Question

    There was a time in the 1960’s and 1970’s when some people believed that coffee would replace tea as Britain’s favourite drink, but that did not happen, and today, tea remains Britain’s favourite drink.

To say that the British are fond of tea is something of an understatement. From the Royal(皇室的) Family down to the homeless and the out-of-work, tea is more than just a pleasure. It is an important part of life!

The popularity of tea in the United Kingdom has a long history. It was in 1657 that Thomas Garway, the owner of a coffee house, sold the first tea in London. The drink soon became popular as another choice besides coffee.

In those days, however, tea was not something for anyone. For a century and a half, it remained an expensive drink. Many bosses served a cup of it to their workers in the middle of the morning, thus inventing a lasting British tradition, the “tea break”. But as a social drink outside the workplace, tea was served for the nobility(贵族) and for the growing middle classes. Among those who had the money for tea, it became very popular as a drink to be enjoyed in cafés and “tea gardens”.

It was the 7th Duchess of Bedford who, in around 1800, started the popular “afternoon tea”, which took place at about four o’clock. At about the same time, the Earl of Sandwich popularized a new way of eating bread with something (e. g. jam) between them, and before long, a small meal at the end of the afternoon with tea and sandwiches had become part of a way of life.

As tea became much cheaper during the nineteenth century, its popularity spread right through British society. In working-class households, it was served with the main meal of the day, eaten when workers returned home after a day’s labour. This meal has become known as “high tea”.

Today, tea can be drunk at any time of day. Most people in Britain drink tea for breakfast. The mid-morning “tea break”is an institution in British offices and factories. Later in the day, “afternoon tea” is still a way of life in the south of England and among the middle classes, while “high tea”has remained a tradition in the north of Britain.

1.Who played an important part in the beginning of tea time in England?

A. Thomas Garway.    B. The Royal Family.

C. The Earl of Sandwich.    D. The Duchess of Bedford.

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The “tea break” kept the workers from being sleepy after lunch.

B. Workers could enjoy a cup of tea in “tea gardens”at their workplace.

C. “High tea”was usually served with the main meal for the middle classes.

D. The “afternoon tea” together with sandwiches became popular in around 1800.

3.What is the best title of the passage?

A. The Popularity of Tea    B. Tea and the British

C. Tea and the Middle Class    D. The History of Tea

Answer

1. A

2. D

3. B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。短文主要介绍了英国的茶文化。

1.细节理解题。由第三段“It was in 1657 that Thomas Garway，the owner of a coffee house，sold the first tea in London．The drink soon became popular as another choice besides coffee．”可知，就是在1657年，托马斯·加威，一家咖啡馆的老板，在伦敦销售了第一批茶，这种饮料很快成为除咖啡以外的另一种选择。所以托马斯·加威在英国人喝茶的起源中扮演了重要的角色，他使得英国人喝茶的习惯开始流行。故A选项正确。

2.细节理解题。由第五段“It was the 7th Duchess of Bedford who, in around 1800, started the popular “afternoon tea”, which took place at about four o’clock. At about the same time, the Earl of Sandwich popularized a new way of eating bread with something (e. g. jam) between them, and before long, a small meal at the end of the afternoon with tea and sandwiches had become part of a way of life.”可知，大约1800年，第七任贝德福德公爵夫人开始了流行的“下午茶”，大约在四点钟举行。大约在同一时间，三明治伯爵推广了一种新的吃面包的方法，在面包之间夹一些东西，不久，一顿小餐加上茶和三明治就结束了。它已经成了人们生活方式的一部分。所以在1800年左右，"下午茶"和三明治一起流行起来。故D选项正确。

3.标题归纳题。通读全文可知，短文主要以1657年，1800年，19世纪，现在，几个重要的时间先后为线索，介绍了英国人喝茶的习惯开始流行，“下午茶”的兴起，发展，流行以及如今成为英国人生活中不可或缺的一部分。所以这些都是围绕着英国的茶文化而展开的。故短文的最佳标题为“茶与英国”。故B选项正确。