Isn't fast food delicious? Aren't fast food restaurants cool? ... The answer to these questions is yes.
However, there are growing facts that fast food is one of the worst parts of modern life. And studies have shown that burgers and fried chicken, which we enjoy so much, can cause a lot of health problems.
In spite of (尽管) this, why are fast food restaurants so attractive(吸引人的)? The first and most important reason is that their service is fast. Their staff(员工) are friendly and very smart-looking in their clean and bright uniforms(制服). Moreover, most fast food restaurants are near places that people always pass by. It is so easy to grab a burger and eat on the way to work.
Fast food is often so conveniently packed(包装方便) that it will not cause a mess even if you stand and eat it. Fast food restaurants are also very clean. A lot of clever ads(广告) have made them the coolest places in town, but none of them has ever told and will never tell you that too much fast food is not good for your health.
Such attractive places are selling junk food! Isn't it a pity? Is there a way to change the fast food restaurants into special places where you get the best possible, healthy and fresh food?
Well, why not?
As people realize the health problems that fast food causes, it is quite likely that fast food restaurants may go out of date. It may happen sooner or later.
Therefore, instead of resisting(抵制) fast food restaurants, a better idea may be to persuade(说服) them to change their menu! Fast food restaurants can be places to go to when you want to eat something that will be good for your body. If they could combine(结合) healthy food with their speed of service, delicious tastes and comfortable feelings, that will be the next best thing on the earth for the human beings!
Which country grows the most tea? The answer is India. It grows three times as much as China. Which country drinks the most tea? It's neither China nor Japan. It's Great Britain.
In the wild, tea plants may be 9 meters tall. But a plant grown for market is pruned. Pruning keeps the plant only 0.9 or 1.2 meters tall. This is an easy height for tea picking. Only the two top leaves and bud (芽) of each new shoot are picked. So to make money, tea plantations (种植园) must be huge.
In general, there are two kinds of tea: black tea and green tea. Black tea is fermented (发酵). In the process, the tea loses nearly all of its healthy parts. Green tea is steamed (蒸) right after the leaves are picked. Green tea keeps its healthy parts. For example, it may prevent heart illness.
How did we get tea bags? The answer: by accident. Tea businessmen used to send samples (样品) in tin (锡) boxes. This was very expensive. One businessman thought of a cheaper way. He sent samples in small silk bags. Customers would open the bag. They would make tea as usual. One customer put the bag into a pot. Then he just poured hot water over it. And the tea bag was born.
Shen Nong was the first to drink tea. He was a Chinese emperor. This was about 2737 B.C. Shen drank several cups of hot water daily. One day something happened. Leaves from a wild tea tree fell into the hot water pot. The next cup was poured. The water was now colored. Shen tasted it. He liked it. He drank it all. Shen was proud of his new drink. He served it to his guests. Word spread. People thought this way: tea is good enough for the Emperor, so it must be good enough for the people. Tea became the drink of China.
