Question

    The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.

Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, “It's a little damp outside.” Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, “She isn't exactly friendly.” Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humor.

Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What's more, the British love to watch comedies about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedies series Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.

Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr. Bean doesn't talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humor.

1.Why is it difficult for foreigners to understand British jokes?

A.The British often use overstatement.

B.The British try to understate something.

C.British jokes are not as funny as jokes in other countries.

D.British jokes are connected with many different cultures.

2.The author explains understatement by _______.

A.describing a process B.making comparisons

C.following time order D.using examples

3.Mr. Bean makes others laugh by ______.

A.using his body movement and facial expressions

B.making jokes about others’ accent

C.copying how others behave

D.telling funny stories

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A.British Humor in Comedy B.Humor in Different Cultures

C.Understanding British Humor D.Developing Your Sense of Humor

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.C

【解析】

本文是说明文，文章作者以影片《憨豆先生》为例，介绍了英式幽默的特点以及理解英国人的幽默的两个关键点。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中“it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement. ”可知，外国人往往很难理解英国人的笑话是因为英国人经常使用轻描淡写的说法。文章中的understatement与选项B中understate是同根词，选项B中“understate something”是文章中 “use understatement”的语意转换。故选B项。

2.推理判断题。第二段中，关于英国人的轻描淡写，文章举了两个例子“For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, “It's a little damp outside.” Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, “She isn't exactly friendly.””。因此可以推断，作者是通过举例说明英国人的轻描淡写。故选D项。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段中“Mr. Bean doesn't talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh.”可知，憨豆先生不是通过说话，而是通过他的肢体动作和面部表情让人们发笑。故选A项。

4.主旨大意题。文章第一段最后一句提到“The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.”要理解英国人的幽默，要记住英国人通常对一些事情是轻描淡写；第三段中提到“Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others.”，理解英式幽默的另一个关键是，英国人喜欢拿自己和别人开玩笑。因此文章是介绍理解英国人的幽默的两个关键。因此文章标题应该是“理解英国人的幽默”。故选C项。