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英國下午茶的前世今生
Afternoon tea, that most quintessential of English customs is, perhaps surprisingly, a relatively new tradition. Whilst the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China and was popularised in England during the 1660s by King Charles II, it was not until the mid 19th century that the concept of ‘afternoon tea’ first appeared.
Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.
This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. During the 1880's upper-class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o'clock.
Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches, scones served with clotted cream. Cakes and pastries are also served. Tea grown in India or Ceylon is poured from silver tea pots into delicate bone china cups.
Comprehension
1. When was the concept of ‘afternoon tea’ first appeared according to the passage?
A. 1850s
B. 1950s
C. 1660s
D. 1840s
2. What kind of clothes did those upper-class and society women wear when they had afternoon tea back then?
A. casual clothes
B. pajamas
C. formal dress
D. sportswear
3. What’s the meaning of ‘pause’ in the passage(paragraph 3)?
A. a short time during dinner
B. the dress-up time for the upper-class and society women
C. the long period between lunch and dinner
D. the short break after lunch
4. What's the main idea of the passage?
A. the food and drink for afternoon tea
B. the origin of afternoon tea
C. the story of the seventh Duchess of Bedford
D. the etiquette of upper-class women
Background Information
英國的下午茶，源起于19世紀的維多利亞時代，因此也稱維多利亞下午茶。
英國的維多利亞時代是英國最為強盛的時代，在全球各地占據著很多殖民地和附屬國，自詡為“日不落帝國”。國家的強大和富足，促使人們注重追求有品位的生活，特別是一些豪門貴族更是在百無聊賴的日子里，希望追求新的刺激，來填補生活的空虛和無聊。在1840年的下午，貝德芙公爵夫人安娜女士睡醒了午覺，覺得心無寄托，百無聊賴，卻對什么都沒有興趣。大約在4點鐘，忽然覺得有點餓的感覺，就讓女仆到廚房給她找點吃食。女仆到廚房一看沒有合適的食物，就索性給夫人烤了幾片點心，沏了壺紅茶端了過來。貝德芙公爵夫人吃著新烤的面包，喝著紅茶，覺得很受用。幾天后，貝德芙公爵夫人的幾位好友造訪，公爵夫人就命女仆，用點心和紅茶招待好友。不料這些好友異口同聲地贊美，回去后紛紛造訪，并逐漸擴大延展，就形成了流行于英倫三島的下午茶。
飲下午茶的時間是下午的4點鐘，飲用的下午茶多為紅茶，如大吉嶺紅茶、伯爵茶（以中國紅茶為基本茶，加入佛手柑調制而成）、火藥綠茶、錫蘭茶等。飲下午茶時配備的茶點有熏鮭魚、火腿、蛋糕、三明治、英式圓形松餅、果醬、奶油和水果等。
Vocabulary
quintessential adj.1. 典范的；范例的2. 精髓的；精華的
millennium n.一千年，千年期（尤指公元紀年）
dainty adj. 1.（人和物）嬌小的；嬌美的；精致的；小巧的
2.（舉止）文雅的；優雅的；高雅的
clotted cream n. 凝結的奶油
Ceylon n. 錫蘭
gown n. 女長服，禮服
scone n. 烤餅
pastry n.[U] 面粉糕餅，餡餅皮
Keys to the comprehension
1. A 由首段可得知下午茶這一概念第一次出現在19世紀中期，故答案A最為接近。
2. C 由第三段…would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea...可得知，喝下午茶的女士們都穿著正式。
3. C 由第三段可得，pause是指午餐和晚餐間的時間段，當時的晚餐要到晚上8點食用。
4. B 中心思想題，本文主要介紹了英國下午茶的來源
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