BUT while private enterprises languished, Government steadily persevered. It retained a portion of its Assam gardens in its own hands until 1849, when the Assam Company began to emerge from their difficulties. In 1856, the tea-plant was discovered wild in the District of Cachar in the Barak valley,* and European capital was at once directed to that quarter. At about the same time, tea-planting was introduced into the neighbourhood of the Himalayan sanitarium of Darjeeling.*
The success of these undertakings engendered a wild spirit of speculation in tea companies, both in India and at home, which reached its climax in 1865. The industry recovered but slowly from the effects of the disastrous crisis, and did not again reach a stable position until 1869. Since that date, it has rapidly but steadily progressed, and has been ever opening new fields of enterprise. There is no reason to suppose that all the suitable localities have yet been tried; and we may look forward to the day when India shall not only rival, but supersede, China in her staple product.*
Abridged
* Cachar is a district in western Assam.
* Darjeeling is a city in the northernmost part of West Bengal, just north of Siliguri in the slim corridor that leads across the top of Bangladesh to Assam. A sanitarium for invalid servants of the East India Company was founded there in 1835, and it became the summer capital of the Bengal Presidency in 1864. The town’s growth was driven rapidly by the tea industry, railways and numerous educational establishments.
* For a simple graphic of where the UK gets its tea today, see Where Britain’s tea comes from, mapped from indy100/The Independent. Most of our black tea comes from Kenya, with India in second place.
Précis
Although private investors briefly lost confidence in the new Indian tea venture, the Government persevered and the investors returned. This time there was even a brief ‘tea mania,’ before the industry stabilised in the late 1860s. Thereafter, tea gardens in Assam and Darjeeling flourished, and hopes rose that India might eventually displace China in the British tea market. (58 / 60 words)
Although private investors briefly lost confidence in the new Indian tea venture, the Government persevered and the investors returned. This time there was even a brief ‘tea mania,’ before the industry stabilised in the late 1860s. Thereafter, tea gardens in Assam and Darjeeling flourished, and hopes rose that India might eventually displace China in the British tea market.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, besides, despite, if, must, since, who.
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Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Early. Favorable. Tea.
2 All. Undertaking. Up.
3 Bring. Plantation. Valley.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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