Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “The British are the only people who like to be told how bad things are.” This is definitely (绝对地) true of British comedy. Most people think humor is about happy things, but for the British, the opposite is true. We love to use our cruel sense of humor to complain and be negative (消极的).
British comedy, for example, draws a fine line between comedy and tragedy (悲剧). BBC’s The Office is a TV show, famous for its dry humor. The main character, David Brent, is a foolish man, and the show’s comedy comes from his delusions. For example, he often tells himself that he is loved by everyone but the viewer can see that everyone hates him.
Stupid characters for the audience to laugh at are an old tradition in Britain. In Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, the character Malvolio is an old man whom people play tricks on. The audience will laugh away, although the reality is that this man is a truly tragic individual (个体).
This side of British humor is reflected (反映) in friendships as well. At university, my friends and I would always laugh at one another. I had an American friend who actually found this sarcasm (挖苦) quite upsetting. She didn’t realize that in Britain, the better friends you are with someone, the more you laugh at them.
This approach – laughing at everything – may sound rather depressing (让人郁闷的), but our strange humor played a big part in British history. In World War II, along with a stiff upper lip (坚定沉着), the British got through it by laughing. What else was there to do?
There is a saying in English: “Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone.” If you are ever on the receiving end of British sarcasm, you may feel like crying, but it’s best to just laugh it off!
1. How is British comedy different from other types?| A．It is often surprising and boring. |
| B．It often laughs at human nature. |
| C．It is often about negative things. |
| D．It often makes people feel depressed. |
| A．strong abilities |
| B．fun characters |
| C．incorrect beliefs |
| D．deep confidence |
| A．To show one of the best examples of British comedy. |
| B．To explain how Shakespeare’s comedy is different. |
| C．To show how difficult it is to make people accept British comedy. |
| D．To prove Britain has a long tradition of laughing at stupid characters. |
| A．Learn from it. |
| B．Don’t take it seriously. |
| C．Reply sarcastically. |
| D．Be careful not to make stupid mistakes. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The world is designed for right-handed people, but why does a tenth of the population prefer the left?
The answer to it remains a bit of a mystery. Since scientists have noticed that left-handedness tends to run in families, it’s assumed that left-handedness has a genetic(基因的) component to it.
Historically, the left side and left-handedness have been considered a negative thing by many cultures.
| A．In other words, left-handers are born that way. |
| B．Left-handedness used to be regarded as a disability. |
| C．The unfavorable associations of the use of the left hand among cultures are varied. |
| D．Why do they prefer to use their left hand rather than their right hand for routine activities? |
| E．Why do some parents force their left-handed children to become right-handed when writing? |
| F．In Ghana, pointing, gesturing, giving or receiving items with the left hand is considered rude. |
| G．Fortunately, nowadays most societies and cultures no longer reject left-handedness like before. |
【推荐2】The 2023 Tibetan New Year falls on Feb 21, almost a month after the Spring Festival. The celebration usually starts on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar and ends after 15days. Just like the Spring Festival, the Tibetan New Year marks the perfect opportunity for Tibetans to reunite with their relatives and friends.
With a sweet smell coming from the pot, Tsewang, 74, stirred the soup ladle from time to time at her Singpori home. She was cooking “gutu”, a kind of soup made of flour and a traditional dish for the night of the 29th of the12th month in the Tibetan calendar.
“Gu” in Tibetan means nine, which is a lucky number. “Tu” means “pasta.” Nine different fillings like wool, charcoal and chili a replaced inside the dough drops, and each of these filings has a meaning.
“It is the Tibetan New Year’s Eve tomorrow. The family and relatives will be gathered together and welcoming a warm New Year at the new home,” Tsewang said on Sunday.
For 46-year-old Li Xijun, from northwest China’s Gansu Province, celebrating Tibetan New Year with his wife Drolma Tsering has become a part of his life after living in Tibet for 26 years.
“We celebrate both Spring Festival and Tibetan New Year at home,” he said. Li started his commercial trade business in Tibet after retiring from the army in 1997. He me this wife in 2000, and has since settled in the border county of Yadong to take care of Drolma Tsering’s parents and younger sister.
It is the third Tibetan New Year for Yuan Yubing from Shanghai. Yuan came to Tibet to learn Thangka painting in 2017 and married Losang Samkhar, her studio teacher, the following year.
“I was more of a spectator when I first celebrated the festival,” Yuan said. But after years of living here, Yuan has already known all kinds of customs of the Tibetan New Year.
Yuan and her mother-in-law have cleaned up the windows at home, and all the New Year’s goods are ready. She has even replaced her mother-in-law to cook for the family for New Year’s Eve. “Coming to Tibet makes me feel that my heart has found a home,” she said.
1. The 2023 Tibetan New Year falls on .| A．Sunday | B．Monday | C．Tuesday | D．Wednesday |
| A．it is a great opportunity for reunion |
| B．people will enjoy traditional dishes like “gutu” |
| C．people will gather-and welcome the arrival of New Year |
| D．people will prepare New Year’s goods ahead of time |
| A．she was not interested in Tibetan New Year at all |
| B．she celebrated Spring Festival only all the time |
| C．she had no sense of belonging there at that time |
| D．she had no idea about the Tibetan New Year customs then |
| A．They both came from Gansu Province. | B．They both came to Tibet to learn Thangka painting. |
| C．They both probably married a local in Tibet. | D．They both have settled down in Yadong. |
【推荐3】Despite usually being associated with the Chinese, the Lunar New Year is also celebrated in other countries. Here are several places in America to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
New York City
New York City, which has one of the largest populations of ethnic（少数民族）Chinese people outside of Asia, is a great place to experience the Lunar New Year. There are around 10 different Chinatowns in New York City. Visitors will find parades, performances and foods in most of these areas but some of the festival characteristics are unique to the particular district.
San Francisco
San Francisco's lunar New Year celebrations are the longest runnings in America. They date back to the 1860s, during the “Gold Rush” period. Today, numerous events take place around the Bay Area, but the headline is the massive Chinese New Year Parade that draws as many as 1 million viewers.
Washington DC
Washington DC has a historic Chinatown. There is a parade here with floats, firecrackers, dancers and music. The Smithsonian American Art Museum can host hands on arts and crafts events that feature performers invited from China. The Kennedy Center stages themed performances, including folk music and symphonies from China.
Chicago
Despite low temperatures in January and February, Chicago celebrates the Lunar New Year in a big way. There are two parades, usually held on different days of the same weekend. One is in the city's traditional Chinatown on the South Side, and the other takes place on Argyle Street. Asian culture is on full display during these parades, and other Chicago com munities also take part.
1. Which city has the longest history of celebrating the Lunar New Year?| A．New York City. | B．San Francisco. |
| C．Washington DC. | D．Chicago. |
| A．Serve Chinese food. | B．Show Chinese dancers. |
| C．Play Chinese court music. | D．Invite Chinese art performers. |
| A．Festival parades. | B．English concerts. |
| C．The American culture weekend. | D．The American-style art exhibitions. |
【推荐1】More than two thirds of the world’s polar bears will be wiped out by 2050, according to a shocking new study. By then, scientists say, global warming will have melted 42 percent of the Arctic sea ice. By 2100, only a very few of these important creatures will be left.
The report has been produced by the US Geological Survey. The scientists have publicized their findings in the hope of influencing US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who has been asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list.
Polar bears depend on floating sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, which are their main food. Without enough ice, polar bears would be forced to go onto the land, where they are poorly skilled hunters, and would be unlikely to adapt to the life on the land in time. Experts say few little bears would survive and the stress could make many females unable to get pregnant.
The team of American and Canadian scientists spent six months studying bears, on the ground, from spotter planes and in the lab, using computer models. Some team members fear the result is even worse for the bears than what their report says. They say the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere in the world and much faster than their computer had been forecasting. Satellite observations have showed that the ice has decreased to an alltime low.
However, not everyone in the scientific community believes that global warming is happening on such an alarming scale. Another investigation has found that polar bears are still being hunted by wealthy “sportsmen” who want their skins and heads. At least ten international companies offer bearhunting trips.
1. What do we know about Dirk Kempthorne according to the passage?| A．He is an animal scientist. |
| B．He is a protector of animals working for the US government. |
| C．He was asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list. |
| D．He offered to put polar bears on the endangered species list. |
| A．Because polar bears can’t catch enough food without ice. |
| B．Because polar bears eat ice when they feel thirsty. |
| C．Because polar bears will be easily found by hunters without ice. |
| D．Because most female bears are used to giving birth under ice. |
| A．there is something wrong with their computers |
| B．polar bears will disappear even faster than they ever expected |
| C．their computer models are not as accurate as they expected |
| D．global warming will destroy everything in the Arctic |
【推荐2】In 1948, the creation of a World Health Day called for by the First World Health Assembly(议会)marked the founding of WHO. Since 1950, people around the world have celebrated World Health Day on 7 April with a different theme each year. Each theme reflects a priority(优先 )area of current concern to WHO.
World Health Day offers a worldwide opportunity for every member country to focus on key public health issues. WHO contributes by highlighting activities and analyses on the chosen theme from and out the member states of the WHO European Region, and WHO country offices hold special events to draw attention to the theme and encourage discussions among policymakers and other stake holders.
World Health Day 2018- Universal Health Coverage
For World Health Day 2018, WHO calls on world leaders to take concrete steps to move towards universal health coverage(UHC). This means making sure that everyone, everywhere can have access to quality health services without facing financial hardship, as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals all countries agreed in 2015.
World Health Day 2017-Depression: Let's Talk
Depression is a major challenge to health in the WHO European Region and is the focus of World Health Day 2017. The theme "Depression: Let's talk""recognizes that depression is a treatable condition and seeks to deal with the fact that, despite this, about 50% of cases of major depression still go untreated.
World Health Day 2016-Beat Diabetes
World Health Day 2016 focuses on efforts to prevent and treat diabetes. There are about 60 million people with diabetes in the European Region. Although a large percentage of cases are preventable,the number of cases is increasing, mostly due to increases in overweight and obesity, unhealthy diet,physical inactivity and economic disadvantage.
1. What is the theme of World Health Day 2018?| A．Depression. | B．Universal health coverage. |
| C．Health for us. | D．Beat diabetes. |
| A．To mark the founding of WHO. |
| B．To be celebrated every year. |
| C．To take steps to move towards universal health coverage. |
| D．To focus on key public health issues. |
| A．Depression is a major challenge to health worldwide. |
| B．Countries hold special events to draw attention to the theme every year. |
| C．There are about 60 million people with diabetes in the US. |
| D．Most diabetes cases are preventable. |
【推荐3】We did a quick survey of New Year traditions around the world, and couldn’t help but notice that the traditions might reflect cultural varieties? but the meanings behind them are pretty universal.
Philippines
In Philippines? families hold traditional dinner parties called Media Noche to greet the New Year. Circle-shaped fruits are their favorites, such as grapes, oranges and melons, since they look like coins, you know. Filipinos actually try to choose 12 different kinds of fruit to put on the table—one for each month in the New Year.
Make sure you leave some food in your plate. It’s bad luck to start the New Year off as a hungry wolf.
Spain
Many Spaniards will eat 12 fresh grapes at midnight—one with each strike of the clock. Each grape represents a wish for happiness and good luck for every month in the coming year. This “12 grapes in 12 seconds“ custom came from a grape farmer in the Alicante region who wanted to promote his produce about a century ago. The tradition has spread to other countries too? with a few adjustments. In Portugal? they eat 12 dried grapes. In Peru? they eat a thirteenth grape.
Denmark
In Denmark? they eat kransekage, a big horn-shaped cake, on New Year’s Eve. When they’re finished with the cake, it’s Danish custom to throw the used plates against the front doors of their friends and neighbors. It’s actually a sign of friendship.
Italy
Pork sausages are usually served on New Year’s Eve in Italy. Italians choose pork because they think pigs are fat and keep moving forward, while other animals, such as chickens or cows, move backward or stand still.
But whatever you eat into the New Year in Italy-pork, fish or chicken-make sure you stay at home. Italians throw old possessions out of the window after midnight as an out-with-the-old, make-room-for-the-new gesture.
1. How many kinds of fruit are usually served at Media Noche?| A．6. | B．8. | C．10. | D．12. |
| A．The Portuguese. | B．Spaniards. | C．Filipinos. | D．Italians. |
| A．Eating special meat. |
| B．Throwing away old things. |
| C．Leaving food in plates. |
| D．Preferring coin-shaped fruits. |
【推荐1】Best activities for this weekend on Long Island
Looking for activities on the weekend? We’ve rounded up the best concerts, fairs, parties and cultural events going on in Nassau and Suffolk.
The acrobatic performance
Traditional Chinese acrobatics and circus arts go hand and hand at a performance of “Cirque Mei,”8 p.m. Saturday at the Patchogue Theatre. Collective bicycle skills, foot juggling with umbrellas, ladder balancing, and hoops diving will be performed. Tickets must be reserved in advance.
INFO 631-207-1313, patchoguetheatre.org
ADMISSION $69
The return of Elvis
The“King of Rock and Roll”is in the spotlight once again during “Elvis Seen Unseen,” at NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 8 p.m. Sunday. The concert features never-before seen video footage of Elvis Presley, live music performed by the TCB band.
INFO 516-247-5200, thetheatreatwestbury.com
ADMISSION $50
The book signing
The award-winning actress and one of the hosts of “The View,” Whoopi Goldberg comes to Huntington to sign her new book, “The Unqualified Hostess,” 7 p.m. Friday. The book gives her personal advice including tips on entertaining, setting a unique table, and decorating for guests. Visitors must buy the book at Book Revue to get on the signing line.
INFO 631-271-1442, bookrevue.com
ADMISSION Free; $35 plus tax for the book
The Drip Painting workshop
The Drip Painting family workshop for ages 4 — 12 teaches children how to express their feelings creatively through art, 10:00 — 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Meet at the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, 830 Springs Fireplace Rd., for the workshop. Everyone leaves with a masterpiece of their own.
INFO 917-502-0790, imaginearted.com
ADMISSION $40
1. What do you need to do if you see traditional Chinese circus acts?| A．Learn ladder balancing. | B．Arrive at 9 p.m. Saturday. |
| C．Book tickets in advance. | D．Show your bicycle skills. |
| A．$69. | B．$40. |
| C．$35. | D．$50. |
| A．The Drip Painting workshop. | B．The acrobatic performance. |
| C．The return of Elvis. | D．The book signing. |
【推荐2】Thanks to the progress of artificial intelligence(AI), robots have won against human players in a number of games, such as chess, Go game and even mahjong. And now, AI-powered robots are showing their talent in professional curling(冰壶).
Recently, a robot team named Curly has drawn much attention as it successfully beat two South Korean national curling teams. Researchers from Korea University in South Korea, and the Berlin Institute of Technology in Germany developed the robot.
Curling is a challenging sport that requires a mix of precision and strategy. In the game, a player called the “thrower” gently slides the stone and releases it before a boundary called the “hogline”. The stone slides down to the target, known as the “house”. An opposing team does the same, so both teams accumulate stones in the same house. At the end of the round, the team with a stone closest to the center of the target gets a point.
This requires the players to figure out the force and angle needed to slide a heavy stone in order to land it in the house or make it into another position. Players also have to form a strategy to prevent the opponent from getting their stones closest to the center of the house. And apparently, Curly has made progress in mastering these skills.
Curly is a team of two robots: One is responsible for observing the position of the stones at the scoring end, while the other does the throwing. But how was this robot programmed to achieve this?
Researchers built a simulation(模拟) of a curling game for the robots to play around. In the simulation, the researchers approximated the physics of the real world as best as they could, considering various conditions, such as the ice surface and the positions of stones. Then, there is curling strategy. The robots were trained in different situations to deal with various throws. The researchers found that Curly adapted to many variables(变量) of the game the same way a person would.
This shows that a robot can observe the real world and act accordingly in a precise and strategic manner, which is a sign of a promising future for the ever-expanding use of AI.
1. What do we know about the team of robots named Curly?| A．It can play different kinds of sports. |
| B．It defeated human players in sports games. |
| C．It is more advanced in sports than other robots. |
| D．It was developed by researchers from South Korea. |
| A．The way to play curling. | B．The use of AI in sports competitions. |
| C．The ways Curly can be improved. | D．The reasons why Curly was invented. |
| A．It could consider different conditions. | B．It could develop new game strategies. |
| C．It could build a simulation of a game. | D．It could copy what human players do. |
| A．Worried. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Annoyed. | D．Hopeful. |
【推荐3】Yinqixing Indoor Skiing Site, formerly known as Hokkaido Indoor Ski Resort, is the first indoor skiing site in Asia, which covers an area of 100.8 thousand square meters and the ski track is 380 meters in length and 80 meters in width, with the maximum drop of 42 meters. There are three sections of snow runs and a huge platform for practicing, which are suitable for skiing enthusiasts of various skiing degrees. The temperature in the skiing site maintains below -2℃ all the year round. Snow thickness ranges from 30 cm to 50 cm.
Solo Adventure Tips:
Location: No, 1835, Qishen Road, Qibao Town, Shanghai
How to Get There?
Public Bus: 91,92,803,953
Free Scheduled Bus:
Location: North Square, Xinzhuang Station, Subway Line I
Departure time: from 9:00 to 21:00, operating every half an hour
Ticket Price:
Adults: ¥138; Children: ¥80 (Ordinary time)
Adults: ¥158; Children: ¥100 (On weekends)
Opening Hours:
9: 30 to 22: 30 from Monday to Thursday and Sunday; 9:30 to 24:00 on Friday and Saturday;
It will stop selling tickets after 21:00.
More Tips:
Bathing fees: ¥6 per person
Stay overnight: ¥20 per person
Private room of 2 people: ¥58 per person
Private room of 3 people: ¥68 per person
Meal: ¥50 per person
For more information, you can click here Yinqixing Indoor Skiing Site or directly call 021-64788666/021-63816698.
1. Who is Yinqixing Indoor Skiing Site suitable for?| A．People who are good at climbing. |
| B．People of high skiing degrees only. |
| C．People of different levels of skiing skills. |
| D．People who are enthusiastic about outdoor sports. |
| A．¥506 | B．¥566 |
| C．¥356 | D．¥456 |
| A．A newspaper. | B．A website for travel. |
| C．An entertainment magazine. | D．A travel guide. |
【推荐1】Are you interested in Chinese traditional arts? Do you want to learn how to make them by hand? If so, come and join our clubs this weekend in our school.
Sky Lantern Club
Introduction:Sky Lanterns are made of bamboo and covered with paper. They were first used to ask for help when people were in trouble. Today, they are used to show happiness and good wishes.
Time:Saturday 8:30am— I0:30am
Place:Building 3 Room 501
Paper Cutting Club
Introduction:Paper Cutting turns a simple thing like a piece of paper into a beautiful piece of art. Pictures about flowers, animals and so on are put on windows, doors and walls as symbols of good wishes and good luck.
Time:Saturday 9:00an_11:00am
Place:Building 3 Room 502
Chinese Knot Club
Introduction:Chinese Knots are usually made of red and yellow ropes. They are used to express good wishes, including happiness, love, peace and so on.
Time:Sunday 2:30p.m —4 :30p.m
Place:Building 3 Room 603
1. What are Sky Lanterns made of?| A．Clay and paper | B．Cloth and steel. |
| C．Red and yellow ropes | D．Bamboo and paper. |
| A．Building 3 Room 501 | B．Building 3 Room 502 |
| C．Building 3 Room 603 | D．Building 3 Room 520 |
| A．A notice. | B．A story |
| C．A fiction. | D．A piece of news |
【推荐2】Mohanan, a tractor driver from Ambalavayal, a town in India's Kerala state, has been carrying a stick and an umbrella to work every day, for over a year. It's not that he fears getting attacked by dogs or that he hates rain, but that he needs to defend himself against the crows that always attack him whenever he approaches a bus station where he once picked up two crow hatchlings (刚出壳的雏鸟) from under his tractor and placed them on the side of the road.
The tractor driver recently said that crows nesting in the trees around the bus station always attack him when he drives by. He said he even tried staying away from that place for over a week, but it didn't matter. The crows were waiting for him when he came back. Now he just uses his umbrella and stick for protection, and throws the crows some food to distract them. "I give a share from my lunch to the crows. Once they finish eating it, they will start attacking me again," Mohanan laughingly said, adding that changing his clothes and trying to disguise (伪装) himself didn't work either.
The crows' animosity toward Mohanan had become well known among the local people, and while most find it funny, the tractor driver says the birds can be pretty unkind, so much so in fact that a few months ago they caused severe damage to his new umbrella during an attack.
Interestingly, we featured a similar story just last month. One day, Shiva Kewat, a worker from Madhya Pradesh, claims that he has been attacked by a group of crows for the last three years, ever since he picked up a crow chick on the street.
1. Why does Mohanan always cany an umbrella with him?| A．Because he fears to get attacked by dogs. |
| B．Because he doesn't want to get caught in the rain. |
| C．Because he would like to protect himself from the sun. |
| D．Because he wants to defend himself against crows. |
| A．Crows have great memory. |
| B．The tractor driver is an unkind man. |
| C．The crows finally forgive the tractor driver. |
| D．The tractor driver has to give up his job. |
| A．Fear. | B．Unkindness. |
| C．Curiosity. | D．Understanding, |
| A．To warn people to be careful next time they see crows. |
| B．To show Mohanan is not alone in being remembered by crows. |
| C．To remind people to live in harmony with animals. |
| D．To suggest Mohanan draw a lesson from Shiva Kewat's experience. |
【推荐3】This summer, I went to Sports Camp with my little brother, Charlie. When we hiked to the pond, I was the only one who didn’t jump in. “Can’t you swim, Brandon?” asked Henry. I can, but after you've seen pond water under a microscope(显微镜), you’re less eager to cool off in it.
Tonight after sundown, we’re playing Capture the Flag. The campers are divided into two teams, Blue and Red. Each team hides a flag, then has an hour to find and take the other team’s flag. Charlie and I are on the Blue team. When Kenneth, our team captain, asks who wants to scout out the Red flag. My brother raises his hand.
Charlie goes with a bunch of boys from our team. The rest of us stay behind to guard our flag, which we've hidden in a nearby tree. Soon, Charlie is back, his face as red as paint. “All the others were caught. But I saw their flag!” he pants. “Inside the door of the director’s cabin!”
Kenneth waves us over. “Time’s running out. Any ideas?”
“I’ll stay with Charlie and Isaiah and guard our flag,” offers Henry.
Kenneth points to Marshall and me. “let’s go.” he says.
We run through the woods. Unluckily, two boys from the Red team noticed Kenneth and Marshall, and they were caught. I hide behind a tree and try to figure out which cabin is the director’s.
A whistle sounds, and my heart beats fast. Only five minutes left! No time to check every cabin. Which one is the right one? Suddenly, I smell something familiar. The director's after-shave! I’m sure of it.
I climb up the steps and open the door. The flag!
“Get him!” Someone shouts.
I grab the flag and race for our home base. Two boys from the Red team are right behind me. I reach our home base just before I hear the final whistle blow loud and long. Blue wins!
1. Why doesn’t the writer want to swim in the pond?| A．He can’t swim. | B．The weather is not hot. |
| C．The water is not clean. | D．The pond is too deep. |
| A．Figure out. | B．Search for. | C．Set up. | D．Go through. |
| A．Brandon. | B．Henry. | C．Marshall. | D．Isaiah. |
| A．Capture the Flag | B．Sports Camp |
| C．A Great Success | D．An Unforgettable Experience |
