A. Lead in

Did you know?

Bread was eaten at least 7,500 years ago and remains our staple food today. It was called 'The Staff of Life' in Biblical times!

The bread industry is the second largest in the food sector with annual sales of £3 billion.

We eat the equivalent of over 9 million large loaves of bread every day.

Bread contains protein, complex carbohydrates, calcium, iron and the B vitamins - thiamin, niacin and a little riboflavin.

Bread provides more protein, iron, B vitamins and complex carbohydrates per penny than any other food.

Bread is the major source of fibre in our diet, providing a quarter of our daily intake.

Bread contains very little fat and virtually no sugar.

70% of the bread we eat is white.

There are three basic types of bread - white, brown and wholemeal - but more than 200 varieties are available to the UK consumer.

Sandwiches account for up to 50% of the bread we eat.

The sandwich commemorates the Earl of Sandwich - a famous gambler. A slice of meat between two slices of bread could be eaten without having to leave the gaming table for a meal!

The record for the longest loaf ever produced is held by a bakery in Acapulco, Mexico, which baked a 9,200 meter `Rosca de Reyes` loaf in January 1996.

The workers who built the pyramids of Egypt were paid in bread.

The Great Fire of London started in a baker's shop.

The Federation of Bakers was formed in 1942 to assist in organizing wartime production and distribution of bread.

Ø There are a lot of interesting idiomatic expressions and sayings with the word “bread”. Study the following expressions and use them in situations of your own

§ All bread is not baked in one oven – не все люди одного склада; не стоит всех стричь под одну гребёнку

§ Ask for bread and be given a stone [bible]– попросить хлеба, а получить камень

§ To be on bread and water – сидеть на хлебе и на воде

§ Bread-and-cheese marriage – брак с бедняком

§ To eat the bread of affliction – Хлебнуть горя

§ Eat the bread of idleness – Вести праздную жизнь

§ Have one’s bread muttered for life – быть материально обеспеченным на всю жизнь