Read the excerpt from A History of the World in 100
Objects.
What could be more domestic, more unremarkable,
more British, than a nice cup of tea? You could of course
put the question the other way round and ask what could
be less British than a cup of tea, given that tea is made
from plants grown in India or China and often sweetened
by sugar from the Caribbean.
The author hooks the reader by asking a question that
O makes the reader think about the link between tea
and Britishness.
O interests the reader in food exports from the
Caribbean.
O causes the reader to the think about plants that are
grown to make tea.
O makes the reader wonder about the most common
drinks in India.