Relaxing at the End of the Day with Some Afternoon Tea 來場下午茶饗宴吧！ Learn about this popular British tradition. 來了解一下這個廣受歡迎的英國傳統吧。
Thanks to the former British Empire, people from all around the world take part in the tradition of afternoon tea. It's the English practice of having a light snack and a cup of tea a few hours before dinner. This tradition was started around 1840 by Anna Russell, the Duchess▼ of Bedford. At that time, dinner was served very late in the day, so she often became hungry in the late afternoon. Therefore, she started eating bread and cake with some tea in the afternoon. She introduced this to friends, and afternoon tea became popular all over the country. Today, many people go to fancy hotels or restaurants for afternoon tea. It is easy to enjoy, but there are some rules to follow. You should always hold the teacup with your thumb and index fingers▼. Stir the tea softly by going back and forth instead of in a circle. You don't want to make a lot of noise with your spoon because other guests may find it rude. It is also important not to dip your cake or scones▼ into the tea. If you can remember these rules, your next afternoon tea meeting is sure to be a success.
▼duchess n. 公爵夫人；女公爵 ▼index finger n. 食指 ▼scone n. 司康；烤餅
former a. 先前的；前任的 Jenny ran into her former boss at the movie theater the other day. 珍妮前幾天在電影院碰到她以前的老闆。
take part in... 參與…… Mark took part in his school play last year. 馬克去年參加了他學校的話劇表演。
practice n. 慣例，常規 It is a common practice for us to bring a gift when we visit a friend. 我們要去見朋友時按慣例都會帶份禮物。
stir vt. 攪拌 The chef forgot to stir the soup, so it burned on the bottom. 廚師忘了攪動湯，所以鍋底燒焦了。
back and forth 來回地 Jim walked back and forth, looking very impatient. 吉姆來回地走著，看起來很不耐煩。 * impatient a. 不耐煩的，急躁的
make noise 發出噪音 Stop making noise! I'm studying. 別再吵了！我在唸書。
find it + adj./N (+ to V) 覺得／發現（做……）很…… Amy finds it impossible to stay in this cold room any longer. 艾咪發現要在這冰冷的房間多待一會兒根本就是不可能。
dip vt. 蘸；浸 Ben usually dips his dumplings in sauce. 小班吃水餃時通常會蘸醬料。
不是我的「茶」？！ 我們來學學由一杯茶（a cup of tea）衍生出的片語：be not sb's cup of tea 表「（某人／某事物）不是某人的菜」，也可以說 be not sb's type。例如遇到喜歡自己，但自己並不喜歡的對象時，似乎找任何藉口拒絕都很虛偽，這時倒不如直接了當地告訴對方：
You're not my cup of tea. （你不是我的菜。）
表「（某事物）不是某人所好」如下：
Comedies aren't really my cup of tea. I'd prefer to see an action film instead. （喜劇實在不投我所好。我比較想看動作片。）
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