Listen to the tape then answer the question below.

听录音，然后回答以下问题。

What is the basis of ‘sick’ humour?

Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up. The sense of humour 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 humour, which stems largely from the U. S. , has recently come into fashion. It is called ‘sick humour’. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful. The following example of ‘sick humour’ 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 Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party. To compensate for his unpleas ant 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.

New Words and Expressions

生词和短语

largely (1. 1) /'la:d{li/ adv. 在很大程度上

comic (1. 7) /'k&mik/ adj. 喜剧的，可笑的

universal (1. 8) /?ju:ni'v*:s+l/ adj. 普遍的



comedian (1. 10) /k+'mi:di+n/ n. 滑稽演员，喜剧演员

distasteful (1. 11) /dis'teistf+l/ adj. 讨厌的

pester (1. 14) /'pest+/ v. 一再要求，纠缠

dread (1. 15) /dred/ v. 惧怕

recovery (1. 15) /ri'k)v+ri/ n. 康复

plaster (1. 16) /'pla:st+/ n. 熟石膏

console (1. 17) /k+n's+(l/ v. 安慰，慰问

hobble (1. 19) /'h&b+l/ v. 瘸着腿走



compensate (1. 19) /'k&mp+nseit/ v. 补偿

mumble (1. 21) /'m)mb+l/ v. 喃喃而语

Notes on the text课文注释

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

2be bound up with，与……联系在一起。

3you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films. 比如说，你看了查理·卓别林的早期电影很难不发笑。句中的say是插入语，可译作“比如说”。查理·卓别林是电影史上最有名的演员之一。他在诸如《淘金记》（1924）这类电影中扮演的流浪汉“小人物”在各种不利的条件下仍获得了成功。

4stem from，起源于。

5come into fashion，

开始流行，时兴起来。

6judge for yourself，你自己来判断。

7take heart，振作精神。

8the man drank a little more than was good for him．这个人稍微多喝了一点酒。

此句than后面省略了主语what， be good for sb. 是“对某人有益”的意思。

参考译文

我们觉得一则笑话是否好笑，很大程度上取决于我们是在哪儿长大的。幽默感与民族有着神秘莫测的联系。譬如，法国人听完一则俄国笑话可能很难发笑。同样的道理，一则可以令英国人笑出泪来的笑话，俄国人听了可能觉得没有什么可笑之处。

大部分令人发笑的故事都是根据喜剧情节编写的。尽管民族不同，有些滑稽情节却能产生普遍的效果。比如说，不管你生活在哪里，你看了查理·卓别林的早期电影很难不发笑。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。它被叫作“病态幽默”。喜剧演员根据悲剧情节诸如暴死、重大事故等来编造笑话。许多人认为这种笑话是低级庸俗的。下面是个“病态幽默”的实例，你可以据此自己作出判断。

圣诞节前几周，某人摔断了右腿被送进医院。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。他十分害怕在医院过圣诞。尽管医生竭力医治，但病人恢复缓慢。圣诞节那天，他的右腿还上着石膏，他在床上郁郁不乐地躺了一天，想着他错过的种种欢乐。然而，第二天，医生安慰他说，出院欢度新年的可能性还是很大的，那人听后振作了精神。果然，除夕时他可以一瘸一拐地去参加晚会了。为了补偿住院这一段不愉快的经历，那人喝得稍许多了一点。在晚会上他尽情娱乐，一再告诉大家他是多么讨厌医院。晚会结束时，他嘴里还在嘟哝着医院的事，突然踩到一块冰上滑倒了，摔断了左腿。

Comprehension

理解

Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possible. Use one complete sentence for each answer.

1Why might a Frenchman find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke?

2Why do people all over the world find Charlie Chaplin's early films amusing?

3Where did ‘sick humour’ originate?

Vocabulary

词汇

Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: brought up. (1. 2); mysteriously bound up with (11, 2-3); make (1. 5); universal appeal (1. 8); stems (1. 10); come into fashion (1. 10);distasteful (1. 11)

Summary writing

摘要写作

Relate the story told in the passage in not more than 80 words. Use your own words as far as possible. Do not include anything that is not in the last paragraph.

Composition

作文

In not more than 250 words tell a funny story you know well. Make out a full plan and provide a suitable title. Your Composition should be in three or four paragraphs.

Letter writing

书信写作

You cannot find your overcoat and think you may have left it at the house of a friend whom you visited recently. Write him a letter of about 100 words in three paragraphs asking him if you did in fact leave your overcoat at his house.

Key structures

and

Special difficulties

关键句型和难点

Exercises 练习

1depends on (1. 1). Which words normally follow these verbs: operate, differ, smell, encourage, lean, approve, delight, suffer, assure, escape, interested, concentrate, include. (IKS 22) （参见第2册第22课关键句型）

2A Frenchman … might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. (11. 3-4) Note this pattern. Write similar sentences using the following: He found it … ; She considered it… ; He thought it … (ISD 84) （参见第2册第84课难点）

3to laugh at a Russian joke (1. 4). Write two sentences illustrating the difference between laugh and laugh at. (ISD 82a) （参见第2册第82课难点a）

4fail to see anything amusing (1. 5). Explain the meaning of amusing here. Write sentences using the following words: amuse, enjoy, entertain. (ISD 69b) （参见第2册第69课难点b）



5A man had broken his right leg. He was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. (1. 13) Join these two sentences then compare your answer with the sentence in the passage. (ISD 28) （参见第2册第28课难点）

6he kept on pestering his doctor (1. 14). Write sentences using the following: keep off, keep up with, keep out. (ISD 78) （参见第2册第78课难点）

7on New Year's Eve, he was able to hobble along to a party (1. 19). Write two sentences using could and was able to. (IKS 43c) （参见第2册第43课关键句型 c）

Multiple choice questions

多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension理解

1Whether you find ‘sick humour’ funny or not will depend on ______ .

a．your having been brought up in America

b．the joke being related to a fundamentally comic situation

c．your ability to see the funny side of an unpleasant event

d．your ability to laugh until you cry

2The man spent Christmas Day feeling miserable because ______ .

a．the doctor had failed to attend to him

b．he was not able to be with his friends

c．being unable to walk, he did not enjoy the celebrations at the hospital

d．he thought he might also miss the New Year's Eve celebrations

3The point of the joke taken to illustrate ‘sick humour’is that ______ .

a．no sooner was the man out of hospital than he had to go back in again

b．the man should not have said how much he hated hospitals

c．the man would be unable to walk for the rest of his life

d．the man had not got a leg to stand on

Structure 结构

4______ , for instance, might find it hard to . . . (11. 3-4)

a．The French

b．A French

c．A man in France

d．If you were French

5______ amusing stories are based on comic situations. (1. 7)

a．Most

b．Most of

c．The majority

d．Mostly

6A man ______ broken was taken to hospital . . . (1. 13)

a．whose right leg had been

b．who had the right leg

c．with one right leg

d．to whom the right leg had been

7He had no sooner arrived there ______ pestering his doctor . . . (11. 13-14)

a．and then he began

b．than he began

c．he began

d．to begin

8The man compensated for his unpleasant experiences in hospital ______ a little more than . . . (11. 19-20)

a．drinking

b．to drink

c．by drinking

d．and drunk

Vocabulary词汇

9Though the doctor ______ . . . (1. 15)

a．worked very well

b．could not have been better

c．was extremely skilled

d．did all he could

10The doctor him by ______ . . . (1. 17)

a．felt

b．advised

c．pleased

d．comforted

11- and kept telling everyone ______ he hated hospitals. (1. 21)

a．at great lengths that

b．to their cost

c．to what extent

d．why

12He was still mumbling something ______ at the end . . . (11. 21-22)

a．in the same way

b．to the same effect

c．of common sense

d．of some sort