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IELTS-style reading: sentence completion

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Independent practice in the IELTS reading style, not an official test: read a short science article about bread and complete sentences with words from the text, then answer multiple-choice questions.

Why does bread go stale?

Fresh bread is one of life's simple pleasures: a crisp crust on the outside and a soft, springy inside, which bakers call the crumb. Yet after only a day or two on the kitchen counter, the same loaf can become firm, crumbly and far less pleasant to eat. Most people would say that the bread has simply dried out. Surprisingly, that explanation is only partly correct.

The main reason bread goes stale is a change in starch, the substance that makes up most of the flour. When dough is baked, heat and water cause tiny grains of starch to swell and lose their neat internal pattern, and this gives fresh bread its soft texture. As the loaf cools, however, the starch slowly begins to line up again into a more ordered structure. As this happens, the starch holds water less tightly, and the crumb feels hard and dry, even though much of the water is still inside the loaf.

This explains why bread that is tightly wrapped in plastic still goes stale. Wrapping stops the loaf from losing water to the air, but it cannot stop the starch from slowly changing.

The crust changes too, but in the opposite direction. Over time, moisture moves outwards from the crumb into the crust, so the crust loses its crunch and becomes soft and leathery.

Temperature also matters. Perhaps surprisingly, the starch changes happen fastest at the cool temperatures found inside a fridge. A fridge helps to stop mould, but a loaf kept there usually goes stale sooner than one kept in a bread bin at room temperature. Freezing, on the other hand, almost stops the process, which is why sliced bread can be kept in the freezer for weeks and toasted straight from frozen.

Stale bread can also be partly rescued. Heating it in a hot oven for a few minutes loosens the starch again, and the crumb becomes soft for a while. The effect does not last, though, so the bread should be eaten immediately. Loaves made with some fat or sugar generally stay soft for longer than simple ones made only from flour, water, yeast and salt. And bread that is past its best need not be wasted: it makes excellent toast, and it can be turned into breadcrumbs for cooking.

Sentence completion

Complete each sentence with words from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Bakers use the word ___ for the soft inside part of a loaf.
Most people think that stale bread has simply ___.
Bread goes stale mainly because of a change in the ___ that makes up most of the flour.
As the loaf cools, the starch slowly forms a more ___ structure.
When moisture moves into the crust, the crust becomes soft and ___.
A loaf usually goes stale more quickly in a ___ than in a bread bin.
Sliced bread can be stored for weeks in the ___.
Bread that is past its best can be made into toast or ___ for cooking.

Multiple choice

Choose the correct answer according to the passage.

What is the writer's main purpose?
- a) to give a recipe for homemade bread
- b) to compare bread from different countries
- c) to explain why bread goes stale and how storage affects it
- d) to persuade readers to eat less bread
Why does bread go stale even when it is tightly wrapped?
- a) The wrapping lets air in.
- b) The starch keeps changing even when no water escapes.
- c) Bread contains too much salt.
- d) The wrapping makes the crust too dry.
What happens to the water in the crumb as bread goes stale?
- a) Most of it disappears into the air.
- b) It turns into starch.
- c) It moves out of the crust.
- d) Much of it stays in the loaf but is held less tightly.
How do the crust and the crumb change over time?
- a) The crust gets softer while the crumb gets firmer.
- b) Both get harder.
- c) Both get softer.
- d) The crust gets harder while the crumb gets softer.
What does the writer say about warming stale bread in a hot oven?
- a) It makes the bread fresh for several days.
- b) It should never be done.
- c) It makes the crumb soft, but only for a short time.
- d) It works only with frozen bread.
Which kind of bread generally stays soft for longer?
- a) bread made only from flour, water, yeast and salt
- b) bread made with some fat or sugar
- c) bread with a very thick crust
- d) bread that has been toasted

Answer key

Sentence completion

crumb / the crumbThe passage says the soft, springy inside is what bakers call the crumb.
dried outThe passage says most people would say that the bread has simply dried out, but this is only partly correct.
starchStarch is the substance that makes up most of the flour, and a change in starch is the main reason bread goes stale.
orderedThe passage says the starch begins to line up again into a more ordered structure.
leatheryThe crust loses its crunch and becomes soft and leathery.
fridgeThe starch changes happen fastest at fridge temperatures, so bread kept in the fridge goes stale sooner.
freezerFreezing almost stops staling, so sliced bread can be kept in the freezer for weeks.
breadcrumbs / bread crumbsThe last sentence says old bread can be turned into breadcrumbs for cooking.

Multiple choice

c) to explain why bread goes stale and how storage affects itThe passage explains the causes of staling and how wrapping, temperature and heating affect it.
b) The starch keeps changing even when no water escapes.Wrapping stops water escaping, but it cannot stop the starch from slowly changing.
d) Much of it stays in the loaf but is held less tightly.The crumb feels dry because the starch holds water less tightly, even though much of the water is still inside.
a) The crust gets softer while the crumb gets firmer.The crumb becomes firm and crumbly, while the crust loses its crunch: the passage says they change in opposite directions.
c) It makes the crumb soft, but only for a short time.Heating loosens the starch and softens the crumb, but the effect does not last, so the bread should be eaten immediately.
b) bread made with some fat or sugarThe passage says loaves made with some fat or sugar generally stay soft for longer than simple ones.