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Lectura estilo IELTS: completar frases

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Práctica independiente al estilo de la lectura del IELTS, no es un examen oficial: lee un breve artículo científico sobre el pan, completa frases con palabras del texto y luego responde preguntas de opción múltiple.

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.

Completar frases

Completa cada frase con palabras del texto. Escribe NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS en cada respuesta.

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.

Opción múltiple

Elige la respuesta correcta según el texto.

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

Respuestas

Completar frases

crumb / the crumbEl texto dice que el interior blando y esponjoso es lo que los panaderos llaman la miga.
dried outEl texto dice que la mayoría de la gente diría que el pan simplemente se ha secado, pero esto solo es parcialmente correcto.
starchEl almidón es la sustancia que forma la mayor parte de la harina, y un cambio en el almidón es la razón principal por la que el pan se pone duro.
orderedEl texto dice que el almidón empieza a alinearse de nuevo en una estructura más ordenada.
leatheryLa corteza pierde lo crujiente y se vuelve blanda y correosa.
fridgeLos cambios del almidón ocurren más rápido a la temperatura del refrigerador, así que el pan guardado en el refrigerador se pone duro antes.
freezerLa congelación casi detiene el endurecimiento, así que el pan de molde en rebanadas se puede guardar en el congelador durante semanas.
breadcrumbs / bread crumbsLa última frase dice que el pan viejo se puede convertir en pan rallado para cocinar.

Opción múltiple

c) to explain why bread goes stale and how storage affects itEl texto explica las causas del endurecimiento del pan y cómo influyen el envoltorio, la temperatura y el calentamiento.
b) The starch keeps changing even when no water escapes.Envolver el pan evita que se escape el agua, pero no puede impedir que el almidón cambie poco a poco.
d) Much of it stays in the loaf but is held less tightly.La miga se siente seca porque el almidón retiene el agua con menos fuerza, aunque gran parte del agua sigue dentro.
a) The crust gets softer while the crumb gets firmer.La miga se vuelve firme y se desmenuza, mientras que la corteza pierde lo crujiente: el texto dice que cambian en direcciones opuestas.
c) It makes the crumb soft, but only for a short time.El calor afloja el almidón y ablanda la miga, pero el efecto no dura, así que el pan debe comerse de inmediato.
b) bread made with some fat or sugarEl texto dice que los panes hechos con algo de grasa o azúcar suelen mantenerse blandos más tiempo que los sencillos.