Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no,” criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialogue may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum.
Humor is often the best way to keep a small misunderstanding from escalating into a big deal. Recently a neighbor of mine had a squabble with his wife as she drove him to the airport. Airborne, he felt miserable, and he knew she did, too. Two hours after she returned home, she received a long-distance phone call. “Person-to-person for Mrs. I. A. Pologize,” intoned the operator. “That’s spelled ‘P’ as in…” In a twinkling, the whole day changed from grim to lovely at both ends of the wire.
An English hostess with a quick wit was giving a formal dinner for eight distinguished guests whom she hoped to enlist in a major charity drive. Austerity（节俭）was a fashion in England at the time, and she had asked her children to serve the meal. She knew that anything could happen—and it did, just as her son, with the studied concentration of a tightrope walker, brought in a large roast turkey. He successfully elbowed the swinging dining-room door, but the backswing threw the bird onto the dining-room floor.
The boy stood rooted: guests stared at their plates. Moving only her head the hostess smiled at her son,” No harm, Daniel,” she said. “Just pick him up and take him back to the kitchen”… she enunciated clearly so he would think about what she was saying… “and bring in the other one.”
A wink and a one-liner instantly changed the dinner from a red-faced embarrassment to a conspiracy of fun.
【小题1】What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Humor is the key to success in our work and our lives. |
| B．Humor enables us to cope with difficult situation effectively. |
| C．Humor is the only best way to criticize someone without losing his face. |
| D．Humor makes fun of any difficult situations. |
| A．Comedians on TV are believed to have done a lot in making people more tolerant of racial and religious differences. |
| B．To make up differences, humor is a most acceptable as well as a most effective means. |
| C．People often turn to humorous ways when meeting with difficult situations because of its effectiveness. |
| D．Only by adopting the means of humor can one succeed in some jobs. |
| A．the son had to cook another turkey for the guests |
| B．she already had made more than one turkey ready for the dinner |
| C．some other dish would be served instead of a turkey |
| D．the son could serve the same turkey after it was cleaned |
科目：高中英语 来源：2010-2011年海南省海南中学高一下学期期末考试英语卷 题型：阅读理解
For any person who must speak in public, to business or pleasure groups, humor is a helpful, and necessary, tool for getting your message across. Why does humor work a lot? There are several reasons.
People will enjoy what you have to say if it is presented with humor. But, more importantly, if you are in a situation where important, and perhaps controversial（有争议的）, ideas must be presented to less than open minds, humor allows those ideas to be presented in a non-threatening (无威胁的) manner. Abraham Lincoln was famous for his ability to relate humorous stories to make a point. Humor used carefully throughout a presentation will also keep the listener’s interest high. In a word, individuals learning how to use humor in their speeches can strengthen arguments, support interesting presentations and, most of all, entertain their audience in a positive and comfortable way.
While popular culture may well hold many kinds of humor, some of it has no place in presentations that are designed to educate and encourage the audience. If you want to become a professional stand-up (单人表演的) comedian whose goal is 100% entertainment, then you may be able to use some of the reference materials like The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking. They can help you develop your skills and sources of humor. To that end, your participation in this study of humor will become necessary. Hopefully, you will come to appreciate the special difficulty of entertaining the audience with good and clean humor.
【小题1】 How many reasons does the author give for using humor?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．To educate the audience. | B．To encourage the audience. |
| C．To entertain the audience. | D．To exchange with the audience. |
| A．It was good for training one’s skills of humor. |
| B．It helped the readers relax after work. |
| C．It gave some tips on how to live a positive life. |
| D．It was a textbook for professional stand-up comedians. |
| A．Finishing. | B．Conclusion. | C．Stop. | D．Result. |
| A．science researchers | B．public speakers |
| C．dress designers | D．sports players |
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科目：高中英语 来源：重庆市南开中学2010届高三下学期5月月考试题（英语） 题型：阅读理解
A lot of us lose life's tough battles by starting a frontal attack--when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who was on his trapped way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam's being late--serious illness at home--he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn't work any longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.
Yes, the boss was, Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room(更衣室); everyone was hard at work. Sam's supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand. "How do you do!" he said. "I'm Sam Maynard. I'm applying for a job, which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?"
The room exploded in laughter, except that the supervisor had to clamp off a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job--with the only tool that could win, a laugh.
Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying "no", criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it's the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum.
1. Why was Sam late for his job?
A. Because he was seriously ill at home. B. Because he received an ultimatum.
C. Because he was caught in a traffic jam. D. Because he was busy applying for a new job.
2. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Sam Maynard saved his job with humor B. Humor is important in our lives
C. Early bird can get the worm D. Humor can solve racial discriminations
3. The phrase "clamp off" in Paragraph 3 means__________.
A. try to hold back B. pretend to set C. send off D. give out
4. Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage?
A. Many lose life's battles for they are lacking in a sense of humor.
B. It wasn't the first time that Sam came late for his work.
C. Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8:30.
D. Humor is the most effective way of solving problems.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013届重庆市重庆一中高三上学期第三次月考英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
Gallows humor(黑色幽默) may seem like a mistake, or at least in poor taste. But psychologists say that gallows humor can be an important way to relieve stress.“Humor makes you feel in control and it can give you that feeling that everything is okay even when it’s not,”says James M.Jones, a psychology professor at the University of Delaware.
Psychologists say that just because you’re laughing doesn’t mean you’re wasting time. Occasional tease among colleagues, particularly if it is associated with the job, can inspire creativity, departmental cohesiveness(凝聚力) and performance.
“There are a lot of stresses out there,”says Ed Dunkelblau, a psychologist in Chicago.“Gallows humor is a way of making difficult things a little less difficult.”
This is as long as the humor is used for the right purpose. The main point of it should be inspiring people—not laughing at them. “Anything that would lift morale(士气) in terms of the company would be good humor,”says Thierry Guedj, a professor.
You want to give your employees and co-workers a sense of belonging, so don’t make observations that are aggressive. Most obviously, Dr. Guedj says, don’t make comments about people’s physical appearance or faith. If you have any doubt about its appropriateness, don’t go through with it.
Or you can take aim at the person that you know won’t be offended(冒犯): yourself. “If there’s going to be a joke or story, it should be you,”Mr Dunkelblau says.
“People with the ability to laugh at themselves can give other people permission to laugh at themselves, too,”Mr Jones says.“And if you can laugh at yourself, you feel better about yourself.”
【小题1】According to the passage, gallows humor has the following functions EXCEPT .
| A．leading to a big mistake | B．reducing pressure |
| C．making people more creative | D．improving performance |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. | C．Neutral.(中立的) | D．Uncertain. |
| A．observe who is aggressive |
| B．show a sense of belonging |
| C．doubt about the result of humor |
| D．try to avoid involving private things |
| A．People tend to laugh at others rather than themselves. |
| B．Laughing at yourself can make others free from stress. |
| C．People can’t avoid offending others with gallows humor. |
| D．People who laugh at themselves are easy to gain others’ permission. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：重庆市2010届高三第一次学业质量调研抽测 题型：阅读理解
D
A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal(正面的)attack—when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about being late on the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam’s a being late—serious illness at home—he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.
Yes, the boss was, Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room(更衣室); everyone was hard at work. Sam’s supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand. “How do you do!” he said. “I’m Sam Maynard. I’m applying for a job. Which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?”
The room exploded in laughter. The supervisor clamped off a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job—with the only tool that could win, a laugh.
Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no”, criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance(忍受力) than people in any other forum.
67．Why was Sam late for his job?
A．Because he was ill. B．Because he got up late.
C．Because he was caught in a traffic jam. D．He was busy applying for a new job.
68.the main idea of this passage is
A．They have no doubts about them. B．They have doubts about them.
C．They approve of them. D．They avoid talking about them.
69．the phrase “clamped off “in paragraph 3 probably means trying to
A．hold back B．set off C．leave behind D．gave out
70．Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage?
A．Many lose life’s battles for they start a frontal attack.
B．It wasn’t the first time that Sam came late for his work
C．Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8:30.
D．Humor is a very effective way of dealing with difficult situations.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011年甘肃省兰州一中高一下学期期末考试英语卷 题型：阅读理解
What is the greatest reward of being alive? Is it chocolate, ice cream, tropical vacations, hugs from children, a perfect night’s sleep, or the satisfaction of a job well done? 【小题1】 . But one supreme pleasure that includes all people i
s laughter.
Little can compare to the feeling of a deep, complete, heartfelt time of laughing. 【小题2】 , no matter your age, wealth, race, or living situation.
【小题3】 . Research finds that humor can help you cope better with pain, improve your immune(免疫) system, reduce stress, even help you live longer. Laughter, doctors and psychologists agree, is an basic part of a healthy, happy life.
As Mark Twain once said, “Studying humor is like dissecting (解剖) a frog. You may know a lot but you end up with a dead frog.” Nonetheless, we’re giving it a try. Here are some tips for 
getting — or growing — your sense of humor, based partly on the idea that you can’t be funny if you don’t understand what funny is.
First, regain your smile. 【小题4】 , but they do live in the same neighborhood.
Treat yourself to a comedy festival. Rent humorous movies. Reward yourself frequently with the gift of laughter, Hollywood style. 【小题5】 . Then find the humor in them. Now practice telling stories describing them in a humorous way.
Read the comics(连环画) every day and cut out the ones that remind you of your life.
Every night at dinner, make family members share one funny or even embarrassing moment 
of their day.
a) Life is also healthier
b) Recall several of the most embarrassing moments in your life
c) A thousand people, a thousand different answers
d) Life is good when laughter is frequent
e) Humor is everywhere
f) A smile and a laugh aren’t the same thing
g) Humor is a way to make yourself relaxed from stress
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