The Americans have been voted the world’s “funniest nationality” ---the one “best at making people laugh” ---in a global poll (民意调查), which also names the Germans the “least funny” nationality and the British “not as funny as they think”.
30,000 people across 15 countries were asked to name both the “funniest” and “least funny” nationality in a poll conducted by Badoo.com, the world’s largest social network for meeting new people, with 119 million users worldwide.
The Americans were voted the funniest nationality, ahead of the Spanish --- the funniest Europeans --- in second, Italians in third and British in seventh.
The voting for the “least funny” nationality confirmed the view of America’s Mark Twain that “a German joke is no laughing matter”. The Germans won, ahead of the Russians and Turks. The stereotype of German humourlessness is believed to derive from their reputation for efficiency, punctuality and rationality(理性). Examples of German jokes include: “Yesterday, I met my friend Horst at the hospital. He’d swallowed a sponge. He says it doesn’t hurt but he’s always thirsty.”
“When we meet someone new, one of the first things we notice is whether they make us laugh”, says Lloyd Price, Badoo’s Marketing Director. “America is a worthy poll winner”, says Price. “It’s the world’s only comedy superpower.”
The British pride themselves on their humour but learn from the poll that they’re not as funny as they think. They placed just seventh of 15 --- behind the Brazilians, French and Mexicans.
1.According to the poll, which is the right order from the funniest nationality to the least funny one?
A．Spanish, Americans, French, Mexicans, British
B．Americans, Spanish, Italians, Brazilians, French
C．British, Mexicans, Brazilians, Spanish, Americans
D．Italians, French, British, Mexicans, Brazilians
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．The poll was conducted among 119 million people by Badoo. com.
B．Spanish are the funniest nationality in Europe.
C．That Germans are named the “least funny” nationality is because of Mark Twain.
D．Some people think that British are funny while others think the opposite in the poll.
3.Which can be the substitute of the word “derive” in the fourth paragraph?
A．acquire B．suffer C．translate D．accomplish
4.What is the author’s purpose of telling us a German joke?
A．The author wants to show that Germans are good at telling jokes.
B．The author wants to confirm what Mark Twain said.
C．The author wants to prove that Germans are not funny at all.
D．The author just wants to say that swallowing a sponge is no harm.
5.It seems that the best title for this passage is ______.
A．The Funniest Nationality
B．A Global Poll Conducted by Badoo.Com
C．Americans Won the Funniest Nationality
D．Americans Voted “Funniest Nation”, Germans “Least Funny”
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry, “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we are on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise?” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir.” They said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of minute, the director suddenly put his face in the hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.
1.One evening, the director sent his camera crew out ______________.
A．to watch a beautiful sunset B．to find an actor and an actress
C．to film a scene on the sea D．to meet the audience
2.Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.
B．Because he was angry with his crew.
C．Because it was his secretary’s suggestion.
D．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.
3.The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because___________.
A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine
B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening
C．it was more moving than a sunrise
D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset
4.After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands __________.
A．because he was moved to tears
B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards
C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined
D．because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine
5.Which of the following is not true?
A．The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice.
B．If you want to see a sunrise, the east coast is the place to go to.
C．The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day.
D．The director ordered his crew to stop filming the sunrise.
Today, I’m going to share a story with you. A king had a wise advisor 1.______ best advice for the king was, “Everything happens for the good”.One day the King went hunting and injured 2._______ by shooting an arrow at his own foot. He asked the advisor what he thought about the accident. The advisor replied, “Everything happens for the good”. This time the King was really angry and ordered 3. _________(put) his advisor into prison.
The King later went on a hunting trip 4._________ the advisor this time. The King was then captured by some cannibals（食人者）. He was taken to the cannibals' camp 5._________ he was to be the evening meal for the cannibals. Before putting him into the cooking pot he 6._________(inspect) thoroughly. The cannibals saw 7.________ wound on the King’s foot and decided to throw him back into the jungle. According to the cannibals' tradition, they would not eat anything that was 8.________ (perfect). The King suddenly realized 9.________ his advisor said was true. The advisor also escaped death because if he 10.__________(not be) in prison, he would have followed the King on the hunting trip, and would have ended up in the cooking pot.
Susannah was a shy but clever girl. She had worn 1 for as long as she could remember. And again, for as long as she could remember, some of her classmates had always made fun of her. The worst thing was that Lewis 2 her “Four Eyes”. She acted like she didn’t 3 but in fact Susannah couldn’t stand it.
One day, the class went on a school outing to visit some famous 4 . The children were walking towards the caves when Lewis 5 . While falling, he got 6 of Susannah, who walked next to him, and both 7 down the hole.
They landed in a dark cave. Susannah and Lewis shouted for 8 , but no one came. The next morning they still hadn’t been found and Lewis continued shouting for help, but no 9 and he started feeling 10 .
It must have been noontime, because Susannah 11 that the ray of light just landed on the floor in front of her. 12 , she took a piece of wood that had fallen into the cave, and, using her glasses as a magnifying glass, she focused the ray of light onto the 13 . Now they had a torch. Lewis watched with surprise and 14 and off they went to explore the cave.
It took them some time, and they had to burn quite a few torches, but finally they found a way out. On top of hugs and cries of 15 , Lewis gave Susannah his heartfelt thanks.
1. A．glasses B．necklaces C．earrings D．watches
2. A．teased B．laughed C．warned D．called
3. A．care B．mind C．object D．offend
4. A．villages B．hills C．caves D．parks
5. A．wandered B．waved C．smiled D．slipped
6. A．hold B．touch C．support D．place
7. A．walked B．moved C．fell D．flew
8. A．praise B．water C．food D．help
9. A．feedback B．response C．reaction D．effect
10. A．scared B．shocked C．disturbed D．annoyed
11. A．doubted B．concluded C．admitted D．noticed
12. A．Slowly B．Quickly C．Unexpectedly D．Obviously
13. A．glass B．torch C．wood D．floor
14. A．sorrow B．trouble C．excitement D．curiosity
15. A．loss B．relief C．justice D．return
—I can’t find my e-dictionary.
—I saw Mary going with ________. However, I am not certain if it is yours.
A．one B．it C．that D．another
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt＇s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times. ”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1.How did the author get to know America?
A．From her relatives B．From her mother
C．From Books and pictures D．From radio programs
2.Upon leaving for America the author felt .
A．confused B．excited C．worried D．amazed
3.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A．She worked as a translator
B．She attended a lot of job interviews
C．She paid telephone bills for her family
D．She helped her family with her English
4.The author believes that .
A．her future will be free from troubles
B．it is difficult to learn to become patient
C．there are more good things than bad things
D．good things will happen if one keeps trying
