Reading ( the 2nd group)

Time for coffee

The story of coffee drinking is one of the greatest and most fascinating in history. Millions of coffee drinkers worldwide cannot imagine life without a cup of aromatic coffee in the morning. Coffee is a natural stimulant which makes us feel more awake, alert and ready to concentrate. 

The qualities of mocca, as coffee was once known, were first discovered in Ethiopia more than one thousand years ago. However, it was not Africans but Turks and Arabs who actively encouraged coffee drinking. The habit of coffee drinking quickly spread throughout the Arab world, where coffee won a reputation as the wine of Islam. 

Coffee was first grown in Yemen. It was popular with Turks who served the drink to visiting Italian merchants. In 1615 traders from Venice brought coffee to Europe, where it was originally sold as a medicine. By the end of the sixteenth century coffee was drunk in major European cities from Paris to London. Now, around the world there are different methods of preparing coffee, for example, in Turkey coffee is traditionally boiled three times while Italians are the inventors of espresso and cappuccino. 

We drink coffee because of its aroma, taste and stimulating effect. However, extensive consumption of coffee may be harmful to our health, for instance, it may increase one’s blood pressure or make one’s heart beat irregularly. Fortunately, new brands of coffee have been appearing on the market recently. As they do not contain substances harmful to health, many people will not have to give up their coffee-drinking habits.