Question

Among the upper classes, tea had been popular since before 1700. It received celebrity endorsement from Charles II’s queen, Catherine of Braganza, and from Queen Anne. It came from China, it was expensive, refreshingly bitter and drunk in tiny cups without milk or sugar. People kept their tea in locked tea caddies, as if it were a drug; for those who could afford it, it often was. In the 1750s Samuel Johnson confessed himself a happy addict:
A hardened and shameless tea drinker, who has for twenty years diluted his meals with only the infusion of this fascinating plant, whose kettle scarcely has time to cool, who with Tea amuses the evening, with Tea solaces the midnights, and with Tea welcomes the morning.

MacGregor’s main purpose in providing the quote is to......

explain why only the upper classes could afford to drink tea.

express his viewpoint on the importance of drinking tea often.

illustrate how celebrities preferred their tea with sugar and milk.

support his statement that people locked away their tea like it was a drug.

Answer 1

The answer for this would be that: MacGregor’s main purpose in providing the quote is to explain why only the upper classes could afford to drink tea. The paragraph above generally explains the history of the tea and how it’s origins first began in the upper class.

Answer 2

The correct answer is A. Explain why the only upper classes could afford to drink tea

Explanation:

The main purpose in a text is what the writer wants to cause in the audience depending to the kind of text he writes (explain, persuade, inform or narrate) and what is the main idea in the text written. In this quote, composed by to paragraphs, the first paragraph introduces the history of tea in which McGregor emphasizes during history tea was popular in the upper classes, mentioning important people such as Queen Anne or Catherine of Braganza as an example of upper classes people that enjoy tea, also, the way tea was keep and drink by those could afford it (upper classes) is explained. Finally, in the second paragraph, the perspective of Samuel Johnson (English writer) regarding tea is explained. Considering, tea is only explained in relation to the context of upper classes to which all the people mentioned belong, emphasizing in the upper class as the only who could afford tea and the text main purpose is to explain as it only gives accurate information related to the history of tea, it can be concluded McGregor purpose with this text is to explain the reader part of the history of tea and how this was only related to the upper class as it was this class the one that could afford tea.