体裁：议论文　话题：历史故事　时间：6分钟

　　The movies just wouldn't be the same without the warm buttery taste of popcorn.Amazingly，this delicious treat started its life as a corn kernel(玉米粒)—and not from just any corn.Popcorn is a type of sweet corn that was originally grown in Mexico and spread to China，India and elsewhere.It is the only kind of corn that will pop.Today，most of the world's popcorn is grown in the United States.

　　Every popcorn kernel contains a tiny drop of water，surrounded by soft starch(淀粉)．When the popcorn is heated，the water turns into steam.This puts pressure on the surrounding hard kernel，forcing it to explode.The soft starch increases about 40 times in size as the corn kernel turns itself inside out.

　　In the 1500s popcorn was an important food source for the Aztec Indians of central and southern Mexico.But it wasn't only food.It was also used in ceremonies or in headdresses and necklaces.By the time the Europeans arrived in America，popcorn had spread through most of the American Indians.

　　Some early American settlers ate popcorn with cream and sugar for breakfast.But it wasn't until the late 1800s that popcorn became popular.The demand for popcorn increased and farmers began farming popcorn.The first mobile popping machine was invented in 1885，and popcorn was sold by street sellers much like hot dogs are sold today.

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