1. The Truth About Tea
True or false ?
Nicole

2. Myth : Tea comes in many varieties.
False! Only one plant gives us tea leaves─the Camellia sinensis. The differences in color and flavor among the three basic types─black, green and oolong─depend on how the leaves are processed.
For black tea, the most popular type of tea in the U.S., the tea leaves are exposed to air, or allowed to oxidize. Green teas are less processed to preserve the green color and delicate flavor. Oolong tea is between black and green.

3. Myth : Black tea contains more caffeine than green tea.
False! The difference between green and black tea is in the processing, something that doesn’t affect caffeine content. Because they’re derived from the same plant, they contain similar amounts unless you brew your green tea for short periods. By the same token, green tea isn’t healthier than black tea.

4. Myth : You can decaffeinate a regular tea.
False! You can certainly try, as I have, by brewing a cup for 30 seconds, tossing out the water, and starting again. But this popular technique isn’t backed by any evidence. If it does work, you’re not just tossing out caffeine, you’re also throwing out catechins and flavonoids, which tend to be released in the first 30 seconds.

5. Myth : Drinking green tea will make you skinny.
False! Some scientists speculate that caffeine and EGCG─a highly active catechin in tea─may act together to increase fat oxidation. But study results are mixed, and the effects, if any, are so modest that they’ll be wiped out by half an Oreo, said Blumberg. Still, tea has zero calories if you don’t add milk, honey or sugar.

6. Myth : Adding milk negates the health benefits of tea.
It might! But it might not. Only one study has shown that adding milk decreases the body’s ability to absorb catechins in tea. But, according to Blumberg, the results haven’t been replicated.

7. Camellia sinensis [kəˋmiljə] 山茶樹
→ The species of plant whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce Chinese tea.

8. Vocabulary & Definition
process (v) [ˋprɑsɛs] 加工，處理
→ to treat food with chemicals that preserve it or give it extra taste or color
oxidize (v) [ˋɑksə͵daɪz] 氧化
→ to combine with oxygen to form another substance
delicate (adj) [ˋdɛləkət] 細緻的、清淡可口的
→ something that has a color, taste, or smell which is pleasant and not strong and instense

9. Vocabulary & Definition
derive from (phr v) [dɪˋraɪv] 來自、源於
→ to come from something
brew (v) [bru]泡(茶)、煮(咖啡)
→ to make a hot drink of tea or coffee
by the same token (idiom) 出於同樣理由、同樣地
→ indicates that your next statement is true for the same reasons as the statement you have just made

10. Vocabulary & Definition
toss (v) [tɔs] 拋、扔、投
→ throw something lightly, often in a rather careless way
catechin (n) 兒茶素
→ a yellow crystalline substance, found in abundance in tea and noted for its health benefits
flavonoid (n) 類黃酮
→ any of a large group of plant pigments that have health benefits

11. Vocabulary & Definition
speculate (v) [ˋspɛkjə͵let] 推測
→ to form an opinion about something without knowing all the details or facts
wipe out (phr v) 消滅、徹底摧毀
→ to destroy or get rid of something
negate (v) [nɪˋget] 使無效、打消
→ to cause something to have no effect and therefore to be useless
replicate (v) [ˋrɛplɪ͵ket] 複製
→ to make or do something again in exactly the same

12. Q1
Black tea contains more caffeine than green tea.
T　/　F

13. Q2
You can decaffeinate a regular tea.
T　/　F

14. Q3
Drinking green tea will make you skinny.
T　/　F