The History of Tea
The story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea.
Tea containers have been found in tombs dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) but it was under the Tang dynasty (618–906 AD), that tea became firmly established as the national drink of China. It became such a favourite that during the late eighth century a writer called Lu Yu wrote the first book entirely about tea, the Ch’a Ching, or Tea Classic. It was shortly after this that tea was first introduced to Japan, by Japanese Buddhist monks who had travelled to China to study.
Tea drinking is a vital part of Japanese culture, as seen in the development of the Tea Ceremony, which may be rooted in the rituals of Zen Buddhism. Tea was also important in the establishment of the British Empire.
The story of tea begins in China. According to legend, in 2737 BC, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water, when some leaves from the tree blew into the water. Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created. The tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea.
Tea containers have been found in tombs dating from the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) but it was under the Tang dynasty (618–906 AD), that tea became firmly established as the national drink of China. It became such a favourite that during the late eighth century a writer called Lu Yu wrote the first book entirely about tea, the Ch’a Ching, or Tea Classic. It was shortly after this that tea was first introduced to Japan, by Japanese Buddhist monks who had travelled to China to study.
Tea drinking is a vital part of Japanese culture, as seen in the development of the Tea Ceremony, which may be rooted in the rituals of Zen Buddhism. Tea was also important in the establishment of the British Empire.
Questions 1-5
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
The tea plant was discovered by accident.
The tea plant was discovered by accident.
The tea plant was discovered by accident.
The tea plant was discovered by accident.
The tea plant was discovered by accident.
Questions 6-10
Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.