大学英语四 inclass.docx
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大学英语四 inclass.docx
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大学英语四inclass
EntertainingHumor—What'sFunny?
[1]Thejoyoflaughingatafunnystoryisuniversal,probablyasoldaslanguageitself.But,whatisitthatmakesastoryorajokefunny?
[2]AsonewhohasenjoyedhumorsinceIfirstrecognizedit,I'vemadeanattempttoexplainanddiscusshumorwithstudentsinsuchdiverseculturesasLatinAmericaandChina.I'vedonesomeseriousthinkingaboutfunnystories.Ithasbeenalaboroflove[N]!
[3]WhyisitthatseveralstudentsinaclasswillfalloutoftheirchairslaughingafterItellajokewhiletherestofthestudentslookasifI'vejustreadtheweatherreport?
[N]Obviouslysomepeoplearemoresensitivetohumorthanothers.And,werecognizethatsomepeopletelljokesverywellwhileothersstruggletosaysomethingfunny.We'veallheardpeoplesay,"Ilikejokes,butIcan'ttellonewell,andIcanneverrememberthem."Somepeoplehaveabettersenseofhumorthanothersjustassomepeoplehavemoremusicaltalent,mathematicaltalent,etc.thanothers.Atrulyfunnypersonhasajokeforeveryoccasion,andwhenoneistold,thattriggersanentirestringofjokesfromthatperson'smemorybank.[N]Ahumorlesspersonisnotlikelytobethemostpopularpersoninagroup.Itisreasonabletosaythatthetrulyhumorousindividualisnotonlywellliked,butisoftenthefocusofattentioninanygathering.
[4]Evensomeanimalshaveasenseofhumor.Mywife'smotheroftenvisitedusforextendedstays.[N]Shenormallydidn'tlikedogs,butshefellinlovewithBlitzen[N]—afemaleLab[N]wehad,andtherelationshipwasmutual.Evenwhenyoung,BlitzenwouldteaseGrandmabyveryselectivelycarryingoneofherbedroomslippersintothelivingroomwhereGrandmasatinherfavorite,comfortablechair.BlitzenprancedjustbeyondthereachofGrandmauntilGrandmawastemptedtoleaveherchairtogettheslipperfromBlitzen.WhenGrandmaleftherchair,Blitzenwouldquicklyjumpintothechair,flashingherLabsmilefromsparklingbrowneyeswhichclearlysaid,"Aha,Ifooledyouagain."
[5]Typicaljokesorhumorousstorieshaveathree-partanatomythatiseasilyrecognized.FirstistheSETUP(orsetting),nextistheBODY(orstoryline),andthesearefollowedbythePUNCHLINE[N](anunexpectedorsurpriseending)whichwillmakethejokefunnyifitcontainssomehumor.Usuallyallthreepartsarepresent,andeachmustbeclearlypresented[N].Ithelpsifthestory/joketellerusesgesturesandlanguagewhicharewellknowntotheaudience.
[6]Humor,asaformofentertainment,canbeanalyzedinordertodiscoverwhatmakesafunnystoryorjokeseemfunny.Here,forexample,aresomeofthemostcommontypesofhumor.Theyrangefromthemostobvioushumortothemoresubtletypes.
[7]"SLAP-STICK"isthemostobvioushumor.Itslanguageissimple,direct,andoftenmakesfunofanotherpersonorgroup.Slap-stickwasandisthetechniqueofthestand-upcomedian[N]andtheclown.Itappealstoallagesandallcultures.NearlyeveryEnglish-speakingcomedianinthiscenturyhasusedthefollowingjokeinoneformoranother.Onemanasksanother,"WhowasthatladyIsawyouwithlastnight?
"Theotherreplies,"Thatwasnolady,thatwasmywife."Thehumorliesinthefactthatthesecondmanissayingthathiswifeisnotalady.Inotherwords,sheisnotarefinedwoman.Thejokeisnolessfunnybecauseitissooftenused.Theaudienceknowsinadvancewhatwillbesaid,becauseitisclassichumor,andanyaudiencevaluesitevenmorebecauseofitsfamiliarity.
[8]Chinese"cross-talk"isaspecialtypeofslap-stickinwhichtwoChinesecomedianshumorouslydiscusstopicssuchasbureaucrats,familyproblems,orotherpersonaltopics.Cross-talkcanbeheardanywherefromsmallvillagestagestothelargestBeijingtheatres,andtoradioandtelevision.ItisclearlyatraditionalformofhumorwellunderstoodbyChinesepeople.
[9]APLAYONWORDSisnotsoobviousasslap-stick,butitisfunnybecauseofmisusedormisunderstoodlanguage.MyfavoriteexampleisthestoryofthreeelderlygentlementravelingbytraininEngland.Asthetrainslowedforastopthefirstmanasked,"IsthisWembley[N]?
""No,"saidthesecond,"It'sThursday.""SoamI,"saidthethirdman."Let'sstopforabeer."Weknowthatolderpeopleoftendonothearthingsclearly,sothemisunderstandingofbothWednesday(forWembley)andthirsty(forThursday)makesanicesetupforthepunchlinedeliveredbythethirdman.
[10]ThefamousChinesecartoonistandhumoristDingCongisamasterofwordplay.Inoneofhisfunnycartoons,ateachersays,"Howcome[N]youcompletelycopiedsomebodyelse'shomework?
"Theyoungstudentreplies,"Ididn'tcompletelycopyit.Mynameonthepageisdifferent."InanotherclassicDingCongcartoon,anirritatedfatherasks,"Tellme,what'soneplustwo?
"Thesonsays,"Idon'tknow."Theimpatientfatherthensays,"Forexample,you,yourmother,andIaltogetherarehowmany,youidiot?
"Thesonproudlyanswers,"Threeidiots."Whetherthesestoriesarecartoonsorjokes,toldbyaslap-stickcomedianoracross-talkingteam,theyappealtopeopleeverywhereasfunnystoriesbecausetheyhaveanote[N][N]ofrealitytothem,andtheunexpectedpunchlineisquitefunny.
[11]PUNSareevenmoresubtleformsofwordplay.Theyusethetechniqueofsimilarsoundingwordsoralternativemeaningsofthesameword.Punsarethoughtbysomecriticstobethelowestformofhumor,butIdisagreewiththis.Punsrequiremoresubtleandsophisticatedlanguageskillsthanmosthumorforms,buteventheveryyoungcanusethemintheirsimplerforms.Forexample,the"riddle"ortrickquestionoftenusesapuninthesetup,thestoryline,or,moreoften,thepunchline.PunsarethefirsttypeofhumorIlearned,andatabout5yearsofageIrememberhearingthefollowingriddle.Onepersonasks,"Whatisblackandwhiteandredallover?
"Theotherpersonusuallycannotanswertheriddle,sosays,"Igiveup.Whatistheanswer?
"Theriddlerreplies,"Anewspaper."Thisistheobviousanswerifoneknowsthat"red"ispronouncedthesameas"read"inEnglish,butthemeaningsareclearlydifferent.
[12]DOUBLEENTENDRES(Frenchfordoublemeanings)arespecialvariationsofpunsinwhichwordsorphraseshavedoublemeanings.Frequentlythetwomeaningsareverydifferent,andoneisquiteproperwhilethesecondisoften,butnotalways,vulgar.Ilikethesomewhatmildstoryofaschoolteacherandaprincipalofahighschoolwhoareconcernedbecausesomeboysandgirlshavebeenseenkissingontheschoolplayground.Theteachersaystothestudents,"TheprincipalandIhavedecidedtostopkissingontheschoolplayground."Hearingsomelaughter,shesenseshermessagewasnotaltogetherclear,sosheadds,"WhatImeantosayisthattherewillbenomorekissinggoingonunderournoses[N]."Thisclarification,ofcourse,doesnothingtocorrectthefirststatementandthedoublemeaningofthejokebecomesevenmorelaughable.
[13]Someprofessionalhumoriststhinktoomuchoftoday'shumorisnotveryintelligentorsophisticated.Theydislikethesuggestiveorvulgarlanguageusedtoofrequently,andtheyfeelthatmosthumoristsarenotverycreative.Itistruethatsomeoftoday'shumorisrathershocking,butIdon'tthinkhumoristobeblamed[N]forthat.Humorisalive[N]andwell,anditwillpersistsimplybecausetherearefunnythingshappeningeveryday.Somehumorouspeopleseeandhearthesefunnythingsandareabletomakethemintofunny,entertainingjokesandstories.(1,346words)
ThePowerofaNote
OnmyfirstjobassportseditorfortheMontpelier(Ohio)LeaderEnterprise,Ididn'tgetalotoffanmail,soIwasintriguedbyaletterthatwasdroppedonmydeskonemorning.
[2]WhenIopenedit,Iread:
"AnicepieceofwritingontheTigers.Keepupthegoodwork."ItwassignedbyDonWolfe,thesportseditor.BecauseIwasateenager(beingpaidthegrandtotalof15centsacolumninch[N]),hiswordscouldn'thavebeenmoreinspiring.[N]Ikepttheletterinmydeskdraweruntilitgotrag-eared.WheneverIdoubtedIhadtherightstufftobeawriter[N],IwouldrereadDon'snoteandfeelconfidentagain.
[3]Later,whenIgottoknowhim,IlearnedthatDonmadeahabitof[N]writingaquick,encouragingword[N]topeopleinallwalksoflife."WhenImakeothersfeelgoodaboutthemselves,"hetoldme,"Ifeelgoodtoo."
[4]Notsurprisingly,hehadabodyoffriendsasbigasnearbyLakeErie[N].Whenhediedlastyearat75,thepaperwasfloodedwithcallsandletters[N]frompeoplewhohadbeenrecipientsofhisspirit-liftingwords.
[5]Overtheyears,I'vetriedtocopytheexampleofDonandotherfriendswhocareenoughtowriteupliftingcomments,becauseIthinktheyareontosomethingimportant.Inaworldtoooftencoldandunresponsive,suchnotesbringwarmthandreassurance.Weallneedaboostfromtimetotime,andafewlinesofpraisehavebeenknowntoturnaroundaday[N],evenalife.
[6]Why,then,aretheresofewupbeatnotewriters?
Myguessisthatmanywhoshyawayfromthepracticearetooself-conscious[N].They'reafraidthey'llbemisunderstood,soundsentimentalorinsincere.Also,writingtakestime;it'sfareasiertopickupthephone.
[7]Thedrawbackwithphonecalls,ofcourse,isthattheydon'tlast.Anoteattaches[N]moreimportancetoourwell-wishing.Itisamatterofrecord[N],andourwordscanbereadmorethanonce,savoredandtreasured.
[8]Eventhoughnotewritingmaytakelonger,someprettybusypeopledoit,includingGeorgeBush.Somesayheowes[N]muchofhissuccessinpoliticstohisever-ready[N]pen.How?
Throughouthiscareerhehasfollowedupvirtuall
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