We have no idea as to when men began to use salt, but we do know that it has been used m m

any different ways throughout the history.

For example, it is recorded in many history books that people who lived over 3000 years ago ate salted fish. Thousands of years ago in Egypt, salt was used to preserve the dead.

In some periods of history, a person who stole salt was thought to have broken the law. Take the eighteenth century for example, if a person was caught stealing salt, he would be thrown into prison. History also records that only in England about ten thousand people were put into prison during that century for stealing salt! About 450 years ago, in the year 1553, if a man took more than his share of salt, he would be thought to have broken the law and would be seriously punished. The offender's ear was cut off.

Salt was an important item on the dinner table of a king. It was always put 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.

Thousands of years ago in Egypt salt was used ______.

A．to punish people who had broken the law

B．to keep dead bodies from decay

C．to keep fish alive

D．to make chemicals