One of the most successful commercialproducts ever launched is said to have come aboutas t

One of the most successful commercial

products ever launched is said to have come about

as the result of a mistake. In 1896, by accidental 【M1】______

adding fizzy water instead of still water to the

recipe, a pharmacist called John S. Pemberton

invented that has today become the most popular 【M2】______

soft drink in the world: Coca-Cola. Coke has

enjoyed huge success worldwide, particularly in

the past fifty years. Indeed, old Coke bottles and

"limiting edition" cans can often fetch considerable 【M3】______

sums from collectors, and there are even stores

which deal exclusively Coke products and 【M4】______

collectables.

What could possibly account for the amazing

success of Coca-Cola？ How has this combination

of carbonated water, sugar, acid and flavourings

come to symbolize the American way of a life for 【M5】______

most of the world？ After all, even the

manufacturers could hardly describe Coke as a

healthy product yet it contains relatively high 【M6】______

amounts of sugar and phosphoric acid, both of

that are known to damage teeth. 【M7】______

One explanation may be found in the name.

The original recipe included a flavouring from

the coca plant and probably included small amounts

of cocaine, but since the early part of the last

century all traces of cocaine have removed. 【M8】______

However, Coke also includes a flavouring from

the cola tree; cola extract contains caffeine,

which is a stimulant, and the Coca-Cola company

adds extra caffeine for good measure. While

caffeine is not thought to be an addictive

substance by itself, there is considerable evidence 【M9】______

that in a period of time the consumption of 【M10】______

caffeine has to be increased in order for its

stimulating effect to be maintained, and so sales

of Coke perhaps benefit as a result.

【M1】