ICONS OF ENGLAND: Cup of tea?

 If you had to choose the icons of England, that is, anything that could be considered as typical and characteristic of English culture, what would you mention?

 One of the symbols of England is definitely the "humble" cup of tea.  Read this text to know some more about it and then answer the questions below.

    

 CUP OF TEA?

 Have a nice sit-down with a cuppa. What could be more quintessentially English?

The most normal thing in the world. The tea we drink isn't English at all. There's a good chance the tea cup isn’t either... But wherever you go, right across England, you'll find cups of tea being served from your everyday greasy spoon to the Ritz. At the Ritz the beverage will be served in delicate bone china and with cucumber sandwiches. 

It was introduced into England (along with coffee and chocolate) in the 1650s and it was first of all valued for its restorative properties. In the Victorian era, tea became the centrepiece of a new late-afternoon social event in the lives of the rich. It was also a popular alternative to beer as the drink of working people.

The humble cup of tea is also surprisingly controversial. People ask questions such as "Do you put in the tea or the milk first?" Whether you put the milk or the tea in first, -because everybody has their own preferred method of making tea – tea is our national drink, a national icon.

“If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you.” William Gladstone (1809-1898)

  Adapted from www.icons.org.uk

1. According to the text, are these sentences TRUE or FALSE?

Tea is the national drink.                              TRUE

The tea does not come from England.          _____

Tea came into England in the XVI century    _____                                                            

Workers also drank tea.                                _____

Everybody agrees about tea.                        _____

2. Find a word or expression in the text that means:

Typically, the perfect example (paragraph I)              

Beverage  (paragraph I)                                          

Poor, modest  (paragraph III)                       

Favourite  (paragraph III)                               

Symbol   (paragraph III)                                           

3. What do you think about the quotation at the end of the text? Would you say something similar about any other drink?

4. Tea is good for you. Watch the video below to discover why.

Video from: www.youtube.com
 

 Visit this website to discover some of the icons that have recently been voted in the ICONS project. This project aims to paint a virtual portrait of England through an exploration of everything that the British cherish in their culture.
Do you know something about all the "British icons"? Which one is new for you?
In your opinion, what are the icons of Spain? 
Send your comments about it.