A Brief History of Tea Reading Answers
Table of Contents
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The Academic passage, A Brief History of Tea Reading Answers, is a reading passage that consists of 13 questions.
With diligent practice, the Reading Module can be the top-scoring category for IELTS aspirants. To score well, you must understand how to approach and answer the different question types in the Reading Module.
By solving and reviewing Sample Reading Questions from past IELTS papers, you can ensure that your Reading skills are up to the mark. Take the practice test A Brief History of Tea below and try more IELTS reading practice tests from IELTSMaterial.com.
The question types found in this passage are:
- Matching Heading (Q. 1-8)
- Matching Features (Q. 9-13)
Reading Passage 1
A Brief History of Tea
A The story of tea began in ancient China over 5,000 years ago. According to legend, the Emperor Shen Nung was a skilled ruler, creative scientist and patron of the arts. His far sighted edicts required, among other things, that all drinking water be boiled as a hygienic precaution. One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling, the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from a nearby bush fell into the boiling water, and as the leaves infused, the water turned brown. As a scientist, the Emperor was intrigued by the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created.
B Tea consumption spread throughout Chinese culture, reaching into every aspect of the society. The first definitive book was written on tea – a book clearly reflecting Zen Buddhist philosophy – 1,200 years ago. The first tea seeds were brought to Japan by a returning Buddhist priest, who had seen the value of tea in enhancing meditation in China. As a result, he is known as the ‘Father of Tea’ in Japan. Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been linked with Zen Buddhism. Tea received the Japanese Emperor’s support almost instantly and spread rapidly from the royal court and monasteries to other sections of society.
C Tea was elevated to an art form in the Japanese tea ceremony, in which supreme importance is given to making tea in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most charming manner possible. Such a purity of expression prompted the creation of a particular form of architecture for tea house: duplicating the simplicity of a forest cottage. The cultural/artistic hostesses of Japan, the geishas, began to specialize in the presentation of the tea ceremony. However, as more and more people became involved in the excitement surrounding tea, the purity of the original concept was lost, and for a period the tea ceremony became corrupted, boisterous and highly embellished. Efforts were then made to return to the earlier simplicity, with the result that, in the 15th and 16th centuries, tea was viewed as the ultimate gift. Even warlords paused for tea before battles.
D While tea was at this high level of development in parts of Asia, information concerning the then unknown beverage began to filter back to Europe. Earlier traders had mentioned it, but it were unclear as to whether tea should be eaten or drunk. The first European to personally encounter tea and write about it was Portuguese – Portugal, with her technologically advanced navy, had been successful in gaining the first right of trade with China.
E Tea finally arrived in Europe in the 16tr’ century, brought to Holland by the country’s navy, and becoming very fashionable in the Dutch capital, the Hague. This was due in part to tea being very expensive (over $100 per pound), which immediately made it the domain of the wealthy. Slowly, as the amount of tea imported increased, the price fell, and by 1675, it was available in common food shops throughout Holland.
F As the consumption of tea increased dramatically in Dutch society, doctors and university authorities in Holland argued as to its benefits or drawbacks. The public largely ignored the scholarly debate and continued to enjoy their new beverage, though the controversy lasted from 1635 to roughly 1657. Throughout this period, France and Holland led Europe in the use of tea.
G As the craze for all things oriental swept through Europe, tea became part of the way of life. Adding milk to the drink was first mentioned in 1680. Around that time, Dutch inns provided the first restaurant service of tea. Innkeepers would furnish guests with a portable tea set complete with a heating unit. The Dutchman would then prepare tea for himself and his friends outside in the inn garden. Tea remained popular in France for only about fifty years, being replaced by a preference for wine, chocolate, and exotic coffees.
Tea was introduced into England in 1660 by King Charles II and his Portuguese queen, who were both confirmed tea drinkers. Tea mania swept across England as it had earlier spread throughout France and Holland. By 1708 tea importation had risen to thirteen times the 1699 level. Tea was drunk by all levels of society.
H The Russian interest in tea began as early as 1618, when the Chinese embassy in Moscow presented several chests of tea to the Emperor, Czar Alexis. Later in the century, a trade treaty between Russia and China allowed caravans to cross back and forth freely between the two countries. Still, the journey was not easy. The average caravan consisted of 200 to 300 camels, and the 18,000-kilometre trip took over 16 months to complete. Eventually, however, tea became – as it still is – one of the most popular drinks in the country.
Question 1- 8
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-xi, in boxes 1-8. On your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Not enough tea to meet demand
ii. Religious objections
iii. In – and sometimes out of- fashion
iv. A connection between tea and religion
v. A luxury item
vi. News of tea reaches another continent
vii. Is tea a good or bad thing?
viii. A chance discovery
ix. Tea-making as a ritual
x. Difficulties in importing tea
1 Paragraph A
2 Paragraph B
3 Paragraph C
4 Paragraph D
5 Paragraph E
6 Paragraph F
7 Paragraph G
8 Paragraph H
Question 9-13
Look at the following statements (Question 9-13) and the list of countries below.
Match each statement with the correct country, A-G.
Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 9-13 On your answer sheet.
List of Countries
A China
B Japan
C Portugal
D Holland
E France
F England
G Russia
9 Claims that tea might be harmful failed to affect its popularity.
10 Tea lost favour to other drinks.
11 Special buildings were constructed in which to drink tea.
12 Animals were involved in importing tea.
13 A ruler’s specialist knowledge led to an interest in tea.
Answer Key
Question No. | Answer | Question No. | Answer |
1. | viii | 8. | x |
2. | iv | 9. | D |
3. | ix | 10. | E |
4. | vi | 11. | B |
5. | v | 12. | G |
6. | vii | 13. | A |
7. | iii |
Explanation
1 Answer: viii
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph A, line 4 – line 8
Answer explanation: In the mentioned lines, it is given “One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling, the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from a nearby bush fell into the boiling water, and as the leaves infused, the water turned brown. As a scientist, the Emperor was intrigued by the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created.”. As it provides a clear idea about the way tea was discovered by chance, the answer is viii (A chance discovery).
2 Answer: iv
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph B
Answer explanation: In the second paragraph, it is stated that “The first definitive book was written on tea – a book clearly reflecting Zen Buddhist philosophy – 1,200 years ago. … Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been linked with Zen Buddhism.” It can be pointed out that the second paragraph explains the link between tea and religion. Hence, the answer is iv (A connection between tea and religion).
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3 Answer: ix
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph C
Answer explanation: In Paragraph C, it is said that “Tea was elevated to an art form in the Japanese tea ceremony, in which supreme importance is given to making tea in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most charming manner possible.” This proves the fact that the third paragraph explores the tea-making ceremony. Hence, the answer is ix (Tea-making as a ritual).
4 Answer: vi
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph D
Answer explanation: Through lines like, “While tea was at this high level of development in parts of Asia, information concerning the then unknown beverage began to filter back to Europe.”, it can be concluded that this paragraph discusses how the news about tea spread to other continents like Europe. Hence, the answer is vi (News of tea reaches another continent).
5 Answer: v
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph E
Answer explanation: In Paragraph E, it is said that “Tea finally arrived in Europe in the 16tr’ century, brought to Holland by the country’s navy, and becoming very fashionable in the Dutch capital, the Hague. This was due in part to tea being very expensive (over $100 per pound), which immediately made it the domain of the wealthy.”. This points out that the fifth paragraph refers to how tea became a luxury item in Europe due to its price. Hence, the answer is v (A luxury item).
6 Answer: vii
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph F
Answer explanation: The following lines –As the consumption of tea increased dramatically in Dutch society, doctors and university authorities in Holland argued as to its benefits or drawbacks.– proves the fact that there were arguments about the ‘goods’ and ‘bads’ of tea among the educated people, but common people enjoyed it. Hence, the answer is vii (Is tea a good or bad thing?).
7 Answer: iii
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph G
Answer explanation: In Paragraph G, it is mentioned that “Tea remained popular in France for only about fifty years, being replaced by a preference for wine, chocolate, and exotic coffees. Tea was introduced into England in 1660 by King Charles II and his Portuguese queen, who were both confirmed tea drinkers. Tea mania swept across England as it had earlier spread throughout France and Holland. By 1708 tea importation had risen to thirteen times the 1699 level.”. From this reference, it can be said that tea has seen ups and downs as it went out of fashion, but regained its favour in 166o. Hence, the answer is iii (in – and sometimes out of- fashion).
8 Answer: x
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph H
Answer explanation: Paragraph B mentions that “Later in the century, a trade treaty between Russia and China allowed caravans to cross back and forth freely between the two countries. Still, the journey was not easy. The average caravan consisted of 200 to 300 camels, and the 18,000-kilometre trip took over 16 months to complete.”. These statements indicate that initially the importing of tea from China became difficult for Russia. Hence, the answer is x (Difficulties in importing tea).
9 Answer: D
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph F, line 1 – line 2
Answer explanation: The given lines of Paragraph F say that “As the consumption of tea increased dramatically in Dutch society, doctors and university authorities in Holland argued as to its benefits or drawbacks. The public largely ignored the scholarly debate and continued to enjoy their new beverage…”. It is clear that doctors and university authorities in Holland argued that tea might be harmful. But it did not affect its popularity as the public ignored the debate and continued to enjoy their tea. Hence, the answer is D.
10 Answer: E
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph G, line 6
Answer explanation: The given line of Paragraph G says that “Tea remained popular in France for only about fifty years, being replaced by a preference for wine, chocolate, and exotic coffees.”. It is clear that after being popular for half a decade, tea lost its popularity in France to other drinks like wine, chocolate, and exotic coffees. Hence, the answer is E.
11 Answer: B
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph C, line 2
Answer explanation: The given line in Paragraph C says that “Such a purity of expression prompted the creation of a particular form of architecture for tea house: duplicating the simplicity of a forest cottage.” In light of the fact that in Japan, a particular form of architecture for tea houses was created duplicating the simplicity of a forest cottage, the answer is B.
12 Answer: G
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph H, line 4
Answer explanation: In Paragraph H, it is said that “The average caravan consisted of 200 to 300 camels, and the 18,000-kilometre trip took over 16 months to complete.” This points to the fact that when tea was imported to Russia from China, animals, like camels were involved. Hence, the answer is G.
13 Answer: A
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph A, line 2-3 & line 7-8
Answer explanation: The given lines in Paragraph A state that “According to legend, the Emperor Shen Nung was a skilled ruler, creative scientist and patron of the arts. His far sighted edicts required, among other things, that all drinking water be boiled as a hygienic precaution. … As a scientist, the Emperor was intrigued by the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created.” In light of the fact that Emperor Shen Nung’s specialist knowledge led to an interest in tea, the answer is A.
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