If you visit a café in France, you'll find all your favorite soft drinks, plus a few you've probably never heard of.
Look at the Web sites of some beverage makers. Compare the soft-drink sites with the mineral-water sites. How do they differ? Which ones have more information on the products? Make a chart comparing the claims of the different beverage makers.
Learning about mineral-water companies actually gives you a peek at one aspect of French culture. For centuries, the French have believed that water from certain mineral springs has specific health benefits. Drinking the water from such springs, and sometimes bathing in it, was prescribed by doctors for a variety of ailments. These days in France, you're more likely to get a prescription for an antibiotic if you're under the weather; but the French mineral-water industry is still going strong, and drinking mineral water is still considered to be good for you.
As you browse through the sites, look for health-related claims. Evian and Perrier waters have become popular in the United States in recent years. Why do you think Americans have became interested in mineral waters?
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