |