Section B

TEXT

Funny or not?

Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up. The sense of humor is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics. A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.

Most funny stories are based on comic situations. In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal. No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films. However, a new type of humor, which stems largely from the U.S., has recently come into fashion. It is called “sick humor”. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situation like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful. The following example of “sick humor” will enable you to judge for yourself.

A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home. He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow. On Christmas Day, the man still had his right leg in plaster. He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing. The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good. The man took heart and, sure enough, on New Years’ Eve he was able to hobble along to a party. To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more than was good for him. In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals. He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.

QUESTIONS

1.What is the basis of “sick humor”?

2.Why might a Frenchman find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke?

3.Why do people all over the world find Charlie Chaplin’s early films amusing?

4.Where did ‘sick humor’ originate?

NEW WORDS

largely ['l1:d=li] ad. 在很大程度上

comic ['k6mik] a. 喜剧的，可笑的

universal [ju:ni'v3:s3l] a. 普通的

comedian [k3'mi:di3n] n. 滑稽演员，喜剧演员

distasteful [dis'teistf3l] a. 讨厌的

pester ['pest3] v. 一再要求，纠缠

dread [dred] v. 惧怕

recovery [ri'k2v3ri] n. 康复

plaster ['pl1:st3] n. 熟石膏

console [k3n's3ul] v. 安慰，慰问

hobble ['h6bl] v. 瘸着腿走

compensate ['k6mpenseit] v. 补偿

mumble ['m2mbl] v. 喃喃而语

NOTES TO THE TEXT

1.whether we find a joke funny or not 这是一个名词性从句，在句中作主语。

2.be bound up with 与……联系在一起

3.You would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin’s early films. 你看查理·卓别林的早期电影很难不发笑。

4.However, a new type of humor, which stems largely from the U.S., has recently come into fashion. 然而，近来一种新式幽默流行了起来，这种幽默主要来自美国。stem from 来自，起源于，同义词组有come from, arise from, originate from等。e.g. Her interest in flowers stemmed from her childhood in the country. come into fashion 开始流行

5.Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents. 喜剧演员根据悲剧情节诸如暴死、重大事故等来编造笑话。

Some funny stories are based on tragic situations.

6.From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home. 从他进医院那一刻时，他就缠住医生，让医生告诉他什么时候能回家。

keep doing sth. 不间断地、不停地做某事

keep on doing sth. 反复、重复干某事

7.The man drank a little more than was good for him. 那人喝得稍微多了一点。

EXERCISES

Vocabulary Exercises

Choose the best answer which is similar to the following underlined word .

1.It was such a comic state of affairs that we had to laugh.

A) interest

B) funny

C) economical

D) regretable

2.The football is a universal game.

A) common

B) extensive

C) worldwide

D) particular

3.The very idea of cheating him is distasteful to me.

A) tasteless

B) painful

C) plainful

D) pleasant

4.This boy is so shy that he dreads going out and meeting people.

A) fears

B) worries

C) afraid

D) likes

5.The patient was quite beyond the possibility of recovery.

A) return

B) callback

C) repair

D) return to health

6.He is always pestering me to help him with his homework.

A) riding

B) joking

C) puzzling

D) annoying

7.The doctor has several patients waiting to see him.

A) understanding

B) forbearing

C) sick individuals

D) tolerant

8.After fire had destroyed Thomson’s house he consoled himself with the thought that it might have been worse.

A) upset

B) disturbed

C) comforted

D) cheered

9.Nothing will compensate for the loss of one’s health.

A) make up

B) improve

C) change

D) exchange

10.I wish you would not mumble I can’t hear you clearly.

A) talk

B) speak not clearly

C) speak

D) shout

Phrase Exercises

Choose the answer that best completes the following sentences.

1.Health must ________ good food, fresh air and enough sleep.

A) be subject to

B) depend for

C) lie in

D) depend on

2.The new discovery is ________ mankind health.

A)withinbounds

B)boundupwith

C)outofbounds

D)beboundto

3.Thoughtless children sometimes ________ beggars and tramps.

A) laugh off

B) laugh at

C)laughoutof

D)laughwith

4.This song is _________ an old folk tune.

A) based in

B) based at

C) based on

D) based upon

5._________ the heavy rain, she went to the shop.

A) Out of spite

B) In spite of

C) In respect that

D) Regardful of

6.Nothing will ever _________ the injures he received in the accident.

A) compensate for

B) pay back

C) reward with

D) arrive at

7.Don’t give him any cigarette, it is not ________ his health.

A) good to

B) as good as

C) good for

D) good at

8.The present wave of strikes ________ discontent among the lower-paid.

A) dues in

B) stems from

C) roots on

D) stems on

9.I, _________, go to the cinema with my parents.

A) some time

B) sometime

C) some times

D) sometimes

10.Narrow skirts are _______ now, girls around world all like it.

A)afterafashion

B)inthefashion

C)infashion

D) out of fashion

Translation

Translate the following sentences into English.

1.作为一名护士，你应该对病人十分耐心。

2.他们没有上床睡觉，反而激烈地争论起来。

3.过了好几分钟我才明白发生了什么事。

4.他几乎不可能完成这样困难的任务。

5.除了一些有钱人外，多数人骑自行车上班。

Cloze

Read the following passage carefully and choose the best word or phrase to fill in each blank.

When television first began to expand, very few of the people who had become famous as 1 announcers were able to be equally effective 2 television. Some of the difficulties they experienced when they were trying to 3 themselves to the new medium were technical. When 4 on radio, for example, they had become 5 to seeing on behalf of the listener. This art of seeing for others 6 that the announcer has to be very good 7 talking. Above all, he has to be able to 8 a continuous sequence（序列）of visual（视觉的）images which add meaning 9 the round the listener hears. In the 10 of television, however, the announcer sees 11 with the viewer. His duty, 12 , is completely different. He is there to make 13 that the viewer does not 14 any point of interest, to help him focus 15 particular things, and to help him 16 the images on the television screen. 17 his radio colleague, he must know the 18 of silence and how to use it at those 19 when the pictures speak for 20 .

1. A) television B) advertisement C) radio D) newspaper

2. A) of B) in C) at D)on

3. A) adopt B) adjust C) alter D) adapt

4. A) working B) listening C) appearing D) showing

5. A) practised B) experienced C) determined D) used

6. A) guarantees B) means C) convinces D) warns

7. A) at B) with C) in D) of

8. A) reflect B) create C) cause D) affect

9. A) to B) in C) on D) about

10. A) occasion B) matter C) example D) case

11. A) something B) everything C) nothing D) anything

12. A) moreover B) therefore C) furthermore D) nevertheless

13. A) clear B) definite C) sure D) easy

14. A) miss B) ignore C) drop D) catch

15. A) to B) at C) in D) on

16. A) reveal B) expose C) understand D) translate

17. A) Unlike B) Besides C) Like D) As

18. A) price B) cost C) value D) worth

19. A) minutes B) periods C) times D) moments

20. A) them B) him C) themselves D) himself

Reading Comprehension

Read the following passage and choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

While still in its early stages, welfare reform has already been judged a great success in many states—at least in getting people off welfare. It’s estimated that more than 2 million people have left the rolls since 1994.

In the past four years, welfare rolls in Athens Country have been cut in half. But 70 percent of the people who left in the past two years took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour. The result: The Athens County poverty rate still remains at more than 30 percent—twice the national average.

For advocates（代言人）for the poor, that’s an indication much more needs to be done.

“More people are getting jobs, but it’s not making their lives any better,” says Kathy Lairn, a policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington.

A center analysis of US Census data nationwide found that a greater percentage of single, female-headed households were earning money on their own, but that average income for these households actually went down.

But for many, the fact that poor people are able to support themselves almost as well without government aid as they did with it is in itself a huge victory.

“Welfare was a poison. It was a toxin（毒素）that was poisoning the family,” says Robert Rector, a welfare-reform policy analyst. “The reform in changing the moral climate in low-income communities. It’s beginning to rebuild the work ethic（道德观）, which is much more important.”

Mr. Rector and others argued that once “the habit of dependency is cracked,” then the country can make other policy changes aimed at improving living standards.

1.From the passage, it can be seen that the author ________.

A) believes the reform has reduced the government’s burden

B) insists that welfare reform is doing little good for the poor

C) is overenthusiastic about the success of welfare reform

D) considers welfare reform to be fundamentally successful

2.Why aren’t people enjoying better lives when they have jobs?

A) Because many families are divorced.

B) Because government aid is now rare.

C) Because their wages are low.

D) Because the cost of living is rising.

3.What is worth noting from the example of Athens County is that ________.

A) greater efforts should be made to improve people’s living standards

B) 70 percent of the people there have been employed for two years

C) 50 percent of the population no longer relies on welfare

D) the living standards of most people are going down

4.From the passage we know that welfare reform aims at ________.

A) saving welfare funds

B) rebuilding the work ethic

C) providing more jobs

D) cutting government expenses

5.According to the passage before the welfare reform was carried out, ________.

A) the poverty rate was lower

B) average living standards were higher

C) the average worker was paid higher wages

D) the poor used to rely on government aid