Te Kanawa Ue-'ka-no-woV Dame Kiri (Janette) (b. March 6,1944, Gisborne, North Island, N.Z.) New Zealand-born (half-Maori) soprano. After winning various singing competitions at home, she went to London for further study in 1966 and made her Covent Garden debut in 1970. Soon moving into leading roles, she became especially admired as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. In 1974 she made a triumphal debut at the Metropolitan Opera, substituting at the last moment in Giuseppe Ver¬ di’s Otello. A glamorous and regally imperturbable presence with a rich voice, she was chosen to sing at the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles, and she has made many recordings.
tea Beverage produced by steeping in freshly boiled water the young leaves and leaf buds of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, a member of the family Theaceae, which contains 40 genera of trees and shrubs. Tea cul¬ tivation is first documented in China in ad 350; according to legend, it had been known there since c. 2700 bc. It was established in Japan by the 13th century and was spread to Java by the Dutch and to India by the English in the 19th century. Today tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world, drunk (either hot or cold) by half the world’s population. Major tea types are classified by processing method: fermented, or black, tea produces an amber-colored, full-flavored beverage without bitterness; semifermented, or oolong, tea yields a slightly bitter, light brownish-green liquid; and unfermented, or green, tea, results in a mild, slightly bitter, pale greenish-yellow beverage. Caffeine is responsible for tea’s stimulat¬ ing effect. Green tea, long regarded as healthful in the Far East, has in
recent years attracted much favorable attention in the West for a wide range of possible beneficial effects. Infusions and decoctions of the leaves, bark, and roots of many other, unrelated plants are commonly drunk as herbal or medicinal teas.
Tea Act (1773) British legislation giving a tea monopoly in the Ameri¬ can colonies to the British East India Co. It adjusted the duty regulations to allow the failing company to sell its large tea surplus below the prices charged by colonial competitors. The act was opposed by colonists as another example of taxation without representation. Resistance to the act resulted in the Boston Tea Party.
tea ceremony Japanese chado or cha-no-yu Ritualized prepara¬ tion and drinking of tea developed in Japan. It involves a host and one or more guests; the tea, utensils, and movements used in preparing, serving, and drinking the tea are all prescribed. When tea was introduced from Song-dynasty China by the Zen monk Eisai (1141-1215), it was drunk by Zen monks to help them stay awake during meditation. The laity enjoyed tea-tasting competitions that developed into a more refined, medi¬ tative form among the warrior aristocracy in the 15th century. The most famous exponent of the tea ceremony was Sen Rikyu (1522-91), tea mas¬ ter to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who codified a style known as wabi, which favoured rustic, rough-shaped tea bowls and spare, simple surroundings. Three popular schools of the tea ceremony trace their roots to Rikyu, and other schools exist as well; today mastery of the tea ceremony is one accomplishment of a well-bred young woman.
Teach, Edward See Blackbeard
teaching Profession of those who give instruction, especially in an elementary or secondary school or a university. The teaching profession is a relatively new one. Traditionally, parents, elders, religious leaders, and sages were responsible for teaching children how to behave and think and what to believe. Germany introduced the first formal criteria for the education of teachers in the 18th century. In the 19th century, as society became more industrialized, the concept of schooling became more uni¬ versal. In industrialized nations today, most teachers are university gradu¬ ates. Teacher-training programs usually include both general and specialized academic, cultural, or vocational courses; the study of educa¬ tional principles; and a series of professional courses combined with prac¬ tical experience in a typical school setting. Most countries also require professional certification following formal training. See also National Education Association.
Teagarden, Jack orig. Weldon Leo Teagarden (b. Aug. 20, 1905, Vernon, Texas, U.S.—d. Jan. 15, 1964, New Orleans, La.) U.S. jazz trombonist and singer. He worked with two of the most popular bands of the early swing era, those of Ben Pollack (1928-33) and Paul Whiteman (1933-38). After leading his own group (1938—47), he joined Louis Arm¬ strong’s All Stars and recorded and toured with them internationally until 1951. Teagarden’s trademark relaxed, bluesy approach was evident in both his playing and singing, his engaging Texas accent seeming to colour both.
teak Large deciduous tree ( Tectona grandis) of the verbena family, and its wood, one of the most valuable and durable timbers. Teak has been widely used in India for more than 2,000 years; some temples contain teak beams more than 1,000 years old. The tree has a straight stem, often thickened at the base, a spreading crown, and four-sided branchlets. The rough leaves are opposite or sometimes whorled, and the branches end in many small white flowers. The unseasoned heartwood has a pleasant, strong aromatic fragrance and a beautiful golden-yellow colour, which on seasoning darkens into brown, mottled with darker streaks.
Resistant to the effects of water, teakwood is used for shipbuilding, fine furniture, door and window frames, wharves, bridges, cooling- tower louvers, flooring, and panel¬ ing. Its desirability has led to severe overcutting in tropical forests.
teal Any of about 15 species (genus Anas, family Anatidae) of small dab¬ bling ducks found on the major con- Holarctic American green-winged teal tinents and many islands. Many are drake (Anas crecca carolinensis). popular game birds. The Holarctic Gordon iangsbury/bruce coleman inc.
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Teamsters Union ► Tedder I 1881
green-winged teal, usually found in a dense flock, is 13-15 in. (33-38 cm) long. The small blue-winged teal breeds across Canada and the north¬ ern U.S. and winters south of the U.S. The Hottentot teal of Africa fre¬ quently remains immobile among vegetation even when shots are fired nearby. Teal are primarily herbivorous, but some species eat small ani¬ mals. Flocks of many species take off and change direction in unison.
Teamsters Union officially International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America (IBT ), formerly (until 1940) International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers of America (IBT) Largest private-sector labour union in the U.S., repre¬ senting truck drivers and workers in related industries such as aviation. It was formed in 1903 with the merger of two team-drivers’ unions, and local deliverymen using horse-drawn vehicles remained the core mem¬ bership until the 1930s, when intercity truck drivers became predominant. From 1907 to 1952 the union was headed by Daniel J. Tobin, who built it up from 40,000 members in 1907 to more than one million in 1950. Disclosures of corruption in the leadership led to the Teamsters’ expul¬ sion from the AFL-CIO in 1957. Between 1957 and 1988 three Teamsters presidents—Dave Beck, Jimmy Hoffa, and Roy Williams—were convicted of various criminal charges and sentenced to prison terms. (Hoffa has been missing, and presumed dead, since 1975.) While Teamsters representa¬ tion of truck drivers declined with the growth of nonunion trucking com¬ panies in the 1980s, the union gained new members in clerical, service, and technology occupations. The union was readmitted to the AFL-CIO in 1987. Presidents Ron Carey (1992-99) and James P. Hoffa (1999- ), son of the former president, focused on job security and family issues.
Teapot Dome scandal Secret leasing of U.S. government land to private interests. In 1922 oil reserves at Teapot Dome, Wyo., and Elk Hills, Calif., were improperly leased to private oil companies by Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall, who accepted cash gifts and no-interest loans from the companies. When the leases became known, Congress directed Pres. Warren G. Harding to cancel them. A later investigation revealed illegal actions by several government officials, some of whom later received fines and short prison sentences. The scandal became a symbol of government corruption.