1 . Humor is so much more than silly situations and funny words. It is about the places we live in, the people who are with us, the events we experience and the problems we face. These humorous English stories will make you laugh first, then think. Here are some funny stories in English to get you started!

“Hunting the Deceitful Turkey” by Mark Twain

Good for: Intermediate to advanced students

Considered one of the funniest turkey tales in American literature, Twain tells a true incident where he tries to shoot a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

The story is a humorous account of his failure. It also relates to the American holiday of Thanksgiving, where turkey is the main dish in the feast (宴会).

Since the story was written in 1906, you might read some words which are not commonly used anymore. For instance, the word “swindler” means “cheat” or “fraud.” It might be helpful to have access to a good English dictionary while you read this.

“Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir” by Jenny Lawson

Good for: Mature intermediate learners

Have you ever felt that you did not fit in, or that you were strange or awkward? The author of this book felt like that throughout her life.

There are tales about her sister going to school in a bird costume, her “message-board” cat, her relationship and more. Her story is equal parts funny and enlightening (something which makes you aware).

The core message is that the moments that embarrass us are really the ones that define (界定) us. If you are still unsure about the book, you can read this article by The Washington Post.

“The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year” by Sue Townsend

Good for: Intermediate learners

Eva, the main character, is disappointed with her family. When her children leave home, she climbs into bed and stays there.

She refuses to be a dutiful wife to her indifferent (漠不关心的) husband, and she stops being an ideal mother to her careless children. Soon, unexpected things start happening. The true face of every person in the household starts to come out.

The novel is funny but also seeks to question traditional family roles. For a more detailed overview, read this review by The Guardian.

1. Which book is for intermediate learners?

A．Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir.

B．The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir.

C．Hunting the Deceitful Turkey and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir.

D．Hunting the Deceitful Turkey and The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year.

2. What can we learn about Hunting the Deceitful Turkey?

A．It is not a real story.

B．Twain failed to catch the turkey in the end.

C．The language in this story is simple and easy to understand.

D．You can use this book as a good English dictionary.

3. What is the key information of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir?

A．The writer’s sister always goes to school in a bird costume.

B．The writer always fails to fit in with society.

C．The writer is always unsure whether she will overcome an embarrassing moment.

D．In difficult or uncomfortable situations, people may reveal their true selves and learn and grow from them.

4. What is the writer’s purpose in writing The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year?

A．To make fun.	B．To describe Eva’s bad family life.
C．To question traditional family roles.	D．To expect the unexpected.

5. Which of the following is the passage probably taken from?

A．An English stories site.	B．A residency contract.
C．A library brochure.	D．A technical instruction book.

2 . Not Even Wrong

My eight-year-old son, lack, is a boy with autism (孤独症). Even though I always hear from others that he is very bright and he is making enough progress to meet goals, I am still anxious walking into their parents’ meetings.

Last fall’s parents’ meeting was even worse for me. I noticed Jack making a great effort to keep up with others. Some parents watched Jack and whispered (窃窃私语) and no children were willing to play with him. I started to see the social divide between Jack and his peers (同龄人) widening.

After the parents’ meeting, his teacher spent long time talking to me. She told me that it was getting more difficult for Jack to meet goals just because he was bright. Some teachers and students always complained (抱怨) about Jack’s actions. She also advised me to think about whether the normal class was the best setting for him. Hearing these words, I was very upset.

Then she blew my mind. She showed me one example of Jack’s works and said, “I didn’t know how to grade this. It’s not even wrong, but it’s not right.” I grasped when she said “not even wrong”, which is the name of one of my favorite books on autism, by Paul Collins. The book says a girl whose idea is so far off base but it is not even wrong. It perfectly describes autism and it perfectly describes Jack.

In his book, Paul Collins wrote, “Children with autism are like the square pegs (钉，桩). Hitting a square peg into a round hole is hard work. What’s worse, it’s destroying the square pegs.”

As a mother of a boy with autism, I want to help find more square holes. I want this world to be a world where it is okay to be a square peg without having to pretend to be round. We have been hammering (锤打) square pegs into round holes for a long time. Now we should put down the hammers. And I hope that some of those kids told their parents. And I hope that some of you read this and tell your kids. And I hope that we, all of us together, CAN change the world.

1. Last fall’s parents’ meeting______.

A．gave more joy to the author	B．left the author quite concerned
C．frightened the author greatly	D．seemed wonderful for the author

2. What does the underlined word “divide” in the second paragraph mean?

A．Impression.

B．Personality.

C．Difference.

D．Brightness.

3. When the teacher said “not even wrong”, she meant______.

A．Jack had been entirely wrong	B．she actually told a white lie
C．she just tried to please the author	D．Jack had a special thinking style

4. According to Paragraph 5, Paul Collins agrees that______.

A．a round hole fits a square peg

B．hitting can never destroy the square pegs

C．children with autism tend to be hard-working

D．people should let children with autism be themselves

5. What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To change people’s opinion on autism.	B．To give some examples of autism.
C．To advise people to buy a book on autism.	D．To warn people of the risk of autism.

3 . After two years of travelling and always having endless business to ________, I kind of lost my passion for the job.

A．attend to

B．apply for

C．withdraw from

D．test out

4 . As senior high students, time ______ a lot, for we need to fully develop ourselves in the period.

A．ignores

B．matters

C．sighs

D．observes

5 . —The old songs always _________ me of my childhood.
—I have the same feelings.

A．explain

B．remember

C．remind

D．hurry

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the man learn to do in his spare time?

A．Write songs.

B．Play the guitar.

C．Study three languages.

2. Who inspires the woman to have a hobby?

A．Her teacher.

B．Her cousin.

C．Her friend.

3. How will the woman get green paint?

A．She will buy it.

B．She will make it.

C．She will borrow it.

7 . The committee has approved his ______ that he put off his gap year till he finishes the research.

A．application

B．wisdom

C．arrangement

D．request

8 . It seems that his success happened by accident, but _____ it was the result of his years of efforts.

A．finally

B．gradually

C．actually

D．frequently

9 . Different countries have different cultures. So when studying abroad, you should be _____ the misunderstanding they cause.

A．curious about

B．unfamiliar with

C．aware of

D．eager for

10 . These measures sound great, but it remains to be seen          they will help improve air quality in our city.

A．whether

B．what

C．which

D．that