Page 116 - English Grammar - IX-X

XI. Read the following passage carefully.

TEA–THE MOST POPULAR BEVERAGEA–THE MOST POPULAR BEVERAGE
TE
(1) Tea is the most popular beverage in the world, second only to water. Its popularity
has lasted thousands of years and has had a significant impact on many cultures. It
can be consumed hot or cold, as a pleasant drink, as part of a ceremonial, or as a
health tonic.
(2) Asia’s favourite beverage tea is thought to have been carried to Europe by the Dutch
for hundreds of years. Tea is now associated with happiness all across the world, from
distant Ladakh in India to Buckingham Palace in London. There can be no agreement
on a perfect cup of tea, as the saying goes. Though the beverage is addicting to tea
lovers, the favoured manner of preparation and flavour vary from person to person
and region to region.

(3) There is a flavour and a blend for everyone, from traditional black teas to modern,
extremely healthy white teas, and well-known flavoured teas like Earl Grey to exotic
blends like Rooibos Love. In today’s market, there are many different types of tea
and tea brands to choose from. The tea bag is a new invention that is easier, faster,
and less messy than traditional tea preparation methods. In China and the Far East,
green tea is very popular.
(4) Below survey was taken among a few people of India, asking about their tea
consumption. The graph depicts daily tea consumption, with 31% of the surveyed
drinking tea once a day, 37% drinking tea twice a day, 7% drinking tea three times
a day, and 9% drinking tea more than three times a day, while 5% do not drink tea
and 11% did not respond.

(5) The tea drinking ceremony is a social event and a traditional means of greeting guests
in Japan. Green tea, unlike other types of tea, is not served with sugar or milk. It’s
a clear drink with an olive hue that’s served in porcelain cups. Green tea is blended
with freshly harvested mint in Morocco.

(6) Tea is also used to treat stomach aches, the flu, and diarrhoea. Tea is also claimed
to include cancer-fighting antioxidants as well as anti-aging effects that combat free
radicals in our body. According to studies, drinking tea decreases cholesterol levels
in the blood and lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer.

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