20．Tea vs Coffee
Tea and coffee are two of the most widely consumed drinks in the United States．With popularity and interest in tea continuing to grow in recent years，many consumers have recently considered making the switch from coffee to tea，if they have not done so already．All the buzz surrounding tea and coffee may have you wondering，what are the differences？As it turns out，the differences are many and varied．
In the US，interest in tea ranges from coast to coast with the highest in Hawaii and California but stretching to the eastern states of Vermont and New York．On the other hand，the highest interest in coffee tends to be concentrated more in the north and western regions（地区），with the highest search volumes appearing in the states of Hawaii，Washington and Minnesota．
Differences between tea and coffee also vary in origin and production．All tea comes from the harvested leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant，while there are about 60different species of coffee plants．Production of tea is quicker and more efficient：Camellia sinensis plants only need to grow for three years before they are ready to process； coffee plants take up to five years．
Perhaps the most concerning issue consumers have when considering making the switch to tea
is the question of caffeine．The good news is，when it comes to tea and caffeine，there is something for everyone．Unlike coffee，which typically only comes in decaffeinated and regular，there are several varieties of tea available，based on caffeine preference．
From herbal teas that are naturally free of caffeine，to high quality green and black teas that offer less than half the caffeine of coffee，to high caffeine teas such as our specially formulated HiCAF?blends that contain slightly more caffeine than a cup of coffee，there is a variety sure to suit your needs．As an added bonus，the lower acidity levels in tea tend to be gentler on the stomach for a more comforting pick-me-up．
So what is the answer，coffee or tea？If you are looking for the most healthful benefit possible，tea is probably the winner．They say a picture is worth a thousand words．If，like many Americans，the rising popularity in tea has your interest piqued，the images below will help to clearly spell out the differences between tea and coffee．
63．It can be learned from the passage thatC．
A．coffee is of much higher production than tea
B．tea and coffee are from harvested leaves of plants
C．the popularity of tea is growing constantly in the US
D．there is no regional difference in drinking tea and coffee
64．According to the passage，which of the following contains the least caffeine？C
A．Green tea． B．Black tea． C．Herbal tea． D．HiCAF?blends．
65．What is the author's attitude towards tea？A
A．Positive． B．Cautious． C．Sceptical． D．Negative．
66．The underlined word"piqued"in the last paragraph probably means．D
A．reduced B．lost C．expressed D．excited．
分析 本文介绍了茶在美国愈来愈受欢迎的现象．茶和咖啡虽然都是美国最广泛饮用的饮料，但饮用茶可以使人健康，咖啡中含有的咖啡因饮用过多或许对人体有害处．根据作者的观点，如果你正在寻找最健康的方法，茶可能是赢家．
解答 63．C．细节理解题．根据文章"Tea and coffee are two of the most widely consumed drinks in the United States．With popularity and interest in tea continuing to grow in recent years"可知，茶在美国是广泛饮用的饮料之一，如今也在美国普及且持续增长．故选C．
64．C．细节理解题．根据文章"From herbal teas that are naturally free of caffeine"可知，草药茶不含咖啡因．故选C．
65．A．推理判断题． 根据文章"If you are looking for the most healthful benefit possible，tea is probably the winner"可知，作者认为饮用茶可以使之健康，可见作者对茶的态度是支持．故选A．
66．D．词义猜测题．根据文章原句"If，like many Americans，the rising popularity in tea has your interest piqued，the images below will help to clearly spell out the differences between tea and coffee"可知，如果由于茶的人气高涨使你对茶的兴趣piqued，那可以从下图看出茶与咖啡的区别．可推测，只有对茶感兴趣后，才会有兴趣看图．因此推测piqued是兴奋，感兴趣的意思．结合选项可知，故选D．
点评 本文考察社会现象类阅读．这类文章通过写人记事来揭示文章的主题，显示其社会意义，一般采用顺序或倒叙来叙述．题目经常是一些细节问题．考查的方面可以是原因和其中引发的思考．在阅读文章前，最好先浏览一下文章后面的题干和选项．知道了问题后再去看文章，可使思路更敏捷，而且也便于阅读时留意文中出现的与选项有关的信息．在不影响理解的前提下，尽可能地阅读以便在尽可能短的时间内理解文章或段落的内容．阅读时，如遇到不熟悉的单词、词组或一时看不懂的句子，不要停下来苦思冥想，继续读下去，通过上下文的词语和句子可能就理解了．
