专四考前预测——听写（3）：vitamins
it was not until the beginning of this century that it was recognized /that certain substances were essential in the diet to prevent or cure some diseases. / these substances are now known as vitamins. / they are vital for growth, good health,/ and maintenance of the normal functions of the body. / a well-balanced diet should provide all the vitamins we normally require. / those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to buy sufficient food/ should not suffer from vitamin deficiency. / however, for various reasons,/ some people do not maintain a balanced diet. / people often lose their appetite because of illness. / people living alone may not bother to eat proper meals,/ and people on a diet may not eat sufficient quantities of necessary foods. / moreover, modern methods of preserving, freezing and long-time storage of food,/ together with over cooking, can destroy many of the vitamins. /
we do not know when man first began to use salt, / but we do know that it has been used in many different ways throughout history. /historical evidence shows, for example, that people who lived over 3000 years ago ate salted fish. / thousands of years ago in egypt, salt was used to preserve the dead. /
stealing salt was considered a major crime during some periods of history. / in 18th century, for instance,/ if a person was caught stealing salt, he can be put in jail. /history records that about ten thousand people were put in jail during that century for stealing salt! / about 150 years before, in the year 1553, / taking more salt that one was allowed to was punishable as a crime. /the offender's ear was cut off. /
salt was an important item on the table of royalty. /it was traditionally placed in front of the king when he sat down to eat. /important guests at the king's table were seated near the salt. /less important guests were given seats farther away from it./
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