Page 39 - Reading Success B1

Tea is a drink made from the leaves of an evergreen plant. The tea plant can
grow about 30 feet tall but its branches are usually cut so that it grows to about 4

feet only. The leaves are usually ready to be picked when the plant is about five
years old. It may yield good leaves for 50 years. Most of the world’s tea is grown

on plantations in China, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and
Japan. Tea was first cultivated in China more than 1,500 years ago.

Tea leaves are picked by hand at the time when the plant is growing fastest.
The best leaves are the small ones at the tips of the twigs. After being picked, the

leaves are allowed to wither. They are then broken up. Finally, the leaves are
roasted, or dried, in hot ovens.

Tea contains caffeine and tannin. Caffeine is a stimulant, making the drinker
feel wide-awake and lively, and tannin provides the color and flavor of tea. Tea is

made into a drink by brewing, or soaking the leaves in boiling water. The liquid is
then strained, or poured off, into a cup and drunk . Most tea in the United States

is sold in tea bags, which can be placed directly into a cup of hot water. American
people usually drink their tea with lemon juice or sugar, or both. In Britain, milk is

often added instead of lemon. Tea in China is drunk plain. In Japan, tea drinking
developed into a special ceremony for entertaining guests.

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. different types of tea

b. the drink called tea
c. caffeine in tea

d. special tea ceremonies

42_Reading Success B 1