The sentence I chose for Wilkinsons text is
“Tea drinking is one of the great Chinese contributions to world
food culture, but contrary to popular belief, it is not an ancient
Chinese beverage”.
The sentence I chose for Towler’s text is
“Shen Nong, whose name can be translated as the divine farmer, lived around 5,000 years ago. He is said to have taught his people how to farm is credited with creating the first wooden plow. From this primary agarian culture of the Chinese came forth. but more importantly for our story, he is credited with discovering tea.”
These sentences contradict each other because Wilkinson’s text states that tea did not originate from Chinese culture. However, Towler’s text states that Shen Nong, a Chinese farmer, is credited for creating tea and making it a popular beverage worldwide. Both texts allude to the fact of mixing and matching herbs and plants. The sentences also differ because Towler’s tone is whimsical and tells a story. Wilkinsons sentence is factual, cold, and full of information that is laid out analytically. Towler’s text is fun and full of surprise, while Wilkinsons text is grounded in reality and is meant only for educational purposes. both texts have their purpose and both hold validity. In my opinion, it depends on what one is looking for, if one wants cold hard facts they should go to Wilkinson. If one is looking for a creative urban legend they should read Towler’s text.
