Методические разработки для проведения внеклассных мероприятий."Этикет и традиции Великобритании"
методическая разработка по английскому языку по теме

Introduction

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea?

                                                                                    How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.

Sydney Smith

Before you watch

Discuss the following questions in groups of four; then share your opinion with the whole class:

1. What is your attitude towards tea?

2. Do you share the opinion of S. Smith expressed in the quotation?

3. When do you drink tea? Do you consider it to be an essential part of your daily routine?

4. What time of the day is specifically devoted to tea in England?

Video on

First watching and listening

Read the following questions, then watch the video and answer them. Share your answers with a partner:

1. What time of day according to Stephen is called English teatime?

2. What is Margaret's attitude towards the tea drinking tradition?

3. What does tea provide for the British from Margaret's viewpoint?

Listening and watching for details

Watch the sequence again and answer the questions:

1. All the following characteristics are about tea drinking. Read them and say which of them were given by Stephen, and which - by Margaret:

1). refreshing

2). healthy

3). there is something sophisticated and gracious about afternoon tea

4). loses the stresses of the day

5). calming and relaxing thing

6). it restores you

2. What are the attributes of the English kitchen given in the sequence? Place a tick beside the items, which are shown:

1. A mixer                                                                              5. Tea cosy

2. Blue and white china cups                                               6. Silver tableware

3. Teapot                                                                             7. Pudding

4. Scones        

3. English teashops have a particular interior. What realia given in the sequence help you identify that the action takes place in the tearoom? Place a tick beside the items, which are shown:

1. Comfortable upholstered chairs                               9. Oak panelled walls

2. Bentwood chairs                                                      10. Wallpaper on the walls

3. Ironwork tables                                                        11. Carpeted floor        

4. Dark wooden tables                                                 12. Ancient flagstone floor

5. Traditional linen tablecloth                                      13. Woodburning stove

6. Beamed ceiling                                                         14. Impressive stone fireplace

7. Bow windows                                                           15. Large oak doors

8. Brick walls                                                                16. a cake-laden trolley

4. Watching the last part of the sequence pay attention to the idea expressed by Stephen: "Tea, its properties always restore you, puts you back on your feet and therefore makes, adds to the national character. We have certain resilience as I think you’d find in Russia as well And, I think, part of that is delivered through the tea". How do you understand the expression "it puts you back on your feet"? Does he exaggerate the importance of tea drinking?

After you watch

Discussion

1. Tea has been very popular in Russia since the 19th century. From your point of view what qualities does tea give to the Russian national character?

2. Use Margaret's tearoom as an example to compare a traditional tea drinking setting in Russia and England. Use the vocabulary.

Vocabulary you need:

Copper kettle, jam bowl, milk jug, napkins, tablecloth, tea cosy, tea spoons, teacake, teapot, tea set, tea tray, tray cloth, glasses in metal holders, brass samovar.

Reading activity

1. Read the text about the tea drinking tradition in Russia, then write a 10-sentence paragraph on the significance of tea drinking traditions in Russia today. The expressions from the box will help you to express your point of view.

The defining feature of Russian tea culture has long been the samovar, simple but a highly effective piece of equipment that provides a constant supply of tea. A strong brew of tea is made in a teapot, which is kept warm by being placed on the top of the samovar. The tea is poured into a teacup or tea glass and then diluted as required with hot water added from the tap at the base of the samovar. Samovars were not produced in large numbers until the late 18th century.

While the samovar was a purely Russian invention, the other objects used for serving and drinking tea were either European or made in European style. The Imperial Russian Porcelain Factory founded in 1744 under the patronage of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna responded to the fashion for tea by producing elegant services of matching teapots, jugs, sugar bowls, cups, saucers and trays decorated in strong colours and vivid design. The tea was drunk not only from porcelain cups but also from glasses set in elaborately crafted metal holders. This custom, which began in the nineteenth century, is still practiced in Russia today.

From "Tea: East and West" edited by R. Faulkner

Expressing your opinion:

2. Read the text and answer the questions that follow:

From coffee houses to teashops

It is ironic that it was in coffee houses that tea was first offered to the English public in the 1660s. Exclusively for men, they were called "Penny Universities" because for a penny any man could obtain a pot of tea, a copy of the newspaper, and engage in conversation with the sharpest wits of the day. The various houses specialized in selected areas of interest, some serving attorneys, some authors, others the military. They were the forerunner of the English gentlemen's private club. One such beverage house was owned by Edward Lloyd and was favored by shipowners, merchants and marine insurers. That simple shop was the origin of Lloyd's, the worldwide insurance firm. Attempts to close the coffee houses were made throughout the eighteenth century because of the free speech they encouraged, but such measures proved so unpopular they were always quickly revoked.

However, the fashion for coffee gave way to a new trend for tea houses, the first being set up by the Aerated Bread Company some time in 1884. The chain of ABC bakery shops and tearooms was so successful that other companies adopted the idea and before long there were tearooms all over Britain.

In rural Britain, cottage rooms became popular when the fashion for country walking and cycling encouraged people out of the noisy, smoky towns and into the fresh air and green countryside. Of course, such outings were never complete without a pot of tea and a bun in a little village teashop. Gradually, going out to tea became an essential part of British social life, and although some of the best venues disappeared in the 1950s and 60s when instant coffee first grabbed public attention, there are still excellent examples of the perfect English tearoom around the country.

The very best offer a range of good quality, speciality, loose-leaf teas from the major producing countries of the world, and a selection of lunch and tea-time treats to suit everyone. But, there is more to a favourite teashop than the strength and flavour of the brew and the soft freshness of the scone as it melts in the mouth with its generous dollop of thick, rich clotted cream and delicious, fruity homemade jam. What makes a teashop truly unforgettable is the warm welcome, the attention to detail, and the care and thought that goes in to looking after every single customer. It is fusion of all those elements that draw people back, again and again, to enjoy the British tradition of afternoon tea.

From "Teashops" by Laura Harper

1. Why were the first coffee houses called "Penny Universities"?

2. Why were there attempts to close coffee houses in the 17th century?

3. How did the fashion for coffee give way to tea houses?

4. When did cottage tea rooms become popular?

5. What can one try in a traditional teashop now?

6. What makes a teashop truly unforgettable?

3. Read the description of the typical English teashop, underline words and expressions, which will be helpful to characterize Margaret's teashop's interior and atmosphere, then do the exercise that follows:

Kandy Tea Room

The serene and comfortably elegant Kandy Tea Room - named after the owner's Sri Lankan birthplace - is run with outstanding style and attention to detail. All the tea is loose-leaf, from Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon), including the Nuwara Eliya, the champagne tea of that country. Tea is served in beautiful Royal Crown bone china accompanied by silver strainers and cutlery (a real rarity these days), and afternoon tea is presented on silver tiered cake stands. The coffee is supplied by H.R.Higgins of Duke Street and served in cafeterias.

The exceptionally friendly and cultured owner, Ananda Wijesiri, does virtually all the baking himself daily before opening and creates outstanding bread and feather-light scones, using free-range eggs. He also produces excellent light lunches and imaginative sandwiches, while tempting fruit tarts are bought in from the same bakers that supply the House of Commons. The cream tea consists of two scones and clotted cream, served with exceptional jam.

Occupying a mid-19th century building decorated with William Morris wallpaper in a fruit design, the main tearoom is intimate, with classical music playing in the background and the small kitchen visible at the far end. A bigger room downstairs is used chiefly in the winter since the teashop's busiest months are September to June. On a shelf above the kitchen door you'll see a big cast-iron kettle. This was made in England and belonged to Ananda's mother who kept it over her slow-burning fire at home in Kandy at all times from 1933 to 1979, ready to make tea.

From "Teashops" by Laura Harper

Read the statements below and determine whether they are true or false. If the statements are false, correct them:

1. The owner of the tearoom usually buys scones from the nearby baker's.

2. The cream tea consists of a piece of cake and clotted cream, served with jam.

3. Kandy tearoom occupies two rooms.

4. There are a lot of visitors in Kandy in wintertime.

Just for fun

Tea recipe

The sentences below describe how to bake a simple teacake. Working with a partner, arrange them into a logical order. Make a list of all the ingredients that go into the cake:

Simple Teacake Recipe 1896 makes a dozen fair-sized cakes

A. Raisins, currants or citron may be added and give a pleasant flavour.

B. Bake in small pans for twenty minutes in a moderate oven.

C. Take one large tablespoonful of butter and beat to a cream, with one cup and a half of white sugar.

D. Beat till smooth, and then add the beaten egg whites and flavouring, say, two scant teaspoons.

E. Add the beaten yolks of two eggs and one cup of milk.

F. Then stir in two cups of flour mixed with two teaspoons of baking powder.

Do you know that...?

Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals - breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) experienced a "sinking feeling" in the late afternoon. She invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o'clock in her rooms. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walk in the fields." (London at that time still contained large open meadows within the city.) The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses.

Part 1

Tea and the national character

As a rule they (the English) will refuse even to sample a foreign dish, they regard such

 things as garlic and olive oil with disgust, life is unlivable to them unless they have tea

and puddings.

George Orwell "The Lion and the Unicorn"

Before you watch

Discuss the following questions in groups of four; then share your opinion with the whole class:

1.  Tea played an essential role in the social life of the British in the 18-19th centuries, enabling people of different rank to meet and talk. Did it have the same significance in Russia?

2.  People say "you are what you eat" can be changed to "we are what we drink"? Does the choice of a drink depend on what personality you possess and the life style you lead?

3.  Is tea considered to be a democratic drink in Russia?

4.  Do you share the opinion of G. Orwell expressed in the quotation? Can you say that Russians are also as conservative in food and drinks as the English?

Video vocabulary

Use context clues to get the meaning of the words in italics, match them with the definitions in the column on the right:

1. Sometimes we serve a lot of people                            A. Having a taste for, being willing

    so we have to cut the menu down.                                    or desirous

2. In my youth it was a tradition to take                          B. Not manage without

    a young lady out for an afternoon tea.

3. Many good hotels have a very romantic                      C. On fire      

   setting for newly married couples.

4. They have no evidence for proving him guilty.           D. Bringing or coming back into use

5. The soil, the altitude and the weather                           E. Recover health, improve

    conditions affect the teabush

    to give it natural flavours.

6. This kind of tea is a strong pick me up tea,                    F. Distinctive taste

    I drink it when I catch a cold.

7. You need to have caring and love                                  G. To reduce in quantity, amount

    when you are cooking.

8. I like tea very much, I am a tea person,                           H. To invite somebody, to accompany    

    I can't do without it.

9. Today the tradition of selling tea in                                I. Anything that makes clear or proves      

   the coffee shops is coming back,                                         something

   it is definitely a revival.

10. One terrible night the city was ablaze,                         J. Surroundings, environment        

     everything was burning.

Video on

First watching and listening

Read the following questions, then watch the video and answer the questions. Share your answers with a partner:

1. Where is tea usually served in Margaret's teashop?

2. What does Stephen compare tea to and why?

3. From Stephen's point of view what natural factors affect the tea bush to give it its natural                     flavour?    

4. How was tea stored in the British house?

5. What was done to ensure tea safety?

6. According to Margaret when you cook what ingredient can't you do without?

7. What do the British drink today? Tea or coffee?

8. Is Stephen a coffee drinker/supporter or a tea drinker/supporter?

Watching and listening for details

1. Watch sequence 1 again, listen to the man speaking and fill in the gaps. Check your answers with the whole class:

London, 1940.  Admiral Lord Mountevans regional commissioner for civil defence 1.................... a particularly difficult moment. I do not wish to forget one terrible night when the city was 2........................... . Crossing 3..................................................... at midnight and feeling really frightened I thought I 4 ........................................................... my lady-driver that I                      5 ........................................................................cold instead of fear. So I stopped the car, got out and had a look around. Fires were 6.................................................................... and there was no sound except that of 7 ........................................................ .

Just then 8................................................................. came lumbering over the bridge. In it

were three mobile canteen workers going about their abnormal duty as unconcerned and unafraid as though they were going shopping. One of the women kindly shouted out: "Will you                9 ............................................................ please, inspector?"

"Thank you very much" - I replied. - May we have two? » We did. And for my part that cup of tea was the best I have had in my life. Tea was called 10 ............................................................. of the English.

2. Watch sequence 2 in the tea room  and answer the questions:

A. Place a tick beside the items which according to Margaret are forbidden to bring into the tea room:

1.  Coffee    2.  Cigarettes      3. Water        4. Hamburgers          5. Sweets      6. Mobile phones

В. What evidence in the video proves the fact that Great Britain is popular among other nations for its tea drinking tradition? What are the two nations mentioned in the sequence?

C. Talking about customers Margaret mentions the numbers "50" and "100". What do these numbers refer to? What is the data behind it?

D. Why does Margaret cut down the menu on bank holidays?

3. Watch sequence 3 where Stephen is talking about tea properties. Find factual mistakes in the paragraph below, correct them:

"There are teas that people say have certain qualities that they may look for and they wouldn't find and in fact one of the original teas that Thomas Twining, the 1. partner of the company, .............................   2. bought.............................   is alleged to have aphrodisiac properties but I am not here to confirm that. I have 3. only some evidence .............................  for it, I am afraid.

One of the best comparisons to explain to people the different characteristics and tastes you get in tea are to compare it to 4. coffee. ............................   . People know that where the vine grows gives it its flavour and from a vine you can make green, sorry, white wine which is like green tea 5. stronger and more stimulating. ............................   , the black tea is like the red wine, 6. lighter. ...........................   , full of flavour, deeper and heavier in the mouth. So, the tea plant which fundamentally is camiliar silensis produces both green and black tea, but where it grows, the soil, the altitude and the 7. longitude. ............................    affect the bush to give it natural flavours. So, a tea growing in Darjeeling is going to have a completely different taste to a tea growing in 8. Brazil. ............................   ."

4. Watch sequence 3 again and complete the table below matching the tea types mentioned in the video to the descriptions given by Stephen, check your answers with your partner:

5. Watch sequence 4 and answer the questions:

a) Why was the tea usually locked up in the households?

b) Who kept the key for tea containers?

c) Why was tea kept in enamel containers?

d) What nations according to Margaret can do without drinking tea?

e) How many cups of tea does Stephen drink a day?

f)   Does Margaret's daughter work with her?

6. Watch part II with the sound off. Look for realia of the English life style shown in this sequence. Place a tick beside the items, which are shown:

1. biscuits                                                     6. lace tablecloth

2. checked skirts                                         7. fireplace

3. cushions                                                     8. tea trolley

4. wall plates                                                     9. terraced house

5. embroidered napkins                              10. garden            

After you watch

Discussion

Answer the following questions. Share your answers with a partner:

1. If tea was considered to be "the secret weapon" of the English in World War II, what product was of the similar value to the Russian nation during wartime?

2. To you is Margaret a hospitable hostess? How does she welcome her guests and make them feel at ease? Is hospitality one of the characteristic traits of the British national character? Can we say that hospitality has national peculiarities?

3. Margaret says: "I think you become less aggressive. Some of the more aggressive nations could do with drinking tea". Agree or disagree with this statement. Share your opinion with other students.

4. Can you think of some traits of the British national character which were shaped by tea drinking tradition?

Test on part 1

Read the statements below and determine whether they are true or false. If the statements are false, correct them:

1. The tea bush produces both green and black tea.

2. When the tea started to be imported it was very expensive so the owner of the house usually locked it up.

3. Tea was kept in wooden containers and locked up in a dry store.

4. On bank holidays all tea and coffee shops are closed in England.

5. In a coffee shop it is possible not only to drink tea but also to have a snack.

6. Traditionally the owner of the teashop does the baking herself.

7. After having tea in Margaret's tea shop the customers walk in her garden.

8. According to Margaret the most aggressive nation is the one that drinks tea the most.

Reading activities

1. It is a well-known fact that tea in Great Britain was drunk not only for its beneficial properties but also for conversations, it was a social thing. Read the text on tea and conversation in springtime and write a passage on "Tea and conversation in summertime". Use the words and expressions that are underlined.

Tea and conversation in springtime

Springtime offers great scope for the enthusiastic hostess. The isolation of winter months ensures plenty of guests, an eagerness for new conversation and the latest styles. For those who have wintered abroad, afternoon tea is the perfect showcase for their European fashions and for those who have spent cosy days at home dressmaking, the fruits of their work could be paraded.

The awakening of the flowerbeds will inspire the astute hostess in spring and Easter. She will plan her afternoon tea to be at one with the countryside, to echo nature all around her.

Yellows, greens and violets are the most popular colours for this season. The hostess will collect garden and wild flowers to adorn her table, she will make a vivid table decoration to be a visual masterpiece, which will stimulate conversation and put guests at their ease. The hostess must remember to regulate the height of any centrepiece so that guests are not straining to glimpse and converse with each other through the foliage.

A theme should be chosen and the tablecloth, napkins, tea equipage, china, doilies, table runners and all trimmings will be coordinated in accordance with the theme. The cloth might be embroidered with crocus and tulips and the corner of the napkins decorated with matching imagery. Where possible the crockery should match with the colours, as should the tray cloth.

From "Tea and Conversation"

2. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

Picnic Teas

Although the traditional afternoon tea, served in the drawing room was enormously popular, there were occasions when a less formal setting was sought. During good weather afternoon tea would often be served outside on the lawn, in the shade of the trees, so that the ladies weren't stifled by the sun's rays or made to perspire! They also needed to protect their delicate complexions.

The tea ceremony was much the same, only removed outdoors where the conversation could revolve around the weather, the flowers and the latest summer fashions. Tables and chairs would be arranged at the best vantage points and nearby there would be a small table with a spirit heater on which the kettle could be kept at the ready. The food would be brought out at the last minute for freshness, and fine nets would keep insects off the table. It was all very attractively presented and colour was added by beautifully arranged platters of fruit - a veritable feast for both eye and stomach!

Less formal picnics offered another outdoor treat and were much appreciated by young couples that found this a good way to spend some time together outside the strict and tiresome confines of the home. All the family would look forward to a picnic and the food would be planned well ahead and carried in hampers and baskets. A place by a stream or in a clearing made an excellent spot, with plenty of space for outdoor games for both adults and children. Many of the picnic places were within easy reach of the home in the         early days as most families had to walk. The servants enjoyed the change in routine and would make most of the arrangements, whereas those from a not so wealthy family had to carry everything themselves.        

From "The Etiquette of an English Tea"

1. How was picnic tea served?

2. What were the topics for conversations for outdoor tea?

3. Why was this tradition appreciated by young couples?

4. What places for picnic tea were popular?

3. Working with a partner, read the text, arrange the paragraphs in a logical order and give it a title:

A. By 1959 India was the second largest consumer of tea in the world. It was a vast growth, and now the country consumes about three-quarters of the tea it produces. So, just as the Portuguese, Spanish and French Empires spread their own drinks, wine and coffee, so the British spread and heavily depended on tea.

B. Yet one part of the Empire was lost, another was opening up. As mentioned earlier, the greatest tea drinkers in the world (outside China and Japan) have long been the Australians. They drink more tea per head than even the British.

C. In the first wave, tea became the imperial drink of the white colonies. The Canadians
and the New England colonists drank tea. At the Boston Tea Party of 1773 the
Americans rejected both tea and British rule, emphasizing that the two were a "pack
age". Most of this was at the symbolic level, for in practice the Americans continued to
drink huge quantities of tea; but they pretended that they were exclusively coffee
drinkers.        

D. Tea and the British have become almost synonymous. This is not just because far more tea was drunk in Britain than anywhere else in Europe almost since the beginning of its importation from the East. Tea also became associated with the wider Britain, namely the British Empire. Just as the British exported their other institutions as their Empire increased, their language, law, political system, games (cricket, football and many others) and associations (clubs, trusts etc.), so they spread tea.

E. So, at first, tea was the white person's drink in the British Empire. But with the development of the nineteenth century a vast new market opened up on the Indian subcontinent. Until the late nineteenth century hardly any Indian drank tea.

From "Green Gold" by A. Macfarlane, I. Macfarlane

Writing activity

Using information from the video and from the texts, write a 200-word essay on "Tea and conversation are natural soulmates".

Just for fun

Tea recipe

The sentences below describe how to bake traditional scones. Working with a partner, arrange the sentences into a logical order:

Makes 10-12

225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour

A pinch of salt

50 g (2 oz) butter, softened

25 g (1 oz) caster sugar

1 medium egg, beaten

75 ml (3 fl oz) milk or natural yogurt

Beaten egg or milk to glaze scones

A. Stir in the sugar, add the beaten egg and bind together with a fork.

B. Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter as lightly as possible with the fingertips.

C. Remove from the oven and immediately cover with a clean tea cloth to keep the steam in.

D. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and roll to a thickness of lin (2.5 cm).

E. Heat the oven to 230°C. F.   Grease a baking tray and dredge with flour.

G. Cut into circles using a 2.5 in (6 cm) cutter dipped in flour.

H. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden.

I. Serve warm with clotted cream and jam.

J. Add enough milk or yogurt to give stiff dough and knead gently until smooth.

K. Place the scones, almost touching, on the prepared baking tray and brush the tops with beaten egg or milk.

Tea superstitions

There are a lot of superstitions in British culture connected with tea. Read some of them and think of any tea superstitions in Russian culture:

•    Two teaspoons, accidentally placed together on a saucer, points to a wedding. Bubbles on tea denote kisses.

•    To stir the tea in the pot anti-clockwise will stir up trouble.

•    To spill a little tea whilst making it is a lucky omen.

Should the lid be accidentally left off the teapot you may expect a stranger bearing ill tidings.

•    To make tea stronger than usual, indicates a new friendship.        

•    To put milk in your tea before sugar is to cross the path of love, perhaps never to marry.

Do you know that...?

The teashop and pleasure garden were well suited to the British system of domestically centred companionate marriage in the middle classes. It allowed the family of parents and children to rest and enjoy themselves together. In many civilizations, including much of Roman Catholic Europe, the women stay at home and the men go off to the public sphere of the coffee shop or bar. In Britain, tea drinking helped to establish an arena where men and women, adults and children could be together in public.

Part 2

The Tea Drinking Ceremony

There are few hours in life more agreeable

than the hour dedicated to the ceremony

known as afternoon tea.

Henry James

Before you watch

Discuss the following questions in groups of four; then share your opinion with the whole class:

1.  When guests come into the English home the first thing they are offered is a cup of tea. What is it in Russia?

2.  What drink was a common substitute for tea before it was introduced to the Russian market?

3.  Do you know when afternoon tea is drunk in Great Britain?

4.   To you is Royal Tea a social function attended by the Royal family members or is it simply the name of a special tea drinking ceremony?

Video vocabulary

1. Match the words to the definitions:

1. a brewer                                  A. a priest

2. a dipper                                   В. а person who makes beer

3. a clergy man                                C. a number of matching dishes and cups used for serving tea

4. a bowl                                     D. a person from whom another person is descended

5. china set                                  E. a person who is in charge of running the house

6. crockery                                        F. a drinking cup with wide mouth and usually no handle  

1. a housekeeper                           G. a huge house with land

8. an ancestor                              H. cups, saucers, plates, etc.

9. a manor house                         I. pigeon, a symbol of peace

10. a dove                                   J. a fast sailing ship used for transportation of tea

2. Select the word which best matches the expressions in italics in the following sentences, then write a sentence of your own using each expression:

1. We'll lay out some tea for you in a moment.
A. place                                B. Prepare                                             C.cook

2. If you put some milk into the tea, you'll cool it down.

A. make it cool                        B. make it sweet                                   C. make it strong

3. A tea party presupposes a certain way of  behaviour and conversation.
A. permits                                B. implies                                            C. gives

4. Every item has to come together perfectly when you lay out the table for tea.
A. to coincide                                B. to decorate                                      C. to match

5. This strange English habit emerged several centuries ago.

A. appeared                                B. developed                                       C. caught on

6. The china for tea was smaller and there were no handles. They appeared later.
A. trays                               B. knives and forks                              C. cups and saucers

7. This tradition is dated way back to the 17th century.
A. has lasted since                   B. has appeared                                    C. is brought

8. Rumour has it that he saved a mandarin's life.

A. common sense                  B.  common talk                                    C. official news

9.  The doctors lobbied Parliament to make tea unpopular and to put high taxes on it.
A. mocked at                           B. asked for help                                   C. persuaded to support

10. If you put boiling water into the delicate porcelain bowl, it will fall apart.

A. become translucent        B. fall into pieces                     C. become very hot

Video on

First watching and listening

Read the following questions, then watch the video and answer them. Share your answers with a partner:

1. Why did the British drink beer for breakfast in the 18th century?

2. Who brought tea into Great Britain?

3. Why was tea so expensive in the 18th century?

4. What was Thomas Twining famous for?

5. What kind of bowls did the aristocracy drink tea from?

6. How did they hold china bowls?

7. What did servants usually do in the room of the housekeeper?

8. Why did the British put milk into tea?

Watching and listening for details

1. Watch sequence 5, listen to Stephen speaking and fill in the gaps. Check your answers with the whole class:

When tea was introduced into this country it was 1. .............................................. . It was officially brought in by a Portuguese princess, because the Portuguese, of course, discovered  tea for  this  part  of 2.   ..........................................   .  And  she  married  our  king 3. .............................................   .   But,   the   doctors   decreed   that   it  was   bad   for  you, 4. ............................................ the members of the Church said that it was coming from 5. ...................................................................      so      it      must      be,      therefore      be 6. .............................................. and the brewers didn't want to lose their business, so they go together with the doctors and the clergy and 7.  ........................................... to make this unpopular,   bad   for   you,   this   sinful   drink   was   taxed   and   at   its   peak   it   was 8. .................................... which means a reasonable amount of tea: half a kilo of tea 9. ....................   was selling would be more than    10. ................................... . So, it was a drink for the elite, for the wealthy, for the aristocracy.

2. Watch sequence 5 again, listen to Stephen and answer the questions:

A. Why was tea called a sinful drink at that time?

B. Why was it so unpopular with brewers?

C. How high were taxes on tea?

D. How much did half a kilo of tea cost in the 18th century?

3. Watch sequence 6, answer the following questions:

A. Why did the English ladies enjoy inviting people for tea to their houses?

B. What strange English tradition appeared at that time?

C. How many coffee houses were there in the City of London in the 18th century?

D. What did Thomas Twining sell in his first coffee house?

4. Watch sequence 7:

A.  Follow the script as you are watching, correct factual mistakes in the paragraph:

Charles   1.   the Fifth ..................................  Earl  of Grey was  a well-known  2.  clergyman

.................................. in 3. Wales.................................. and Prime Minister from 4. 1834 to

1854 .................................. but history has an important gratitude to tea. The story goes that   he   sent   a   diplomatic    5.    letter   ..................................    to    China.    6. History .................................. has it that it saved a mandarin's 7. son.................................. but in any case it was so successful that a specially  valuable present was sent to him - 8. a flavoured cocoa..................................   .   The   Earl   of Grey  and   his   family  so   liked   this   9. cocoa

.................................. with a Bergamot 10. leaf.................................. that he asked Twining

to make some for him and the result is one of the most popular types of tea today.

В. What is the traditional willow pattern on cups and saucers about according to Margaret?

С. Take notes on the size and form of tea bowls; the quality of the porcelain bowls that were made; the way the bowls were held, fill in the table below, using your notes write a paragraph about tea bowls used by the aristocracy in the 18th century:

5. Watch sequence 8. Olga and Margaret are describing the tea ceremony that the owners and servants of the manor used to have.

A. What course of actions would this ceremony take? Note down the steps of the procedure.

C. What was the trick played on the unwelcome guests according to Margaret?

       6. Watch sequence 9 and answer the questions:

A. How does Stephen explain the English habit of putting milk in tea? Compare his version with the version given by Margaret. From your point of view which version seems to be true? Justify your view.

B. Describe the table laid by Margaret for the Royal Tea.

After you watch

Discussion

Answer   the following questions, share your answers with a partner:

1.  The speaker in the last sequence says: "Five o'clock tea is a whole art form." Do you agree with this statement? Why? Why not? Can we say the same about some Russian traditions and ceremonies?

2.  How is the table laid up for the Royal Tea? How is it served? Write a paragraph to describe the table served for the Royal Tea.

3.  Margaret, telling the story about the two lovers in China, says that English people are very sentimental. Do you agree with this statement?

4.  Describing different kinds of cakes, tarts and biscuits Margaret said that "the English tea .... is regional." How do you understand this statement? Is tea cuisine in Russia regional? What is specific about it?

Test on part 2

Read the statements below and determine whether they are true or false. If the statements are false, correct them:

1.  Thomas Twining was the first who founded a coffee house in London.

2.  When tea drinking first came to the country the tea set didn't have any plates because the British just had only tea.

3.  In the 18th century the chinaware was much smaller and there were no handles. That came later.

4.  The delicate porcelain bowls those days were used by ladies to demonstrate their purity and beauty.

5.  The little finger was usually sticking out because that was the sign of proper upbringing.

6. The traditional blue and white tea set has a willow pattern depicting the most picturesque scenes from British rural life.

7.  The Royal Tea is the traditional high-class way to serve tea with a silver tea set.

8.  Five o'clock tea is a ceremony, which presupposes a certain way of behaviour: talking is not permitted at the table.

9.  The tea ceremony in England has a regional character.

10. When tea was introduced into the country common people couldn't afford it.

Reading activities

1. Read the text devoted to tea traditions in England in the 18th century and answer the questions below:

Tea traditions in the 18th century

Despite its expense, tea came to play an essential role in the social life of the British. Unlike food, it could be offered to anyone at any time without inconvenience and without breaking any of the rules of decorum. Its service provided a focal point for social activities, enabling people of differing rank to meet and converse, and helping to spread the 'polite' values of refinement, gentility and sociability. In early eighteenth century Britain tea was usually prepared by the lady of the house in front of her guests. It was habitually taken in the mid-afternoon, after dinner, but as the century progressed it was also more often drunk at breakfast.

In eighteenth-century Britain, women were required to withdraw and take tea after dinner, leaving their menfolk at the table to linger over wine; only after having exhausted the possibilities of wine and conversation would men join women in drinking tea.

The utensils required for the domestic service of tea during the eighteenth century were many and expensive, comprising, at the minimum, ceramic tea bowls or cups, saucers, canisters for different types of tea, a sugar basin, and a teapot and kettle. Many tea equipages also included a wooden, lacquer or ceramic tray, a hot-water pot, a jug for cream or milk, sugar tongs and a sugar knife (for cutting cane sugar), teaspoons, a spoon tray, a basin for dregs, a teapot stand, and one or more plates; by the end of the century a hot-water urn might also be required. The lady of the house would take a quantity of tea from one of the canisters with a pierced spoon and place it in the teapot; after filling the pot with freshly boiled water she would allow the tea to draw.

From "Tea: East and West" edited by R. Faulkner

1. Why was a tea party considered to be a social activity in the 18th century?

2. Who usually prepared tea?

3. When was it drunk?

4. What items were used for the domestic service of tea during the eighteenth century?

2. Working with a partner, read the text, arrange the paragraphs in a logical order, give it a title and do the exercises that follow:

A. High tea had gained considerable popularity among the middle classes by the 1890s, Mrs. Beeton reporting that in many homes it had taken the place of late dinner. She noted its particular popularity among the young, for whom it was a 'movable feast which can be partaken of at hours which will not interfere with tennis, boating or other amusements', and at which little formality is needed.

B. During the early to mid-eighteenth century, wealthy Britons ate dinner, the main meal of the day, during daylight hours, often starting around two o'clock. By the end of the century, following improvements in artificial lighting, dinner was often eaten much later, around six or seven o'clock. In order to bridge the long gap between breakfast and dinner, a light accompaniment of bread and butter or toast, or biscuits or cakes, was sometimes served with mid-afternoon tea. By about 1840 this light snack had become the formal social event known as 'afternoon tea'.

C. While the partaking of afternoon tea gradually filtered down to the middle classes, the more substantial 'high tea' had, by the beginning of the twentieth century, worked its way up the social scale to become a widespread and increasingly respectable affair. Established during the 19th century as the main evening meal of the working classes, high tea was generally served around six o'clock, after all the family had returned home. Tea was served together with a more substantial late afternoon meal of cold meat, sandwiches, pies and cakes.

D. In summer tea was often taken out-doors in tea gardens set up in parks and other public and private places. The increasing mobility afforded by cars and motorcycles, coupled with the ever-growing popularity of outdoor pursuits, also made picnics commonplace. At the start of the twentieth century, the hot water for the tea that would typically be drunk on such occasions was usually boiled on a spirit burner. Such arrangements were soon rendered unnecessary, however, by the increasing availability of the thermos, which went into commercial manufacture in the early 1900s.

E. Initially a working-class custom, the convenience of high tea was such that it was adopted by the upper classes. The adoption of high tea at all levels of society marked the beginning of a trend towards informality that has continued up to the present day. Tea may be less commonly drunk at mealtimes than it used to be, but the practice of eating at times and in ways that complement our leisure activities is one with which we are all familiar.

From "Tea: East and West" edited by R. Faulkner

Using the information from the text, fill in the table:

3. The sentences below are about how to prepare English tea. Arrange the sentences into a logical order.

Tea as it should be made

A. Allow approximately 2.5 g for each cup to be brewed.

B. Be careful not to overbrew the tea as it can develop an unpleasant bitter taste.

C. Fill the kettle with freshly drawn cold water and set it to boil.

D. Serve with milk and sugar to taste.

E. Pour the water onto the leaves as it comes to a rolling boil, then put the lid on the pot and leave to infuse; generally speaking, large-leafed tea needs 3-4 minutes, while smaller particles of leaf need 2-3 minutes.

E   When nearly boiling, pour a little water into the pot, swill around, tip away and then measure the tea into the pot.

Writing activity

Using information from the video and from the texts,- write a 200-word essay on the evolution of British tea traditions in the 18-19th centuries.

Do you know that...

Teacups with handles began to be manufactured at continental porcelain factories from about 1730 or 1740. Cups with handles had been made before this, but it is unclear whether or not they were used for tea. On the Continent the small cylindrical cups with handles generally called "coffee cans" in Britain were not exclusively reserved for coffee, but were used more flexibly. Records of the Sevres porcelain factory from the second half of the eighteenth century indicate that in France the same handled cups were used interchangeably for tea, coffee and chocolate. Handled cups were more expensive to make and packed less efficiently than tea bowls during transport; in addition they may have been perceived as less authentically 'oriental' and less appropriate for tea at a time when the drink was still thought of in terms of its exotic Asian origins. For a variety of reasons, therefore, handleless bowls of the type imported from China and Japan remained popular until the early nineteenth century.