An Accidental Invention: The History of Tea
Tea is the most popular drink in the world after water. However, did you know that this amazing drink was invented by accident? According to an ancient Chinese legend, tea was discovered about 5,000 years ago by Shen Nong, a Chinese ruler and herbalist.
One day, Shen Nong was boiling drinking water over an open fire to keep it clean. Suddenly, some leaves from a wild tea plant fell into the pot and stayed in the water for some time. The water produced a pleasant smell. Being curious, Shen Nong tasted the brown water and found it quite delicious. In this way, one of the world’s favorite drinks came into being.
A few thousand years later, Lu Yu, known as "the saint of tea", wrote a famous book called Cha Jing (The Classic of Tea). In this book, he described how tea plants were grown and how to make tea. He also discussed where the finest tea leaves were produced and what kinds of water should be used.
It is believed that tea was brought to Korea and Japan during the 6th and 7th centuries. However, it took much longer for tea to reach the Western world. In England, tea didn't appear until around 1660. Surprisingly, in less than 100 years, it had become the national drink. The tea trade from China to Western countries boomed in the 19th century, which helped to spread the popularity of tea to more places around the world.
Even though many people now know about tea culture, the Chinese are without doubt the ones who best understand the nature of tea.
全文中文翻译：一项偶然的发明——茶的历史
茶是继水之后世界上最受欢迎的饮料。然而，你知道这种神奇的饮料是偶然发明的吗？根据一个古老的中国传说，茶是在大约5000年前由中国的一位统治者和草药学家神农发现的。
一天，神农正在户外的炉火上烧开水以保持水的清洁。突然，一些野生茶树的叶子掉进了壶里，并在水中停留了一段时间。水散发出一种怡人的香气。出于好奇，神农品尝了这种褐色的水，发现它非常美味。就这样，世界上最受欢迎的饮料之一诞生了。
几千年后，被誉为“茶圣”的陆羽写了一本名为《茶经》的名著。在这本书中，他描述了如何种植茶树以及如何泡茶。他还探讨了哪里出产最好的茶叶，以及应该使用什么样的水。
人们认为，茶是在6世纪和7世纪被带到韩国和日本的。然而，茶传到西方世界则花了更长的时间。在英国，茶直到1660年左右才出现。令人惊讶的是，在不到100年的时间里，它就成为了英国的国饮。19世纪，中国到西方国家的茶叶贸易蓬勃发展，这有助于将茶的普及推广到世界上更多的地方。
尽管现在许多人都了解茶文化，但毫无疑问，中国人是最了解茶之精髓的人。
️ 中考英语阅读理解模拟练习
1. How was tea discovered according to the passage?
A. It was invented by Lu Yu in his book.
B. It was created by a ruler on purpose.
C. It was discovered by Shen Nong by accident.
D. It was brought to China from other countries.
2. What is the book Cha Jing mainly about?
A. The history of the tea trade in England.
B. The ways of growing tea plants and making tea.
C. The legend of Shen Nong and his boiling water.
D. The differences between Chinese tea and Western tea.
3. The underlined word "boomed" in Paragraph 4 probably means "______".
A. developed quickly
B. stopped suddenly
C. changed slowly
D. disappeared completely
4. When did tea become the national drink in England?
A. Around 1660.
B. In the 6th century.
C. In the 19th century.
D. Around 1760.
5. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Lu Yu and His Book
B. The Popularity of Tea in England
C. The Invention and Spread of Tea
D. How to Make Delicious Tea
参考答案与解析
1. C (细节理解题。根据第一段“this amazing drink was invented by accident”和第二段神农烧水时树叶偶然掉入的故事可知，茶是神农偶然发现的。)
2. B (细节理解题。根据第三段“In this book, he described how tea plants were grown and how to make tea.”可知，《茶经》主要讲述了种茶和泡茶的方法。)
3. A (词义猜测题。根据后半句“which helped to spread the popularity of tea to more places around the world”（这有助于将茶的普及推广到世界更多地方）可以推测，19世纪的茶叶贸易是“蓬勃发展、迅速发展”的，故选A。)
4. D (推理判断题。根据第四段“In England, tea didn't appear until around 1660. Surprisingly, in less than 100 years, it had become the national drink.”可知，茶在1660年出现，不到100年后（即1760年左右）成为了国饮。)
5. C (主旨大意题。文章第一段讲了茶的偶然发明，第二、三段讲了茶圣陆羽，第四段讲了茶向世界各地的传播。因此C选项“茶的发明与传播”最能概括全文主旨。)
这篇阅读材料的难度和出题角度非常贴合河南中考C篇的要求，建议你可以先自己限时做一遍（建议8分钟左右），再对照答案看看能拿几分！
