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.

By the end of this year, Chen English for three years, but he will still need more training and experience before he masters the language. A. will have been studying B. has been stud