43. Reading Skills Comprehension: Tea

Tea

Read the passage carefully:                                                                                                                

Every day, thousands and millions of cup of tea are consumed around the globe. The ancient Chinese insisted that tea was good for making the bones feel lighter. In seventeenth-century London, Garraway’s Coffee House advertised tea as being good for headaches, kidney stones, dropsy and sleepiness. It indeed gives so much pleasure while doing so little harm.

It is thought that tea was first grown in China about two thousand years ago and reached Japan in the sixth century. It was introduced in Europe in 1610 when traders of the Dutch East India Company returned from Java with chests of leaves. In the Netherlands, it was sold at chemist’s shops. In New England, it cost up to Rs. 900 a kilo, so the people boiled it thoroughly, drank it bitter, and then ate the leaves also with butter and salt.

Teas from high altitudes are the most priced since they grow more slowly and develop more distinctive flavours. Apart from the Darjeeling, the best Indian teas are the Nilgiris from the mountains of the South West and the strong, pungent Assams from the northeast.

1. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it in points only, using headings and sub-headings. Also use recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary. Supply a suitable title.

2. Write a summary of the above passage in about 50 words.

Ans:-

Title: Tea! Aha!

5.1 1. Drinking tea makes

(a) bones feel lighter

 (b) tea is good for

 (i) headaches    (ii) kidney stones

(iii) dropsy          (iv) sleepiness

 (c) Acc. to modem believers, tea gives

(i) pleasure        (ii) power to calm

  1. Tea – first grown in China

 (a) Reached Japan in the 6th Century.

(b) Reached Europe in 1610

 (c) Reached Netherland after.

 5.2 Summary:

The ancient Chinese insisted that tea was good for bones. It is also believed to be good for headaches, kidneys and stones etc. Tea was first grown in China about 2000 yrs ago and from there it was bought to Japan from where it finally came to Europe. In the Netherlands, it was sold at the Chemist’s shop. In England, it was very costly to the people did not throw the leaves after boiling them. They ate them with salt and butter. The leaves coming from mountainous regions are more costly.

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