A
For centuries, tea has been used for far more than overcoming thirst. Around the world people drink it to relax and restore energy.
Green, oolong and black tea come from the same plant — Camellia sinensis (茶树). Green tea, however, is processed in a different way, which results in higher levels of some of the compounds that scientists believe have positive effects on our mental health.
A 2017 review of more than 100 studies found that green tea can impact the brain in three ways: reduce anxiety; focus attention; and improve brain function, especially memory. However, it was cautioned that the effects aren’t large, and current evidence is mainly provided by small-scale studies.
There are also suggestions that tea could improve the symptoms of depression, dementia (痴呆) and Down syndrome (唐氏综合征).
A 2018 study conducted in South Korea found that frequent green tea drinkers were 21% less likely to develop depression than those who were non-drinkers. However, as an observational study, it couldn’t establish cause and effect, only association.
Tea also has some benefits for our physical health — it’s linked to a longer life, could reduce some risk factors for cardiovascular (心血管的) disease such as heart attack and stroke, and may also have a weight-losing effect.
“We need better data to truly assess the benefits of tea on our mental and physical well-being,” said Gunter Kuhnle at the University of Reading, “however, with the exception of green tea pills, which have been linked to liver damage, and burning tea, which has been linked to esophageal (食道的) cancer, there’s no real downside to a cup of tea. I think most people enjoy rituals (仪式感). It’s a comforting thing. If there’s anything wrong, here it’s a cup of tea that’s needed.”
21. How is green tea different from oolong and black tea?
A. It cures depression and dementia.
B. It is never part of a complex ritual.
C. It has higher levels of certain compounds.
D. It is taken from Camellia sinensis.
22. What does Gunter Kuhnle want to express?
A. Green tea rituals give people comfort.
B. Green tea pills may cause esophageal cancer.
C. Green tea brings people more harm than good.
D. Green tea proves beneficial with no exception.
23. Which can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Which tea prevents cancer
B. Why drinking tea might help
C. When tea causes liver damage
D. How teas are processed
【答案】21. C 22. A 23. B
【解析】
【分析】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了喝茶对人身体有益，特别是绿茶，喝绿茶可以缓解焦虑、提高认知记忆能力和促进脑功能。
【21题详解】
细节理解题。通过文章第二段“Green tea, however, is processed in a different way, which results in higher levels of some of the compounds that scientists believe have positive effects on our mental health. (然而，绿茶的加工方式不同，导致某些化合物含量更高，科学家认为这些化合物对我们的心理健康有积极影响)”可知，绿茶与乌龙茶和红茶的不同之处在于绿茶的某些化合物含量更高。故选C项。
【22题详解】
细节理解题。通过文章最后一段“I think most people enjoy rituals. It’s a comforting thing. (我想大多数人都喜欢仪式感。这是一件令人欣慰的事情)”可知，Gunter Kuhnle认为喝绿茶的仪式感能让人感到舒适与慰藉。故选A项。
【23题详解】
主旨大意题。通读全文，再根据文章第三段“green tea can impact the brain in three ways: reduce anxiety; focus attention; and improve brain function, especially memory (绿茶可以从三个方面影响大脑：减少焦虑；集中注意力；改善大脑功能，特别是记忆)”以及倒数第二段“Tea also has some benefits for our physical health — it’s linked to a longer life, could reduce some risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as heart attack and stroke, and may also have a weight-losing effect. (茶对我们的身体健康也有一些好处——它可以延长寿命，可以减少心血管疾病的一些危险因素，例如心脏病发作和中风等疾病，也可能有减肥作用)”可推知，本文主要介绍了喝茶对人体多个方面的好处。B项“为什么喝茶可能有帮助”符合文意，最适合作为本文标题。故选B项。
