THE STORY OF TEA
WARMING UP!
1) Write the names of as many beverages as you can within two minutes. What do the following beverages remind you of? Draw word webs to show your associations
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1. TEA |
-morning -mug -black -biscuit -sugar |
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2. COFFEE |
-dark -hot -cold -milk -sugar -cup |
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3. LIME JUICE |
-ice -sugar -lemon -glass -summer |
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4. LASSI |
-cold -sugar -curd -thick |
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5. COCONUT WATER
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-Tender coconut -beach -cream -fresh |
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6. MILK |
-tonned -babies -cream -morning -cream |
MARGIN QUESTIONS
1) How is tea the beverage made?
Ans: Tea is made by brewing, that is by infusing the tea leaves in boiling water.
2) How is tea that is packed and sold to us made?
Ans: The leaves are at first dried, cured and processed before they are packed and sold to us.
3) Where are tea estates located?
Ans: Tea estates are located on hill slopes at elevations of up to 1500 metres.
4) Why are tea plants pruned?
Ans: Tea plants are pruned and kept at a height of about three feet to enable easy plucking of leaves.
5) What are botanical names? How are they decided?
Ans: Botanical name is also called as scientific names. They decided by type of plant and its features.
6) What does tea contain? What does it not contain?
Ans: Tea contains thiamine and caffeine which gives the drink its stimulating qualifies. It does not contain carbohydrates, fat or proteins.
7) Who was Emperor Shennong?
Ans: Emperor Shennong is the father of Chinese agriculture and medicine.
8) Why did he carry out further investigations about tea?
Ans: Emperor Shennong carried out for the investigations about tea as she was amazed by its rich flavour and was excited about this unknown plant.
9) How did tea reach other parts of the world?
Ans: The Turkish traders began bargaining for tea on the
borders of Mongolia. From Mongolia tea travelled all
the way to Japan, England and Europe.
10) What is the difference between legends or stories and history?
Ans: A legend is a semi-true story, which has been passed on from person-to-person and has important meaning or symbolism for the culture in which it originates. A legend usually includes an element of truth, or is based on historic facts, but with ‘mythical qualities’. Legends usually involve heroic characters or fantastic places and often encompass the spiritual beliefs of the culture in which they originate.
11) Can you guess the origin of the Marathi word ‘chaha’?
Ans: The word ‘ch’a’ is used in English, to refer to China tea. The word is very close to Hindi word ‘chai’ and it became chaha in Marathi.
12) The paragraph about how tea came to India brings out the difference between history based on oral sources and ‘recorded history’. Discuss how the author brings it out.
Ans: The author talks about the journey of tea to India. It was said that tea was first known in India as a medicinal plant, however none of it is recorded or a proven fact. The author then bases the journey of tea with the factual
information of the British starting tea plantations in the 19th century. Recorded history also points out to failed attempt to grow tea in the 1770’s by the British East India Company.
13) What is the difference between ‘claim’ and ‘fact’?
Ans: The word ‘claim’ refers to a statement that emphasizes a fact, however not on the basis of any evidence. ‘Fact’ is a statement which is known to be true or proved to be true.
14) Do you have any ceremonies associated with food items?
Ans: Actually we don’t have any ceremony that directly
associated with food items but on some festivals Indians prepare some special food items.
15) What are the good qualities of tea?
Ans: Tea is a healthy, enjoyable and stimulating drink full of good qualities.
16) Why are the cups only half-filled in Chinese tea ceremonies?
Ans: The Chinese believe that the rest of the cup must be
filled with friendship and affection.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. List all the names of Geographical places mentioned in the passage.
Ans: China, Japan, England, Mongolia, Bhutan, Cambod, India, Korea, Russia, Vietnam, Turk, Darjeeling, Assam, Nilgiris etc.
2. Make smaller words using the letters in the given words. (At least 5 words each)
• actually • refreshing • immediately • investigations
• meditation • enjoyable • loneliness • friendship
1) Actually: act, cut, at, cat, all, tall
2) refreshing: fresh, sing, free, fees, refer
3) immediately: at, ate, eat, diet, time, die, tame
4) investigations: in, vest, test, invest, sting, gate
5) meditation: mid, tame, time, date, admit, die
6) enjoyable: joy, job, able, noble, bale
7) loneliness: on, one, line, less, loss, line
8) friendship: end, ship, fried, send, hip, friend
3. From the passage, copy correctly any three sentences that begin with ‘How’.
Ans:
i) How and when did people first begin to drink tea?
ii) How did this magical beverage get its name?
iii) How did tea first come to India?
4. Find the meanings of the following from a good dictionary:
*Infusion: This refers to the process of the introduction of a new element value or quality into something.
*Restorative: Having the ability to bring back to normal
something like the health of someone or just anything.
*Inscriptions: This are the symbols unscripted on something like a book, statue, wall and so on.
*Radicals: This is pursuant of the extreme end as an option to political or social problems.
*Connoisseurs: A person who has got expertise in the field of judgement of taste.
5. List the words related to (a) agriculture (b) chemistry from this passage.
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(a) Agriculture |
(b) Chemistry |
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-research -soil -leaves -seeds -tea -plant |
-aroma -Free radicals – flavour -tea antioxidants -taste |
6. Complete the following sentences with the help of the passage:
(a) Camellia sinensis is an evergreen plant that grows in
tropical and subtropical climate.
(b) The teas we buy are usually classified according to
their leaf size.
(c) In many countries around the world, tea drinking is
an important social occasion.
(d) Our body produces chemicals called free radicals.
7. Prepare a flow chart to show the growth and journey of tea from the plantation to our homes. Use information from the lesson.
1. Plantatio
2. Leaves are dried
3. Leaves cured
4. Leaves processed
5. Leaves are packed
6. Sold to us