英語學習點: Meals and money 就餐與省錢

If you're a bread lover or a cheapskate, or preferably both, British scientists have discovered your ideal meal.

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has worked out that at 7.5 pence (0.7 yuan), a toast sandwich is Britain's cheapest meal. And the society is so confident in the repast, it will offer ￡200 (about 2000 yuan) to anyone who can find a cheaper alternative.

The dish, which consists of two slices of bread around a slice of toast, comes from a 19th century best-selling cookbook called Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of its publication, the RSC has decided to focus on meals that reflect our hard economic times. Despite its simplicity, Dr John Emsley from the society said the meal was "surprisingly nice to eat and quite filling".

The toast sandwich provides 330 calories, but consumers could opt for a healthier alternative by using margarine instead of butter: an ingredient which wasn't available to Mrs Beeton.

The 21st century version of this simple sarnie is more nutritious than its predecessor because of the vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, which are added to bread today.

For all but the most thrifty, some simple additions could make the toast sandwich more appealing to the taste buds and the body. Add an egg for eight pence and you get a much tastier meal and some protein.

And for 19 pence, half a tin of sardines will give you some essential fatty acids.