Unit 1 Leisure Activities Useful Information There are some people in society who either have to or want to work all the time.Most people,however,seek ways to socialize,to relax or to have fun during their leisure hours. Obviously people's tastes vary depending on their income and their age.But in recent years,the home entertainment industry has grown all over the world.Instead of going out to see a movie or taking a walk in a park,people of all ages prefer to turn on the television and stay at home.More and more families have tape recorders,DVDs,MP3,MP4,Cable TV,wifi,and computer games to add to the variety of leisure activities in the home.In some countries,young people spend hours sitting in front of their computers,surfing on the Internet or playing computer games.With the coming of the new Internet services,many people are using the Internet chatting and dating with each other.Many of them also do shopping online. Despite the rise in home entertainment,there are still many people who enjoy spending some of their leisure time attending sports events or participating in competitive sports or other physical activities such as dancing and taiji(shadow boxing).Exercise not only contributes to good health but also takes the mind away from worries and troubles. Concerts,plays and other performances constitute another source of entertainment outside the home.While some people prefer to be entertained,others prefer to be the entertainers.They derive great satisfaction in giving others pleasure by making them laugh or by enabling them to lose themselves in the imaginary world of a play or the relaxing sounds of music. Part One Preparation 1.A Survey of Chinese People's Leisure Activities STEPS ONE-TWO Survey Questions: 1.What do you usually do in your spare time? 2.How much time do you spend on these activities each time? 3.How often do you take these activities?Once every week/month/year? Age Groups Leisure Activities Time Spent Frequency
1 Unit 1 Leisure Activities Useful Information There are some people in society who either have to or want to work all the time. Most people, however, seek ways to socialize, to relax or to have fun during their leisure hours. Obviously people’s tastes vary depending on their income and their age. But in recent years, the home entertainment industry has grown all over the world. Instead of going out to see a movie or taking a walk in a park, people of all ages prefer to turn on the television and stay at home. More and more families have tape recorders, DVDs，MP3, MP4, Cable TV, wifi, and computer games to add to the variety of leisure activities in the home. In some countries, young people spend hours sitting in front of their computers, surfing on the Internet or playing computer games. With the coming of the new Internet services, many people are using the Internet chatting and dating with each other. Many of them also do shopping online. Despite the rise in home entertainment, there are still many people who enjoy spending some of their leisure time attending sports events or participating in competitive sports or other physical activities such as dancing and taiji (shadow boxing). Exercise not only contributes to good health but also takes the mind away from worries and troubles. Concerts, plays and other performances constitute another source of entertainment outside the home. While some people prefer to be entertained, others prefer to be the entertainers. They derive great satisfaction in giving others pleasure by making them laugh or by enabling them to lose themselves in the imaginary world of a play or the relaxing sounds of music. Part One Preparation 1. A Survey of Chinese People’s Leisure Activities STEPS ONE-TWO Survey Questions: 1. What do you usually do in your spare time? 2. How much time do you spend on these activities each time? 3. How often do you take these activities? Once every week/month/year? Age Groups Leisure Activities Time Spent Frequency 1
2 grandparents Playing Taichi 1 hour Everyday Playing mahjong 4 hours Every other day Fishing 6 hours Once a month Reading newspapers 1 hour Everyday Watching TV 3 hours Everyday Gardening Half an hour Everyday Listening to Beijing 2 hours Every other day Opera Dancing 1 hour Everyday Babysitting grandchildren 3 hours Once a week Practicing calligraphy 1 hour Everyday Having afternoon tea 1 hour Everyday Our parents Group dancing 1 hour Everyday Climbing and hiking 4 hours Once a week Watching TV 3 hours Everyday Playing mahjong 4 hours Once a week Surfing the Internet 4 hours Travelling 10 days Every year Visiting or Entertaining 4 hours Once a week friends Reading novels or 2 hours Everyday newspapers Playing go/chess 4 hours Once a week Drinking tea at a tea 4 hours Once a week bar/house Going to Karaoke 4 hours Once a week Shopping 4 hours Once a week Keeping pets 2 hours Everyday
2 grandparents Playing Taichi Playing mahjong Fishing Reading newspapers Watching TV Gardening Listening to Beijing Opera Dancing Babysitting grandchildren Practicing calligraphy Having afternoon tea 1 hour 4 hours 6 hours 1 hour 3 hours Half an hour 2 hours 1 hour 3 hours 1 hour 1 hour Everyday Every other day Once a month Everyday Everyday Everyday Every other day Everyday Once a week Everyday Everyday Our parents Group dancing Climbing and hiking Watching TV Playing mahjong Surfing the Internet Travelling Visiting or Entertaining friends Reading novels or newspapers Playing go/chess Drinking tea at a tea bar/house Going to Karaoke Shopping Keeping pets 1 hour 4 hours 3 hours 4 hours 4 hours 10 days 4 hours 2 hours 4 hours 4 hours 4 hours 4 hours 2 hours Everyday Once a week Everyday Once a week Every year Once a week Everyday Once a week Once a week Once a week Once a week Everyday
College playing ball games 1 hour Everyday students going swimming 1 hour Everyday going skating 1 hour Everyday playing dota 5 hours Everyday Surfing the Internet 2 hours Everyday Talking on Weixin Half an hour Everyday Reading Weibo 15 minutes Everyday Taking photos 5 hours Once a week Travelling 15 days Once a year Playing musical 1 hours Everyday instruments Collecting coins 2 hours Once a week Listening to music, 2 hours Everyday Reading novels. 2 hours Everyday Watching a sports match 2 hours Everyday Going to a concert 3 hours Once a week (theatres and museums) Shopping 2 hours Once a week Singing in Karaoke 4 hours Once a week children Playing with Barbie dolls 1 hour Everyday under 12 Roller-skating 1 hour Everyday Playing Lego 1 hour Everyday Playing hide and seek 1 hour Everyday Riding bicycle Half an hour Everyday Drawing 1 hour Everyday Jumping elastic rope 1 hour Everyday Fighting Half an hour Everyday Playing Dominoes 1 hour Everyday Playing computer games 1 hour Everyday Watching cartoon 2 hours Everyday Listening to stories 1 hour Everyday Playing Yo-yo Half an hour Everyday Reading picture-books Half an hour Everyday Playing glass balls 1 hour Everyday swimming Half an hour Everyday STEP THREE 1.I interviewed a grandfather and a grandmother.They have very different interests regarding
3 College students playing ball games going swimming going skating playing dota Surfing the Internet Talking on Weixin Reading Weibo Taking photos Travelling Playing musical instruments Collecting coins Listening to music, Reading novels, Watching a sports match Going to a concert (theatres and museums) Shopping Singing in Karaoke 1 hour 1 hour 1 hour 5 hours 2 hours Half an hour 15 minutes 5 hours 15 days 1 hours 2 hours 2 hours 2 hours 2 hours 3 hours 2 hours 4 hours Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Once a week Once a year Everyday Once a week Everyday Everyday Everyday Once a week Once a week Once a week children under 12 Playing with Barbie dolls Roller-skating Playing Lego Playing hide and seek Riding bicycle Drawing Jumping elastic rope Fighting Playing Dominoes Playing computer games Watching cartoon Listening to stories Playing Yo-yo Reading picture-books Playing glass balls swimming 1 hour 1 hour 1 hour 1 hour Half an hour 1 hour 1 hour Half an hour 1 hour 1 hour 2 hours 1 hour Half an hour Half an hour 1 hour Half an hour Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday Everyday STEP THREE 1. I interviewed a grandfather and a grandmother. They have very different interests regarding
their leisure activities.The grandpa loves tea.Every afternoon he goes to a tea house, enjoying tea and chatting with a bunch of old people like himself.He says this is the best time of the day.He would forget all his troubles and pains in his body during the tea time Grandma loves group dancing in the evening.As long as it doesn't rain,she'll go to a tiny park nearby and dance with a group of women,winter or summer.She says dancing makes her younger and healthy.She also does some babysitting for her grandson when his parents are too busy to take care of him.She spends about 3 mornings doing babysitting every week. She also loves to play mahjong with her friends. 2.I asked a middle-aged man and a woman of the same age.The man says he likes climbing and hiking during the weekends.On weekdays,he has to work late,so when he gets home.he likes to watch TV.Then on weekends,he'll go climbing hills surrounding the city.Sometimes he takes his camera with him.That's his new hobby-taking photos.Every year,he would travel to a foreign country with his wife for about 7 days.The woman says she likes to surf on the Internet during her free time.She does a lot of online shopping these days.She is almost addicted to it and she has bought a lot of items that she doesn't need at all.Her husband is not very happy with this and asks her to sell them online.She also loves to watch TV plays on the Internet 3.--I asked three college students about their leisure activities.All of them are boys and one thing they all like is computer games.They spend almost three hours playing Dota every night in their dormitory.They like to play this game because it gives them a sense of accomplishment.They also take some sports activities in the afternoon,like basketball and football. --I talked with two girls,and both of them like listening to music.They say they feel relaxed while listening to music.Music makes it possible for them to continue their studies under pressure.They also like to read microblogs (Weibo)and talk with their friends through Micromessage (Weixin).It is a very convenient and cheap way to communicate with other people.They also go to concerts and other performances on campus once in a while. 4.I asked two young children for what they did after school.The boy says his teachers give him a lot of homework and he seldom has time to do what he likes to do.But if he has time,he enjoys animated cartoons and riding his bicycle.The girl says she has a lot of free time.She likes to play with her Barbie dolls and dress them up.She also likes to read books and watch TV.Sometimes she talks with her friends on QQ. 2.Laughter Cross-talk is very popular in China.You can listen to it everywhere,on the MP3,on the radio,on TV,on the Internet,etc.I think its popularity mainly lies in its humorous language,the performers'quick wits,their funny gestures and their presentation skills.The subject of cross-talk is close to our real life so that it resonates with the audience.It uses either bitter irony or funny teasing to amuse people.The most important thing is that cross- talk can make one laugh and think at the same time.What's more,cross-talk is also a reflection of the traditional Chinese culture.Cross-talk comedians are really gifted performers.They are good at singing-able to sing different kinds of songs as well as a variety of local operas.Some of them are very good at mimicking With almost nothing on the stage,they can perform whatever they want to. 3.Recognizing Puns l.The word“plane”has the same pronunciation as“plain”,If you say something is plain,you mean it is simple in style.Normally you don't have very nice food on planes
4 their leisure activities. The grandpa loves tea. Every afternoon he goes to a tea house, enjoying tea and chatting with a bunch of old people like himself. He says this is the best time of the day. He would forget all his troubles and pains in his body during the tea time. Grandma loves group dancing in the evening. As long as it doesn’t rain, she’ll go to a tiny park nearby and dance with a group of women, winter or summer. She says dancing makes her younger and healthy. She also does some babysitting for her grandson when his parents are too busy to take care of him. She spends about 3 mornings doing babysitting every week. She also loves to play mahjong with her friends. 2. I asked a middle-aged man and a woman of the same age. The man says he likes climbing and hiking during the weekends. On weekdays, he has to work late, so when he gets home, he likes to watch TV. Then on weekends, he’ll go climbing hills surrounding the city. Sometimes he takes his camera with him. That’s his new hobby—taking photos. Every year, he would travel to a foreign country with his wife for about 7 days. The woman says she likes to surf on the Internet during her free time. She does a lot of online shopping these days. She is almost addicted to it and she has bought a lot of items that she doesn’t need at all. Her husband is not very happy with this and asks her to sell them online. She also loves to watch TV plays on the Internet. 3. -- I asked three college students about their leisure activities. All of them are boys and one thing they all like is computer games. They spend almost three hours playing Dota every night in their dormitory. They like to play this game because it gives them a sense of accomplishment. They also take some sports activities in the afternoon, like basketball and football. --I talked with two girls, and both of them like listening to music. They say they feel relaxed while listening to music. Music makes it possible for them to continue their studies under pressure. They also like to read microblogs (Weibo) and talk with their friends through Micromessage (Weixin). It is a very convenient and cheap way to communicate with other people. They also go to concerts and other performances on campus once in a while. 4. I asked two young children for what they did after school. The boy says his teachers give him a lot of homework and he seldom has time to do what he likes to do. But if he has time, he enjoys animated cartoons and riding his bicycle. The girl says she has a lot of free time. She likes to play with her Barbie dolls and dress them up. She also likes to read books and watch TV. Sometimes she talks with her friends on QQ. 2. Laughter Cross-talk is very popular in China. You can listen to it everywhere, on the MP3, on the radio, on TV, on the Internet, etc. I think its popularity mainly lies in its humorous language, the performers’ quick wits, their funny gestures and their presentation skills. The subject of cross-talk is close to our real life so that it resonates with the audience. It uses either bitter irony or funny teasing to amuse people. The most important thing is that crosstalk can make one laugh and think at the same time. What’s more, cross-talk is also a reflection of the traditional Chinese culture. Cross-talk comedians are really gifted performers. They are good at singing—able to sing different kinds of songs as well as a variety of local operas. Some of them are very good at mimicking. With almost nothing on the stage, they can perform whatever they want to. 3. Recognizing Puns 1. The word “plane” has the same pronunciation as “plain”. If you say something is plain, you mean it is simple in style. Normally you don’t have very nice food on planes
2.The word"terminal"may mean illness or disease that causes death,often slowly,and cannot be cured.It also means a place where vehicles,passengers,or goods begin or end a journey. An airport terminal is where you get on a flight or get off a flight. 3.The word"pointless"means having no sense or purpose,and a broken pencil has no point. 4.Math teachers may have a lot of problems for their students.They also may have problems themselves. 5.The word "short"may mean short in height,it also means not having as much as you want or need.So here it may mean the boy doesn't have enough money to pay for the lunch.It may also mean that the boy is too short to reach the counter. 6.When you buy something from a vending machine,if you insert more than enough money, the machine will return the change,in the form of coins.What the nurse means is that they haven't managed to get the coin out of the boy yet.So the boy's condition hasn't changed. 7.The word"driving"also means powerful. &.The word“bored'”has the same pronunciation as“board”.So here it may also mean the mother is a member of the private school board. Extra activity for teachers'choice: VCDs and Movies Watching DVDs Going to the movies 1)It's more convenient,you don't 1)Movies are better in quality than Advantages have to buy tickets,and be dressed DVDs. formally. 2)You can watch undisturbed. 2)You can watch a DVD whenever 3)You have a relaxed holiday feeling. you like. 4)The wide big screen presents more 3)You can watch it over and over vivid pictures to watchers. again if you like. 4)It's much cheaper than watching a movie. 1)The quality is not as good as that 1)The cinemas are sometimes too noisy,and too dirty. Disadvantages of a movie,because many of the 2)Insummer there are many DVDs are pirated. mosquitoes in cinemas. 2)You are always disturbed by telephone calls or other things while watching. Part Two Reading-Centered Activities
5 2. The word “terminal” may mean illness or disease that causes death, often slowly, and cannot be cured. It also means a place where vehicles, passengers, or goods begin or end a journey. An airport terminal is where you get on a flight or get off a flight. 3. The word “pointless” means having no sense or purpose, and a broken pencil has no point. 4. Math teachers may have a lot of problems for their students. They also may have problems themselves. 5. The word “short” may mean short in height, it also means not having as much as you want or need. So here it may mean the boy doesn’t have enough money to pay for the lunch. It may also mean that the boy is too short to reach the counter. 6. When you buy something from a vending machine, if you insert more than enough money, the machine will return the change, in the form of coins. What the nurse means is that they haven’t managed to get the coin out of the boy yet. So the boy’s condition hasn’t changed. 7. The word “driving” also means powerful. 8. The word “bored” has the same pronunciation as “board”. So here it may also mean the mother is a member of the private school board. Extra activity for teachers’ choice: VCDs and Movies Watching DVDs Going to the movies Advantages 1) It’s more convenient, you don’t have to buy tickets, and be dressed formally. 2) You can watch a DVD whenever you like. 3) You can watch it over and over again if you like. 4) It’s much cheaper than watching a movie. 1) Movies are better in quality than DVDs. 2) You can watch undisturbed. 3) You have a relaxed holiday feeling. 4) The wide big screen presents more vivid pictures to watchers. Disadvantages 1) The quality is not as good as that of a movie, because many of the DVDs are pirated. 2) You are always disturbed by telephone calls or other things while watching. 1) The cinemas are sometimes too noisy, and too dirty. 2) In summer there are many mosquitoes in cinemas. Part Two Reading-Centered Activities
6 In-Class Reading I.Pre-Reading 1)I enjoy jokes because I think jokes can always make one laugh.It's well-known that laughter is the best medicine.Besides jokes often have wisdom in them.When I have time I usually read some jokes in the newspaper or in books.There are many jokes which cater to different age groups.I also like reading cartoons and comic strips. 2)I think humor is a very important quality for a person or for getting along with others.I like to be with humorous people.They are like sunshine and therefore are very popular with others.They can make me laugh when I am unhappy.They can change an awkward situation and help people get rid of embarrassment by making everybody laugh.With such people,life becomes more interesting and enjoyable.However,it doesn't mean everybody can understand the humor in a particular situation.Humorous people require understanding from their listeners. When they laugh,communication is successful. II.Passage Reading Words,Phrases and Grammatical Points 1.note (1.74) Some phrases with"note": 1)make a note of something:write something down so that you can look at it later eg.I)I made a note of her address and phone number. Il)Make a note on the calendar that he's coming on Tuesday III)She took out her diary and made a note of the time of the meeting. 2)take/make notes:write notes eg.I)I read the first chapter and took notes. II)She sat quietly in the corner making careful notes. II)I noticed he was making notes about the deals as I was describing them to the board. 3)take note:pay careful attention to something e.g.I)Take note of the weather conditions. 11)People were beginning to take note of her talents as a writer. III)I realized that I had forgotten to take note of any landmarks en route. 2.blame(1.102) Some phrases with"blame": 1)blame somebody for something: e.g.I)You can hardly blame Peter for being angry with her. II)It's not fair to blame me-it's not my fault that we lost. 2)be to blame: e.g.I)You are not to blame for what happened. II)The hot weather is partly to blame for the water shortage. 3)only have yourself to blame:used to say that someone's problems are their own fault e.g.I)If he fails his exams,he'll only have himself to blame. II)He's only got himself to blame if no one will talk to him. 3.alive (7.102) adj.(not before noun) 1)still living and not dead:
6 In-Class Reading I. Pre-Reading 1) I enjoy jokes because I think jokes can always make one laugh. It’s well-known that laughter is the best medicine. Besides jokes often have wisdom in them. When I have time I usually read some jokes in the newspaper or in books. There are many jokes which cater to different age groups. I also like reading cartoons and comic strips. 2) I think humor is a very important quality for a person or for getting along with others. I like to be with humorous people. They are like sunshine and therefore are very popular with others. They can make me laugh when I am unhappy. They can change an awkward situation and help people get rid of embarrassment by making everybody laugh. With such people, life becomes more interesting and enjoyable. However, it doesn’t mean everybody can understand the humor in a particular situation. Humorous people require understanding from their listeners. When they laugh, communication is successful. II. Passage Reading Words, Phrases and Grammatical Points 1. note (l.74) Some phrases with “note”: 1) make a note of something: write something down so that you can look at it later e.g. I) I made a note of her address and phone number. II) Make a note on the calendar that he’s coming on Tuesday. III) She took out her diary and made a note of the time of the meeting. 2) take/make notes: write notes e.g. I) I read the first chapter and took notes. II) She sat quietly in the corner making careful notes. II) I noticed he was making notes about the deals as I was describing them to the board. 3) take note: pay careful attention to something e.g. I) Take note of the weather conditions. II) People were beginning to take note of her talents as a writer. III) I realized that I had forgotten to take note of any landmarks en route. 2. blame (l.102) Some phrases with “blame”: 1) blame somebody for something: e.g. I) You can hardly blame Peter for being angry with her. II) It’s not fair to blame me—it’s not my fault that we lost. 2) be to blame: e.g. I) You are not to blame for what happened. II) The hot weather is partly to blame for the water shortage. 3) only have yourself to blame: used to say that someone’s problems are their own fault e.g. I) If he fails his exams, he’ll only have himself to blame. II) He’s only got himself to blame if no one will talk to him. 3. alive (l. 102) adj. (not before noun) 1) still living and not dead:
7 eg.I)Doctors fought to keep her alive. II)It was really a bad accident-they're lucky to be alive. 2)active and happy: eg.I)With the wind rushing through her hair she felt intensely alive. II)It was the kind of morning when you wake up and feel really alive. 3)continuing to exist: eg.I)Ancient traditions are still very much alive in rural areas. II)The big factories are trying to stay alive by cutting costs. 课内阅读 参考译文 享受幽默一什么东西令人开怀？ 1 听了一个有趣的故事会发笑、很开心，古今中外都一样。这一现象或许同语言本 身一样悠久。那么，到底是什么东西会使一个故事或笑话让人感到滑稽可笑的呢？ 2 我是第一次辨认出幽默便喜欢上了它的人，因此我曾试图跟学生议论和探讨过幽 默。这些学生文化差异很大，有来自拉丁美洲的，也有来自中国的。我还认真地思考 过一些滑稽有趣的故事。这么做完全是出于自己的喜好。 3为什么听我讲完一个笑话后，班上有些学生会笑得前仰后合，而其他学生看上就 像刚听我读了天气预报一样呢？显然，有些人对幽默比别人更敏感。而且，我们也发 现有的人很善于讲笑话，而有的人要想说一点有趣的事却要费好大的劲。我们都听人 说过这样的话：“我喜欢笑话，但我讲不好，也总是记不住。”有些人比别人更有幽 默感，就像有些人更具有音乐、数学之类的才能一样。一个真正风趣的人在任何场合 都有笑话可讲，而且讲了一个笑话，就会从他记忆里引出一连串的笑话。一个缺乏幽 默感的人不可能成为一群人中最受欢迎的人。一个真正有幽默感的人不仅受人喜爱， 而且在任何聚会上也往往是人们注意的焦点，这么说是有道理的。 4 甚至有些动物也具有幽默感。我岳母从前经常来我们家，并住上很长一段时间。 通常她不喜欢狗，但却很喜欢布利茨恩一一我们养过的一条拉布拉多母猎犬。而且， 她们的这种喜欢是相互的。布利茨恩在很小的时候就常常戏弄外祖母。当外祖母坐在 起居室里她最喜欢的那张舒适的椅子上时，布利茨恩就故意把她卧室里的一只拖鞋叼 到起居室，并在外祖母刚好够不到的地方蹦来跳去，一直逗到外祖母忍不住站起来去 拿那只拖鞋。外祖母从椅子上一起来，布利茨恩就迅速跳上那椅子，从它那闪亮的棕 色眼晴里掠过一丝拉布拉多式的微笑，无疑是在说：“啊哈，你又上了我的当。” 5 典型的笑话或幽默故事由明显的三部分构成。第一部分是铺垫（即背景），接下 来是主干部分（即故事情节），随后便是妙语（即一个出人意料或令人惊讶的结 尾)。如果这个妙语含有一定的幽默成分，便会使这个笑话很有趣。通常笑话都有这 三部分，而且每部分都必须交代清楚。如果讲故事或说笑话的人使用听众都熟悉的手 势和语言，则有助于增强效果。 6我们可以对幽默这种娱乐进行分析，从而发现究竞是什么使一个有趣的故事或笑 话令人发笑。举例来说，最常见的幽默有以下几种，包括了从最显而易见的幽默到比 较微妙含蓄的幽默。 7 “滑稽剧”是最明显的幽默。其语言简单、直截了当，常常以取笑他人为乐。说笑 打闹这种形式过去是、现在仍然是滑稽说笑演员和小丑的惯用技巧。它为不同年龄、 不同文化背景的人们所喜爱。几乎本世纪的每个讲英语的滑稽说笑演员都曾以这样或 那样的方式使用过下面这则笑话。一位男士问另一位男士：“昨晚我看到的那位和你
7 e.g. I) Doctors fought to keep her alive. II) It was really a bad accident—they’re lucky to be alive. 2) active and happy: e.g. I) With the wind rushing through her hair she felt intensely alive. II) It was the kind of morning when you wake up and feel really alive. 3) continuing to exist: e.g. I) Ancient traditions are still very much alive in rural areas. II) The big factories are trying to stay alive by cutting costs. 课内阅读 参考译文 享受幽默 — 什么东西令人开怀？ 1 听了一个有趣的故事会发笑、很开心，古今中外都一样。这一现象或许同语言本 身一样悠久。那么，到底是什么东西会使一个故事或笑话让人感到滑稽可笑的呢？ 2 我是第一次辨认出幽默便喜欢上了它的人，因此我曾试图跟学生议论和探讨过幽 默。这些学生文化差异很大，有来自拉丁美洲的，也有来自中国的。我还认真地思考 过一些滑稽有趣的故事。这么做完全是出于自己的喜好。 3 为什么听我讲完一个笑话后，班上有些学生会笑得前仰后合，而其他学生看上就 像刚听我读了天气预报一样呢？显然，有些人对幽默比别人更敏感。而且，我们也发 现有的人很善于讲笑话，而有的人要想说一点有趣的事却要费好大的劲。我们都听人 说过这样的话：“我喜欢笑话，但我讲不好，也总是记不住。”有些人比别人更有幽 默感，就像有些人更具有音乐、数学之类的才能一样。一个真正风趣的人在任何场合 都有笑话可讲，而且讲了一个笑话，就会从他记忆里引出一连串的笑话。一个缺乏幽 默感的人不可能成为一群人中最受欢迎的人。一个真正有幽默感的人不仅受人喜爱， 而且在任何聚会上也往往是人们注意的焦点，这么说是有道理的。 4 甚至有些动物也具有幽默感。我岳母从前经常来我们家，并住上很长一段时间。 通常她不喜欢狗，但却很喜欢布利茨恩——我们养过的一条拉布拉多母猎犬。而且， 她们的这种喜欢是相互的。布利茨恩在很小的时候就常常戏弄外祖母。当外祖母坐在 起居室里她最喜欢的那张舒适的椅子上时，布利茨恩就故意把她卧室里的一只拖鞋叼 到起居室，并在外祖母刚好够不到的地方蹦来跳去，一直逗到外祖母忍不住站起来去 拿那只拖鞋。外祖母从椅子上一起来，布利茨恩就迅速跳上那椅子，从它那闪亮的棕 色眼睛里掠过一丝拉布拉多式的微笑，无疑是在说：“啊哈，你又上了我的当。” 5 典型的笑话或幽默故事由明显的三部分构成。第一部分是铺垫（即背景），接下 来是主干部分（即故事情节），随后便是妙语（即一个出人意料或令人惊讶的结 尾）。如果这个妙语含有一定的幽默成分，便会使这个笑话很有趣。通常笑话都有这 三部分，而且每部分都必须交代清楚。如果讲故事或说笑话的人使用听众都熟悉的手 势和语言，则有助于增强效果。 6 我们可以对幽默这种娱乐进行分析，从而发现究竟是什么使一个有趣的故事或笑 话令人发笑。举例来说，最常见的幽默有以下几种，包括了从最显而易见的幽默到比 较微妙含蓄的幽默。 7 “滑稽剧”是最明显的幽默。其语言简单、直截了当，常常以取笑他人为乐。说笑 打闹这种形式过去是、现在仍然是滑稽说笑演员和小丑的惯用技巧。它为不同年龄、 不同文化背景的人们所喜爱。几乎本世纪的每个讲英语的滑稽说笑演员都曾以这样或 那样的方式使用过下面这则笑话。一位男士问另一位男士：“昨晚我看到的那位和你
8 在一起的夫人是谁？”那位男士回答道：“那可不是什么夫人，那是我老婆。”这个 笑话的幽默之处在于第二位男士说他的妻子不是一位夫人，也就是说她不是一位高雅 的女人。这个笑话并没有因为经常讲而变得不再那么好笑。由于这是一个经典笑话， 观众都知道要说什么，而且因为大家对这个笑话很熟悉而更加珍爱它。 8 中国的相声是一种特殊的滑稽剧。相声中两名中国喜剧演员幽默地谈论诸如官僚 主义者、家庭问题或其它一些有关个人的话题。相声随处都能听到，无论是在乡村的 小舞台上，还是在北京最大的剧院里，抑或在广播、电视上。它显然是中国人家喻户 晓的一种传统的幽默形式。 9 “文字游戏”不象滑稽剧那样浅显，它是因语言的误用或误解而令人发笑。我特 别喜欢的一个例子是三位年长的绅士在英国乘火车旅行的故事。当火车慢慢停下来 时，第一位绅士问道：“这是Wembley(温布利)吗？”“不，”第二位绅士说：“是 Thursday(星期四)。”“我也是，”第三位说道，“让我们下车喝杯啤酒吧。”我们 知道上了年纪的人往往耳背，因此会把Wembley(温布利)听成了Wednesday(星期 三)，把Thursday(星期四)听成了thirsty(渴了)，这样一来就为第三位老人的妙 语做好了铺垫。 10 著名的中国漫画家和幽默家丁聪便是一位文字游戏大师。在他的一幅幽默漫画 中，一位老师说：“你为什么一字不改地抄别人的作业？”那位年轻的学生回答道： “我没有一字不改地抄。我把作业上的名字改成自己的了。”在丁聪的另一幅经典漫 画里，一位生气的父亲问道：“告诉我，1加2等于几？”儿子说：“我不知道。” 这位不耐烦的父亲接着说道：“比方说，你、你妈妈和我，我们加起来一共是几个， 傻瓜？”儿子得意地回答道：“是三个傻瓜。”无论这些故事是漫画还是笑话，是由 演滑稽剧的喜剧演员说还是由搭档的相声演员讲，都为各地人民所喜爱。人们喜爱这 些有趣的故事，因为它们贴近现实生活，而且里面那些出人意料的妙语十分有趣。 11 双关语是一种更微妙的文字游戏。它使用的技巧是利用发音相似的词或同一个 词的不同意思。有些批评家认为双关语是最低级的幽默，但我不同意这种观点。双关 语与其它形式的幽默相比需要更细微、更巧妙的语言技巧：然而，简单的双关语甚至 很小的孩子也能利用。例如，谜语或脑筋急转弯问题常使用双关语做铺垫、制造故事 情节，而且更多地用在妙语部分。双关语是我最早懂得的幽默。记得大约在五岁时我 听到了下面这个谜语。一个人问：“什么东西整个儿是黑的、白的和红的？”另外一 个人通常猜不出来，于是问道：“我不猜了。是什么呀？”出谜语的人回答：“是报 纸。”如果你知道在英语中“red(红色)”和“read(读)”的读音一样但意思显然 不同，答案就很明显了。 12 DOUBLE ENTENDRES(法语中的“一语双关”)是双关语的特殊形式，其中的词 或短语有双重意思。两个意思往往很不相同，一个比较恰当，另一个往往比较粗俗- 但并不总是这样。我喜欢那个关于一位中学教师和校长因看见学生在学校操场上接吻 而感到担心的故事，故事并不过火。那位教师对学生们说：“我和校长己经决定停止 在学校操场上接吻。”听到笑声，她意识到她没有把意思表达清楚，于是补充说： “我的意思是不能再在我们的鼻子下面发生接吻这样的事了。”当然，这个解释并没 有纠正她的第一句话，反而使这个笑话的双重含义变得更加好笑。 13 一些专业的幽默家认为如今的幽默大多缺乏智慧，不够巧妙。他们不喜欢在幽 默中过多使用有色情意味或粗俗的语言，而且觉得大多数幽默家缺乏创造性。的确， 现在有些幽默令人震惊，但我认为这不是幽默的过错。幽默本身是活泼健康的，它还 会继续生存下去，只因为每天都有有趣的事情发生。一些有幽默感的人会看到、听到 这些有趣的事情，并把把它们编成妙趣横生、令人开心的笑话和故事
8 在一起的夫人是谁？”那位男士回答道：“那可不是什么夫人，那是我老婆。”这个 笑话的幽默之处在于第二位男士说他的妻子不是一位夫人，也就是说她不是一位高雅 的女人。这个笑话并没有因为经常讲而变得不再那么好笑。由于这是一个经典笑话， 观众都知道要说什么，而且因为大家对这个笑话很熟悉而更加珍爱它。 8 中国的相声是一种特殊的滑稽剧。相声中两名中国喜剧演员幽默地谈论诸如官僚 主义者、家庭问题或其它一些有关个人的话题。相声随处都能听到，无论是在乡村的 小舞台上，还是在北京最大的剧院里，抑或在广播、电视上。它显然是中国人家喻户 晓的一种传统的幽默形式。 9 “文字游戏”不象滑稽剧那样浅显，它是因语言的误用或误解而令人发笑。我特 别喜欢的一个例子是三位年长的绅士在英国乘火车旅行的故事。当火车慢慢停下来 时，第一位绅士问道：“这是Wembley (温布利)吗？”“不，”第二位绅士说：“是 Thursday (星期四)。”“我也是，”第三位说道，“让我们下车喝杯啤酒吧。”我们 知道上了年纪的人往往耳背，因此会把Wembley（温布利）听成了Wednesday（星期 三），把Thursday（星期四）听成了thirsty（渴了），这样一来就为第三位老人的妙 语做好了铺垫。 10 著名的中国漫画家和幽默家丁聪便是一位文字游戏大师。在他的一幅幽默漫画 中，一位老师说：“你为什么一字不改地抄别人的作业？”那位年轻的学生回答道： “我没有一字不改地抄。我把作业上的名字改成自己的了。”在丁聪的另一幅经典漫 画里，一位生气的父亲问道：“告诉我，1 加 2 等于几？”儿子说：“我不知道。” 这位不耐烦的父亲接着说道：“比方说，你、你妈妈和我，我们加起来一共是几个， 傻瓜？”儿子得意地回答道：“是三个傻瓜。”无论这些故事是漫画还是笑话，是由 演滑稽剧的喜剧演员说还是由搭档的相声演员讲，都为各地人民所喜爱。人们喜爱这 些有趣的故事，因为它们贴近现实生活，而且里面那些出人意料的妙语十分有趣。 11 双关语是一种更微妙的文字游戏。它使用的技巧是利用发音相似的词或同一个 词的不同意思。有些批评家认为双关语是最低级的幽默，但我不同意这种观点。双关 语与其它形式的幽默相比需要更细微、更巧妙的语言技巧；然而，简单的双关语甚至 很小的孩子也能利用。例如，谜语或脑筋急转弯问题常使用双关语做铺垫、制造故事 情节，而且更多地用在妙语部分。双关语是我最早懂得的幽默。记得大约在五岁时我 听到了下面这个谜语。一个人问：“什么东西整个儿是黑的、白的和红的？”另外一 个人通常猜不出来，于是问道：“我不猜了。是什么呀？”出谜语的人回答：“是报 纸。”如果你知道在英语中“red（红色）”和“read（读）”的读音一样但意思显然 不同，答案就很明显了。 12 DOUBLE ENTENDRES （法语中的“一语双关”）是双关语的特殊形式, 其中的词 或短语有双重意思。两个意思往往很不相同，一个比较恰当，另一个往往比较粗俗-- 但并不总是这样。我喜欢那个关于一位中学教师和校长因看见学生在学校操场上接吻 而感到担心的故事，故事并不过火。那位教师对学生们说；“我和校长已经决定停止 在学校操场上接吻。”听到笑声，她意识到她没有把意思表达清楚，于是补充说： “我的意思是不能再在我们的鼻子下面发生接吻这样的事了。”当然，这个解释并没 有纠正她的第一句话，反而使这个笑话的双重含义变得更加好笑。 13 一些专业的幽默家认为如今的幽默大多缺乏智慧，不够巧妙。他们不喜欢在幽 默中过多使用有色情意味或粗俗的语言，而且觉得大多数幽默家缺乏创造性。的确， 现在有些幽默令人震惊，但我认为这不是幽默的过错。幽默本身是活泼健康的，它还 会继续生存下去，只因为每天都有有趣的事情发生。一些有幽默感的人会看到、听到 这些有趣的事情，并把把它们编成妙趣横生、令人开心的笑话和故事
9 III.Post-Reading Reading Comprehension 1.Understanding the Organization of the Text Para.1-3 Humor is universal,but people's sense of humor varies. Para.4. Even animals have a sense of humor.The author's dog is a good example. Para.5 The typical three parts ofa joke:1)setup,2)body,3)punch line. Para.6-12 Different forms of humor:1)slap-stick,2)Chinese "cross-talk",3)a play on words,4)puns and double entendres. Para.13 Humor will persist even though some professional humorists think today's humor is not very intelligent or sophisticated. 2.Understanding Specific Information 1)B2)D3)C4)A5)C6)A7)A8)D9)B10)B 3.Explaining the Difference I think there are several factors that lead to the different responses,such as one's personality, knowledge of the world,cultural backgrounds,etc.Some people are more sensitive to humor. They like to laugh,and they enjoy jokes.They are more imaginative.After hearing the joke, they will use their imagination to make the joke more laughable.Others,because of their limited cultural backgrounds,can't understand the joke well.Perhaps they don't think it amusing because they don't have the right knowledge.It's not because they are not sensitive to humor,it's because they don't understand very well.Another barrier,I think,is the language.Sometimes when a foreign teacher tells a joke,his students cannot understand it because of some difficult words. 4.Analyzing Jokes JOKE ONE:[One day a visitor from the city came to a small rural area to drive around on the country roads,see how the farms looked,and perhaps to see how farmers earned a living.(SETUP)][The city man saw a farmer in his yard,holding a pig up in his hands,and lifting it so that the pig could eat apples from an apple tree.The city man said to the farmer,"I see that your pig likes apples,but isn't that quite a waste of time?'(BODY)】The farmer replied,“What's time to a pig?”(PUNCH LINE)】] JOKE TWO:[One absent-minded professor approached the edge of a wide river,and far across on the other side he saw another absent-minded professor.(SETUP)][The first man called out loudly,"Hello!How do I get to the other side of the river?"(BODY)]
9 III. Post-Reading Reading Comprehension 1. Understanding the Organization of the Text Para.1-3 Humor is universal, but people’s sense of humor varies. Para. 4. Even animals have a sense of humor. The author’s dog is a good example. Para. 5 The typical three parts of a joke: 1) setup, 2) body, 3) punch line. Para. 6-12 Different forms of humor: 1) slap-stick, 2) Chinese “cross-talk”, 3) a play on words, 4) puns and double entendres. Para. 13 Humor will persist even though some professional humorists think today’s humor is not very intelligent or sophisticated. 2. Understanding Specific Information 1) B 2) D 3) C 4) A 5) C 6) A 7) A 8) D 9) B 10) B 3. Explaining the Difference I think there are several factors that lead to the different responses, such as one’s personality, knowledge of the world, cultural backgrounds, etc. Some people are more sensitive to humor. They like to laugh, and they enjoy jokes. They are more imaginative. After hearing the joke, they will use their imagination to make the joke more laughable. Others, because of their limited cultural backgrounds, can’t understand the joke well. Perhaps they don’t think it amusing because they don’t have the right knowledge. It’s not because they are not sensitive to humor, it’s because they don’t understand very well. Another barrier, I think, is the language. Sometimes when a foreign teacher tells a joke, his students cannot understand it because of some difficult words. 4. Analyzing Jokes JOKE ONE: [One day a visitor from the city came to a small rural area to drive around on the country roads, see how the farms looked, and perhaps to see how farmers earned a living. (SETUP)] [The city man saw a farmer in his yard, holding a pig up in his hands, and lifting it so that the pig could eat apples from an apple tree. The city man said to the farmer, “I see that your pig likes apples, but isn’t that quite a waste of time?”(BODY)] [The farmer replied, “What’s time to a pig?” (PUNCH LINE)] JOKE TWO: [One absent-minded professor approached the edge of a wide river, and far across on the other side he saw another absent-minded professor. (SETUP)] [The first man called out loudly, “Hello! How do I get to the other side of the river?”(BODY)]
10 [The second man on the far side of the river shouted back."Hello!You are already on the other side of the river".(PUNCH LINE)] 5.Making Your Comments -I agree with it,because people enjoy laughter.Humorous people know that laughter is the best medicine.They don't mind insults if you can make them laugh.In fact,this kind of insult is not insulting in its real sense because when people are trying to make others laugh the focus is on the fun they can enjoy,not on insulting them.People often need self- mockery to survive,to let out anger,and to get out of difficult or embarrassing situations.I don't mind being joked about.Life should be filled with laughter.How boring the world would be if everybody was serious and humorless. -I don't agree with it.Dignity is the most important thing I wouldn't allow someone to insult me even if they intend to make me laugh.As a matter of fact,they wouldn't be able to make me laugh if they are insulting me.When people are getting together,friendliness and harmony are the priorities.How can people stay together if they are likely to be insulted or laughed at?I enjoy jokes,but I think some jokes go too far if they hurt people. Vocabulary 1.1)A.entertaining B.entertainment C.entertained D.entertainer 2)A.recognizable B.recognized C.recognition 3)A.tempting B.temptation C.tempt 4)A.reasoned B.reasoning C.reasonable D.reason 5)A.analyzed B.analytical C.analyst D.analysis 6)A.valuable B.valuation C.valued/values D.values 7)A.humorist B.humor C.humorous D.humorless 8)A.understandable B.understanding C.understand D.misunderstood 2.1)a sense of responsibility 2)a sense of safety/security 3)a sense of inferiority 4)a sense of superiority 5)a sense of rhythm 6)a sense of justice 7)a sense of shame 8)a sense of helplessness 9)a sense of direction 10)a sense of urgency 3.1)Lively behavior is normal 2)Fast cars appeal to 3)diverse arguments 4)I asked my boss for clarification 5)sensitive to light 6)Mutual encouragement 7)made fun of him 8)persists in repeating his opinion/viewpoint 9)to be the focus/center of attention
10 [The second man on the far side of the river shouted back, “Hello! You are already on the other side of the river”. (PUNCH LINE)] 5. Making Your Comments —I agree with it, because people enjoy laughter. Humorous people know that laughter is the best medicine. They don’t mind insults if you can make them laugh. In fact, this kind of insult is not insulting in its real sense because when people are trying to make others laugh the focus is on the fun they can enjoy, not on insulting them. People often need selfmockery to survive, to let out anger, and to get out of difficult or embarrassing situations. I don’t mind being joked about. Life should be filled with laughter. How boring the world would be if everybody was serious and humorless. —I don’t agree with it. Dignity is the most important thing. I wouldn’t allow someone to insult me even if they intend to make me laugh. As a matter of fact, they wouldn’t be able to make me laugh if they are insulting me. When people are getting together, friendliness and harmony are the priorities. How can people stay together if they are likely to be insulted or laughed at? I enjoy jokes, but I think some jokes go too far if they hurt people. Vocabulary 1. 1) A. entertaining B. entertainment C. entertained D. entertainer 2) A. recognizable B. recognized C. recognition 3) A. tempting B. temptation C. tempt 4) A. reasoned B. reasoning C. reasonable D. reason 5) A. analyzed B. analytical C. analyst D. analysis 6) A. valuable B. valuation C. valued/values D. values 7) A. humorist B. humor C. humorous D. humorless 8) A. understandable B. understanding C. understand D. misunderstood 2. 1) a sense of responsibility 2) a sense of safety/security 3) a sense of inferiority 4) a sense of superiority 5) a sense of rhythm 6) a sense of justice 7) a sense of shame 8) a sense of helplessness 9) a sense of direction 10) a sense of urgency 3. 1) Lively behavior is normal 2) Fast cars appeal to 3) diverse arguments 4) I asked my boss for clarification 5) sensitive to light 6) Mutual encouragement 7) made fun of him 8) persists in repeating his opinion/viewpoint 9) to be the focus/center of attention
