一杯中国茶的故事

文章词数约3 9 8建议用时★★★难度8分钟

难词探意

1.porcelain/'pɔːsəlɪn/n.瓷；瓷器

2.clay/kleɪ/n.黏土

3.brew/bruː/v.酿制；冲泡；沏

4.holder/'həʊldə/n.支托物；支架

5.criterion/kraɪ'tɪəriən/n.（评判或做决定的）标准；准则

Last weekend I invited my Chinese student and her mom to the Chinese Culture Center for Tea Ceremony.I think that one should try to learn the culture as much as possible while learning the language.

We gathered in the ceremony room where the performer was already getting prepared for the ceremony.She was preparing the tea ware she was going to use.There were four porcelain teacups,a clay pot and the tea leaves.She had such a calm and peaceful expression on her face which affected us right away.She was wearing a red traditional costume.She welcomed us as we entered the room and continued her preparations.

Then she started to boil the water.While waiting for the water to boil,she placed the leaves in the pot and continued explaining the philosophy of the ceremony.“The spirit of Chinese Tea Ceremony is described as peace （he）,quiet（jing）,enjoyment（yi） and truth （zhen）.”

When the water was ready,she added the boiling water into the pot and let the tea brew for a while.The brewing time varies depending on the kind of tea.

After the tea is brewed,she poured it into teacups which are placed in a holder made from wood or bamboo and then she served it.She was so nice,gentle,calm,peaceful and smiling during the ceremony.

From what we learned during the ceremony,there are six major aspects to be considered in performing the ceremony.Attitude of the performer should be calm and relaxed in order to create a peaceful tea ceremony.Choosing tea is an important step.Tea should be selected based on the fragrance,shape and taste and should have a beautiful name as well as a story.Water should be pure and clean to ensure a wonderful taste.While we choose the tea ware,the criteria of being useful and beautiful should be considered.The ceremony should be performed in a peaceful,clean and quiet room.Basic skills in performing the ceremony are important along with the hand movements,facial expressions and clothing.

The next time you pour yourself a cup of tea,just remember this Chinese saying,“If you are cold,tea will warm you.If you are too heated,it will cool you.If you are upset,it will cheer you.If you are excited,it will calm you.”

Reading Check

Ⅰ.Choose the best answer for each question.

1.Why did the author invite the student to the Tea Ceremony?

A.To improve her language.

B.To know more about tea ceremony.

C.To watch the performance.

D.To learn Chinese tea culture.

2.What can we learn about the tea ceremony performing?

A.The performer should take the environment into consideration.

B.The tea must have a good taste and a good name.

C.The tea ware plays an unimportant role in the ceremony.

D.Tea performing skills are often very complex.

3.Which of the following best describes the performer?

A.Warm-hearted. B.Well-prepared.

C.Concerned. D.Academic.

4.According to the last paragraph,the author uses the Chinese saying to indicate ______.

A.his unique way to define tea

B.his eagerness to study tea

C.his love for drinking tea

D.his desire to explore tea

Ⅱ.Discussion

What should you consider in order to create a peaceful tea ceremony?And what can you learn form the text?

_____________________________

Language Study

Difficult sentence

From what we learned during the ceremony,there are six major aspects to be considered in performing the ceremony.

【翻译】____________________________________________________________

【点石成金】本句中,From what we learned during the ceremony是介词短语作状语，what引导的是宾语从句，并在从句中作宾语。