Tasks for the listening

Listen to the text and fill in the gaps

Want to know how to make a ………….. the British way? 85% of tea enjoyed in America is iced. In Britain, however we need something a little ……….. and stronger to get through those cloudy, rainy, blustery and generally grey days.

How to make the perfect cuppa? Brits take making a cup of tea pretty seriously. So much so that George Orwell even wrote an essay on how to make the perfect cuppa. Recent research says that in order to make the perfect cup of tea you should use a ……….. boiled ……….., which in the UK usually comes from an electric ……….. , and that your ……… should steep for around two to five minutes, depending on personal preference.

Also we put ………. in our tea. Milk first then tea or tea then milk? Scientists of University College London says that tea made in a cup should have the milk added after the water, so it doesn’t interfere with the ……….. process, but if the tea is made in a ……….. then the milk should be added first.

What about the ……….. process? How should you stir the tea? You should do it with the help of the ……….. in a push way: front and back.You can drink tea with different kinds of desserts: ……….. ……. , ………. , ……….. , ……….. , ………. . It is ……….. .

The tea party is traditionally a morning or afternoon snack, so that any ……….. on hand from a piece of ……….. to a ……….. ……… can work for informal tea with a friend. Sometimes, tea may substitute for a meal, such as dinner. In this case, …………… or ……….. may also be appropriate.

For a more formal tea, specific types of party foods are often served. Foods common at an English tea may include:

• Tea …………….., such as ……….. or cucumber, on white ……….. with the crusts cut off.

• ……….. , known as ……….. in the United States.

• Scones, dense buttery discs, with ………. and ………. curd, a spread made from ………, ……… , and lemons.

A formal tea also includes a centrepiece, a ….. or pudding as the focal point of the tea table or tray. Trifle, a layered dessert of ……… , ……. , is one easy option. A tart, a ……… with stewed ……., is another popular choice. Indeed, any favourite dessert centrepiece can suffice in a pinch.

To host a tea party, there is still much to do after selecting a tea and foods to serve.

1. Select matching ……….. , ……….. , and ……….. for serving the tea.

2. Invite as many guests as desired, but be careful to not exceed the number of matching ……….. and ……….. .

3. Find a place to display the tea party spread. A dining room table will do. Some people have special tea trays, large enough for the ……….. , creamer, ……. ……., and all the dishes for the tea.

4. Decorate the tea or tray with a small vase of flowers or other seasonal ornaments.

What is your favourite cup of tea? Do you like an ……… ……… ………. with milk and sugar? Do you prefer tea loosely or in a ……… ……… ? Do you like …….. or …….. tea? Do you prefer ……… or ……… tea, with milk or without, three ……… or none? Do you like drinking tea with ……… ? What is your favourite ……… ?