Read the passage below and choose the best answer to each question.

Rankedasthenumberonebeverageconsumedworldwide,teatakestheleadovercoffeeinboth popularityandproductionwithmorethan5millionmetrictonsofteaproducedannually.Althoughmuchofthisteais consumed inAsian,European,andAfricancountries,theUnitedStatesdrinksitsfairshare.AccordingtoestimatesbytheTeaCounciloftheUnitedStates,teaisenjoyedbynolessthanhalfoftheU.S.populationonanygivenday.Blackteaorgreentea–iced,spiced,orinstant–teadrinkinghasspurredabillion-dollarbusinesswithmajorteaproducers inAfricaandSouth AmericaandthroughoutAsia.

Teaismadefromtheleavesofanevergreenplant,Camelliasinensis,whichgrowstallandlushintropical regions.Onteaplantation,theplantiskepttrimmedtoapproximately fourfeethighandasnewbudscalled flushappear,theyarepluckedoffbyhand.Evenintoday’sworldofmodernagriculturalmachinery,handharvestingcontinuestobethepreferredmethod. Ideally,onlythetoptwoleavesandabudshouldbepicked.Thisnew growthproducesthehighestqualitytea.

Afterbeingharvested,tealeavesarelaidoutonlongdryingracks,calledwitheringracks,for18to20hours.Duringthis process,theteasoftensandbecomeslimp.Next,dependingonthetypeofteabeing produced,theleavesmaybecrushedor choppedtoreleaseflavor,andthenfermentedundercontrolledconditionsofheatandhumidity.Forgreentea,thewhole leavesareoftensteamedtoretaintheirgreen color,andthefermentationprocessisskipped.Producingblackteasrequiresfermentationduringwhichthetealeavesbegintodarken.Afterfermentation,blackteaisdriedinvatstoproduceitsrichbrownorblackcolor.

Nooneknowswhenorhowteabecamepopular,butlegendhasitthatteaasabeveragewasdiscoveredin 2737B.C.byEmperor Shen Nungof China whenleavesfromaCamelliadropped into hisdrinkingwaterasitwasboilingoverafire.Asthestorygoes,EmperorShenNungdranktheresultingliquidandproclaimed thedrinktobemostnourishingandrefreshing.Thoughthisaccountcannotbedocumented,itisthoughtthatteadrinkingprobablyoriginatedinChinaand spreadtootherpartsofAsia,thentoEurope,andultimatelytoAmericacoloniesaround1650.

Withabouthalfthecaffeinecontentascoffee,teaisoftenchosenbythosewhowanttoreduce,butnotnecessarilyeliminatetheircaffeineintake.Somepeoplefindthatteaislessacidicthancoffeeandthereforeeasieronthestomach.Othershave become interestedinteadrinkingsincetheNationalCancerInstitutepublisheditsfindingson theantioxidantpropertiesof tea.Butwhetherteaisenjoyedfor itsperceivedhealthbenefits,itsflavor,orasasocialdrink,teacupscontinuetobefilleddailywiththeworld’smostpopularbeverage.

According to the passage, what is true about the origin of tea drinking? A. It began during the Shen Nung dynasty B. It may have begun some time around 1650 C. It is unkn