2 . Summer marks the middle of green tea season, which runs from late spring to fall. While it may seem _________ to drink hot liquids in the heat, many Asian cultures believe that doing so will increase sweating and help _________ yourself off.

“But preparing green tea is a _________ process that most people get wrong,” says Rona Tison, senior vice president of corporate relations for a Japanese tea company that sells bottled tea as well as loose leaf tea from its Manhattan store. Green tea, _________ black tea, has not been oxidized (氧化) and can easily turn bitter if not made _________.

“A good cup of green tea _________ with a fresh, high-quality leaf. Green tea is _________ to having a fresh vegetable. It goes bad easily and has a shelf life,” Ms. Tison says.

Tea leaves produce the best _________ when used within two months of purchasing. Six months is the maximum time to store green tea. The leaves _________ smells so they should be stored in an airtight, moisture-free metal or tin __________ that is away from light. Out-of-date tea leaves will be brittle (易碎的) and dry, __________ good taste and smell.

She uses mineral or spring water for brewing. One of the most common __________ people make when brewing tea is __________ boiling water, which burns the leaves and __________ them bitter.

She __________ about one teaspoon of leaves per teacup into a pot and __________ in the warm water, letting it steep for a minute, but no more than two. __________ loose in a teapot or placed in an infuser, leaves should never be excessive. “You want the leaves to unfurl to really __________ the flavor out of the tea,” she says.

She gently __________ the teapot around and around quickly while the tea is steeping to make sure she __________ all the tea with the water. If she is serving more than one cup, she pours a little at a time in each cup to balance out the flavor.