1、Unit 3A taste of English humourSection Warming Up & Reading.阅读理解ABill Gates and the president of General Motors have met for lunch, and Bill is going on and on about computer technology.“If automotive technology had kept pace with computer technology over the past few decades, you would now be drivi
2、ng a V32 instead of a V8, and it would have a top speed of 10，000 miles per hour，” says Gates.“Or, you could have an economy car that weighs 30 pounds and gets a thousand miles to a gallon of gas. In either case, the sticker price of a new car would be less than $50. Why havent you guys kept up？”The
3、 president of GM smiles and says，“Because the federal government wont let us build cars that crash four times a day.”Why is that funny (or not funny, as the case may be)? Human beings love to laugh, and the average adult laughs 17 times a day. Humans love to laugh so much that there are actually ind
4、ustries built around laughter. Jokes, sitcoms and comedians are all designed to get us laughing, because laughing feels good. For us it seems so natural, but the funny thing is that humans are one of the only species that laughs. Laughter is actually a complex response that involves many of the same
5、 skills used in solving problems.Laughter is a great thingthats why weve all heard the saying，“Laughter is the best medicine.” There is strong evidence that laughter can actually improve health and help fight disease. In this article, well look at laughterwhat it is, what happens in our brains when
6、we laugh, what makes us laugh and how it can make us healthier and happier. Youll also learn that theres a tremendous amount that no one understands yet.【语篇解读】本文是一篇文章的引言。作者通过比尔盖茨和通用汽车公司总裁的幽默谈话向我们讲述了“笑”的作用：可以促进我们的身体健康，增强抵抗疾病的能力。1Whats the best title of the passage?ALaughterBThe joke between Gates and
7、 the president of General MotorsCWhy do we laugh?DLaughter and health解析：选D标题归纳题。综观全文可以看出，文章通过一个幽默谈话引出了“笑”的作用：可以增进我们的身体健康，增强抵抗疾病的能力。2Which one is NOT true according to the passage?AComputer technology has developed quickly during the past few decades.BAutomotive technology has developed as fast as co
8、mputer technology according to Bill Gates.CThe president of GM thinks it is impossible to build cars worth less than 50 dollars.DIf cars were less than 50 dollars, a large number of accidents would happen per day.解析：选B细节理解题。文章第一段中的“If automotive technology had . instead of a V8”用的是虚拟语气，故该句中的描述与事实不符。
9、3The underlined word “sitcoms” in Paragraph 3 means “_”Asituation comediesBtragediesCbody languageDfictions解析：选A词义猜测题。该词的意思应和此句前面的“Jokes(笑话)”以及后面的“comedians(喜剧演员)”接近。而“tragedies(悲剧)” “body language(身势语)”“fictions(小说)”均不在此列。故选A。4This passage is most probably an_Aintroduction of an article about Micro
10、softBintroduction of an article about laughterCarticle about laughterDintroduction of an article about General Motors解析：选B推理判断题。由最后一段的后半部分尤其是“In this article, well .”可以看出，该文是一篇文章的引言，用来吸引读者，介绍文章的内容。BA cultures values can be mirrored by its humor. Humor has been evaluated by many great minds such as T
11、homas Hobbes, who disliked humor, “Laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from some sudden thought of feeling far better than others.” He thought humor to be a negative quality of human narrowmindedness.However, Mordechai Gordon, Ph. D of Education, insists, “Humor allows us to view the w
12、orld from an angle that is amusing rather than serious.” I agree with Gordon. Learning to look at the world through humor is important.In the United States, every four years an election occurs. Without humor as a way to express their feelings, how else would Americans keep from clawing their eyes ou
13、t and going the way of lemming？Television shows like “The Daily Show” have become important parts of American culture. They are mothering the masses by unconsciously inputting politics into our mouths. They make politics fun.Of course, politics is only one type of humor. Social humor helps people th
14、rough the twists and turns of the human condition. American pop culture promotes an unhealthy selfimage. On the topic of selfimage, Hari Kondabolu stands out. He has a joke about the popular musical group “The Pussycat Dolls”， describing their hit song “Dont Cha” as a negative representation of wome
15、n. He points out an obvious offence in American culture.A study from Loyola University of Maryland has shown that humor is one determining factor for selecting a mating partner. Amongst other things, mates look for an outstanding funny bone in a potential partner.Of course, humor is not always used
16、for good purposes. Humor can be linked to vulgarity (庸俗) and racism, but, like everything else, it has potential to unite human beings by allowing us to laugh at ourselves, our failures and our connection with one another.Though life may seem tough and depressing at times, all I have to do is look i
17、n the mirror at my increased wrinkles (皱纹) to know that there is a comedy out there that even Chaplin wasnt aware of.With that in mind, remember to laugh with humanity and sometimes at humanity.【语篇解读】一种文化的价值能通过其幽默感表现出来。本文作者介绍了自己对幽默的看法，并决定用幽默的态度来面对生活。5Hobbes believed that humor _Awas only a way to la
18、ugh at others to make oneself feel betterBresulted in narrowmindedness of human beingsChad the power to mirror personal glory and national valuesDwas for people to view the world from another angle解析：选A细节理解题。根据文章第一段可知，Thomas Hobbes不喜欢幽默，并从他的话中“Laughter is nothing . better than others.”可知，应选择A。6What
19、is the authors attitude towards political humor?AWorried.BDisappointed.CCurious.DAppreciative.解析：选D观点态度题。根据文章第三段中的“Without humor . way of lemming？”及“They make politics fun.”可知，作者对于政治幽默持赞赏的态度。appreciative“欣赏的，赏识的”。因此选D。7The fourth paragraph is developed mainly _Aby exampleBby processCby comparisonDby
20、 classification解析：选A写作手法题。根据文章的第四段的内容可知，作者是通过举例子来支撑自己的观点的，应选择A。8What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?AChaplin wasnt aware of being laughed at.BThe author feels helpless and sad about getting older.CNever be the one who laughs at other people.DThe author is determined to face life with a se
21、nse of humor.解析：选D细节理解题。根据文章的最后两段可知，尽管生活有时候会很艰难，但仍然有连卓别林都没有意识到的幽默，要记得用幽默的态度来面对生活，应选择D。.语法填空Lisa never had the chance to know her father. He and her mother divorced (离婚) when she was just a young child.1._ he didnt move far, he never came to visit his children.Lisa often wondered about her father. Wh
22、at did he look like and what was he doing? All she knew was his name:Jeff White.After Lisa grew up, she became a nurse at 2._ hospital, where she would help provide medicine and comfort for 3._ (patient) in their final days. A few weeks ago, she received a new patient 4._ name was Jeff White.When Je
23、ff came into his room, Lisa asked him if he 5._ (have) any children. Jeff told her that he had two daughters, Lisa and Elly. Lisa couldnt hold her 6._ (tear) back. She told him，“I am Lisa, your daughter.”Jeff embraced her，7._ (say) that he was not a good father. And the daughter held his hand and ki
24、ssed him.Jeff could have just weeks left 8._ (live), so Lisa wanted to make the most of the time she had with him. Lisa 9._ brought her kids to the hospital to meet their grandfather. The kids made cards 10._ him with the words，“I love you.”Forgiveness (宽恕) is also a kind of love.【语篇解读】本文是记叙文。一对分离多年
25、的父女，在父亲生命的最后关头不期而遇，之前的恩怨最终被宽恕了。1解析：前后是让步关系，句意：即使父亲住得不远，但从来没有去看望过孩子。Although意思是“即使”，用来引导让步状语从句。答案：Although2解析：根据语境，此处表示“一所”医院。答案：a3解析：根据语境，此处应用名词的复数，表示很多“病人”。答案：patients4解析：此处引导定语从句，引导词本身作定语，修饰后面的名词。答案：whose5解析：主句用的是过去时，根据事态一致的原则，从句也应用过去时。答案：had6解析：用名词复数，表示很多“眼泪”，tear本身是可数名词。答案：tears7解析：根据句子结构，此处应用现在
26、分词作伴随状语，表示动作与谓语动词同时发生。答案：saying8解析：根据句子结构，此处应用不定式作后置定语，表示“将来”。答案：to live9解析：根据题意，此处说明女儿把自己的孩子也带来，去见他们的外祖父。答案：also10解析：根据题意和搭配，此处表示孩子们为外祖父制作了卡片。答案：for1technologyn技术2speciesn物种3evidencen证据4tremendousadj.巨大的5mirrorv反映出Laughter is actually a complex response that involves many of the same skills used in solving problems.分析 关系代词that引导定语从句，修饰先行词response；过去分词短语used in solving problems在句中作后置定语，修饰名词skills。翻译实际上，笑是一种复杂的应答，这种应答涉及到很多和解决问题相同的技巧。