Green Tea
Presenter：Chen Hong Yin
• Video
Green tea, which is the unprocessed
leaves of the tea plant, has been drunk in
Asia for centuries. Recently, green tea has
been gaining popularity in the West and
attaining recognition as a health tonic,
providing relief from all sorts of ailments
and preventative measures against more
serious illnesses such as various cancers
and atherosclerosis, the hardening of the
arteries.
The three main varieties of tea are green,
black and oolong; they differ from each other in
the way they are processed, green tea being
made from the unfermented leaves of the plant.
Because it is the least processed of all types of
tea, it contains the highest concentration of
powerful antioxidants called poly phenols. These
polyphenols flush free radicals from your body.
Free radicals are substances that cause illness
and aging and that have contaminated your
body’s cells as a result of exposure of
carcinogens such as cigarette smoke, air pollution,
and other toxins.
Though China and Japan have high
percentages of their populations that are
smokers, they currently don’t have the
expected high rates of lung cancer.
Researchers theorize that this phenomenon is
due to high consumption of green tea. In fact,
some doctors think that drinking 3-4 cups of
green tea a day may provide some protection
against certain types of cancer, such as lung
cancer and breast cancer.
In addition to its antioxidant qualities, green tea
has been used to relieve certain discomforts. In
traditional Chinese medicine, green tea is used as a
stimulant and an astringent. Some people drink it if
they have an upset stomach or of they are feeling
sluggish and want to attain higher energy levels.
Unlike coffee, which can make you feel jittery
because of its high caffeine content, the caffeine in
green tea is released slowly to the body, stimulating
energy levels without nervousness. Green tea is also
helpful for losing weight, as it heightens your
metabolism and helps you to burn fat.
Questions
1. What is the key point of the text？
a. Green tea has many health benefits.
b. There are different types of tea.
c. There are different ways to prepare tea.
d. Green tea can increase metabolism.
2. According to the article, polyphenols ___.
a. cause free radicals to gather in the cells
b. help prevent cancer cells from forming
c. enable cancer cells to multiply
d. can be found in cigarette smoke
3. What is the opinion of the writer of the story？
a. Green tea is good, but coffee is even better.
b. Green tea is good, but people shouldn’t drink it
too much.
c. Green tea worked well in ancient times, but
people should take medicine today instead.
d. Green tea is an excellent beverage and medicine.
4. How would you summarize the second paragraph？
a. Green tea protects against aging.
b. Free radicals are bad for you.
c. Certain components of green tea can keep you
healthy.
d. There are different types of green tea.
• 5. What can you infer about green tea from
reading the article?
a. It’s a type of tea that is being recognized
as a medicine in the Western world.
b. It’s a type of tea that is being recognized
as a medicine in the Asian world.
c. People are trying to make it illegal
because it is unfermented.
d. Drinking a little green tea is good, but
drinking too much of it gives you cancer.
Answer: a b d c a
• 6. Do you like to drink a cup of green tea
every day？Please explain your reason.
• 7. What food can go with your green tea？
Thank you for your
listening