It may be hard to believe, but the American Revolution(革命)—the war that freed the American states from British control—began over a cup of tea. Tea was not the only thing that caused the war, of course, but it played a very big part.

    The British people's love of tea is well-known. When the British won control over mush of North America in the early 1700s, they brought their tea- drinking habits with them. Tea quickly became the continents most popular drink. As tea could not be grown locally, just as in Britain, it was shipped into the country—mostly from India.

In the early 1700s, the Britain government made a special deal with the East India Company, as an English trading company. They agreed that no other company was allowed to bring tea to Britain or any country controlled by Britain, including America. It was a great deal for the East India Company, since it meant that the company could decide whatever price it wanted for its products. And it always decided on a high price!

In North America, the local people did not like having to pay such high prices. Instead of overpaying for tea from the British, they turned to Dutch traders, who secretly brought tea to the country that was just as good—and much less expensive. Although this broke the law, the American people didn't care. They got the same cup of tea at a much lower price.

The East India Company, however, didn't like this at all. By the 1760s, they were losing millions of pounds each year to Dutch traders—a huge amount of money in a time when ￡60 a year was considered a good income. Instead of reducing their prices to compete with the Dutch, the company asked the British government for help and the government agreed.

    In 1767, the British introduced new law that increased the prices of all goods which were brought into America. These laws helped make the East India Company even richer and forced local people to pay much more for everything. The American leaders asked the British government not to do so, but the British refused to listen. These unfair laws increased Americans' anger about British rule and the rest, as they say, is history.

    Every day, it is easy to see advertisements in English all around us. Look at your own bags and clothes, and at the bags and clothes of your classmates. How many different advertisements can you see which use English words?

Often bags and clothes show the name of the company that made them. This is a popular form. A special picture or symbol called a lo go(标识语)is sometimes used. Logos appear on many different products(产品). They are popular because when you see a logo, it is hard to forget that product or company.

    It is common to see advertisements on TV and hear them on the radio. Most advertisements are very short. Sometimes the advertisers use a short sentence which is easy for people to say and remember. Nike, for example, has a simple English sentence which is used all around the world: “Just do it.” Advertisements often use funny situations as well. It is simple to remember it.

    All advertisements are designed(设计) to make people buy a product. An advertisement for a soft drink, for example, might show a group of young people who are having fun. The young people are all drinking the soft drink. Advertisers are saying to you, “Why don't you buy this drink and be like these people? You can be young and modern.”

    You might think that advertisements are not after you, but next time you buy a soft drink, ask yourself this question: Why am I buying this particular(特别的) product?

    Manufacturing（制造业） is an important industry in the United States. However, for many years, Americans have expressed fear that the industry is in danger.

    Matthew Burnett knows this all too well. The American businessman started a watch company in 2007. At first, he had overseas（海外的） manufacturers make all his products. As a result, Burnett often faced shipping delays（延误）, a lack（缺乏） of quality control, and time zone problems. Later, he developed into leather goods. Still, he tried to find factories in the country to make the wallets, belts, and other products of his new brand. And he was not alone. Many American businessmen found it easier to go out of the country for manufacturing. There was no central marketplace for the industry.

    So, Matthew Burnett, and his business partner Tanya Menendez, created one. They called it Maker's Row. Since 2012, the online marketplace has been connecting businessmen with American manufacturers.

    Matthew Burnett explains. "What we try to do at Maker's Row is to encourage the brands to start producing in the United States so that you see more made in America products on the shelves. We used to produce 97 percent of the goods that we consume here in the United States, today it's less than three percent. So it makes it very challenging to find sometimes made in America products, but that's the situation we're trying to change, by bringing these brands back home to produce."

    Maker's Row helps brands and businesses find and organize their supply chains（供应链）in the country. Besides, Maker's Row can be especially helpful to new or part-time entrepreneurs（企业家）. The site, Makersrow.com, can provide a plan for turning an idea into a business. And co-founder Tanya Menendez says Maker's Row offers classes and training. "We have an online course. They're designed for people with busy lifestyles or those who may start off working 9-to-5." Today, the Maker's Row website has 80,000 registered users.

    The BCG company in Boston advises businesses around the world. It estimates（估计） the average cost to manufacture goods in the U.S. is only five-percent higher than in China. And the company predicts（预计） that by 2018 the cost difference will narrow further, to as little as two percent higher. Maker's Row and other similar efforts could play a big part in making that prediction come true.