Paragraph a: what comes from water but makes you thirsty? salt. you may think those tiny crystals are no big deal. however, salt has been one of the most valuable minerals in the history of man.
paragraph b: the human body needs salt to survive. salt send nerve signals to and from the brain. salt nutrients move around the body. it muscles work properly, and it aids digestion.
paragraph c: in ancient times, you could not buy salt at the local store. people found it near coastal areas where ocean water evaporated and left salt deposits on the ground or underground. it was also found in the meat of animals and fish. many of the first cities began in areas where there was a natural supply of salt.
paragraph d: salt allowed people to keep food longer. it was used to preserve meat, fish, and vegetables so they could be stored and eaten later. storing food made it possible for large groups of people to survive. the stored-up food kept them from starving during a poor harvest. some of the foods we eat as sausage, cheese, olives, corned beef, and soy invented long ago by using lots of salt.
paragraph e: salt was so precious in some areas that was used like money to trade goods and services. marco polo, the explorer, noted the importance of the salt trade routes that crossed china. in tibet, he saw tiny pressed cakes of salt used as coins. greek slave traders traded salt for slaves. african traders crossed the sahara desert to trade salt for gold. roman soldiers were even paid with salt. this is where the word salary comes from.
paragraph f: at different times in history, people had to pay the government a tax on salt. these salt taxes paid for wars and built empires. as early as 2200 b. c., a chinese emperor taxed salt. the british empire was supported by a salt tax. napoleon brought back the salt tax after the french revolution to pay for his european wars. the erie canal in new york was paid for in part by a salt tax.
paragraph g: the value of salt is often taken for granted, just as the water we drink and the air we breathe. but without salt, we could not live.

questions:

1. which of the following is the main idea of the story?
a. salt was not always easy to find.
b. salt was used as money to trade goods and services.
c. salt has been valuable to man throughout history.
d. salt makes you thirsty.

2. what is the main idea of paragraph b?

3. what is the main idea of paragraph c?
a. salt used to be scarce.
b. people built villages near salt.
c. people found salt in nature.
d. salt is found in fish and animal meat.

which two sentences are the best evidence?

4. sentence 17 supports the main idea of paragraph d that
a. salt made food taste better.
b. salt preserved food for storage.
c. salt could be preserved.
d. salt made food more valuable.

5. how does paragraph e best support the idea that salt was very valuable to people in the past? it tells
a. where salt is found.
b. that salt is found in the sahara desert.
c. where the word salary comes from.
d. how salt was used as money.

6. which sentence is the topic sentence in paragraph f?