I Quickly read the text below. What is the main topic discussed in the text? Headline the text

1- Fabrics have changed considerably since the 1950’s and 60’s with the advent of man-made fibres. Up until then the only fibres available to make fabric from were wool, cotton, silk and flax (linen).

2- Wool is wonderful for keeping you warm. The fleece is washed and scrubbed after shearing to remove all dirt and natural oils. The wool is then ‘carded’, this is done in order to get all of the fibres running the same direction. After this the wool is combed through to separate the fibres into lengths of up to 2 inches. The shorter fibres are used to create yarn for fuzzy woolen bulky knits and tweeds, the longer fibres are better used in suiting fabric (worsteds) and fine sweaters. Also important is the diameter/width of woolen fibres, the thicker fibres are used in carpets and upholstery, only the finer fibres are suitable for clothing.

3- Cotton is the most used fibre in clothing worldwide. After the cotton plant flowers, it takes a number of weeks for the petals to fall off leaving a seed pod. This pod ripens over a few more weeks and when it can’t get any fatter it pops revealing seeds and their fluffy white fibre protection. This protection is what is harvested, deseeded and sent to the mill where it is drawn, combed and spun into thread. The longest fibres make the most expensive shirts but most clothing is made from average length fibres.

4- The legend says that silk was discovered by a Chinese princess Hsi Ling-Chi in 2640 BC. She was supposed to have accidentally dropped a silkworm cocoon into hot water and was inspired by the thread that began to unravel. For thousands of years the Chinese guarded their silk production secrets that allowed them to export silks to the royalty of Europe. 4,500 years later the silk moths have been farmed to the point that they can no longer fly. Once the moths lay their eggs they are collected and the caterpillar/silk worm that hatches is fed on mulberry leaves. It can take 4-5 weeks before the silk worm is ready to spin its cocoon, it latches onto a twig and spins the silk thread around itself for a couple of days. Then the cocoons are collected, baked to kill the worm, the cocoons are then placed in hot water to remove the sticky from the silk and to reveal the threads end. The cocoon is then unwound or unspooled.

5- If the silk fibre breaks then it can be used to make ‘spun silk’, this is of lesser quality, brushed versions of it are known as ‘raw silk’. ‘Wild silk’ is the name given to silk harvested from silk worms that eat a diet other than mulberry leaves.

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