Story 13. What Is It?
Nearly everyone in the world eats some of it every day.
In fact, you cannot live without it.
It's a mineral.
It's usually white, and it has a strong taste.
Every cell in your body contains it.
Tears and sweat have it in them.
It was once used by the Romans to pay their soldiers.
In parts of Africa, it is used, instead of money, to pay for things.
The oceans are filled with it.
You can get it from the earth as well.
Pour it on food, and you can keep the food from going bad for a very long time.
What is it?
It's salt, of course.
Since the beginning of time, it has been an important part of people's lives.
Wars have been fought over it.
Kings have come to power by controlling access to it.
The French Revolution was started in part because the king put a large tax on salt.
The peasants did not like this and rose to fight the king.
Today, salt is used in making nearly 15,000 products.
The jeans you wear have salt in them.
In cold countries that are covered with snow and ice in the winter, people spread salt on the roads to melt the ice.
Driving would be much more dangerous if not for salt.
Where does salt come from?
It is mined from shallow holes in the earth.
In some places it sits on top of the earth and people simply cut and carry it away.
But the oceans are where most of the salt lies.
Ocean water is salty and not good to drink.
The sun evaporates seawater, leaving only salt.
Many expressions in English refer to salt.
Sometimes it is said that a worker is worth his salt.
This means the person works very hard and is valuable.
Remember that the Romans paid soldiers in salt?
This is probably where the expression comes from.
