Sentence Completion

Complete the sentence with ONE word from the passage for each blank.

Honey rarely spoils. Archaeologists have even found edible pots of it in ancient Egyptian tombs thousands of years old. Several factors explain this remarkable shelf life. Honey contains very little water, which prevents most microbes from surviving. It is also naturally acidic, and as bees process nectar they add an enzyme that produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide. Together these qualities make honey a hostile environment for bacteria.

Honey resists spoiling partly because it holds very little , and the enzyme added by bees generates hydrogen that helps fight bacteria.