A2 English Reading Test: Three Popular Inventions from the 1920s — Explanation

Three Popular Inventions from the 1920s

The 1920s brought many useful ideas. Some inventions from that time are still part of everyday life.

The Adhesive Bandage

In 1920, an American called Earle Dickson made a simple bandage for his wife, Josephine. She often cut her fingers while cooking. He put small pieces of clean material on a long sticky strip, so she could cover a cut without help. His company later sold the product in different sizes.

Frozen Food

Clarence Birdseye saw people in northern Canada freeze fish very quickly in the cold air. The fish still tasted fresh later. In the 1920s, he developed a fast freezing method for food. At first, shops did not have good freezers, so the idea grew slowly. Later, frozen vegetables, fish and meals became common.

Sliced Bread

Otto Rohwedder built a machine that cut a whole loaf into equal slices. Bakers first used it successfully in 1928. Some people worried that sliced bread would become dry too quickly, but special paper kept it fresh. Customers liked the easy slices, and sales increased fast.