What is the basis of 'sick' humor? Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up. The sense of humor is mysteriously connected with national characteristics. A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.

 Most funny stories are based on comic situations. In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal. No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Chaplin's early films. However, a new type of humor, which comes largely from US, has recently come into fashion. It is called 'sick humor'. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful. The following example of 'sick humor' will enable you to judge for yourself.

A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. From the moment he arrived there, he kept on begging his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home. He was afraid of having to spend Christmas in hospital and missing the fun. Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow. On Christmas day, the man still had his right leg in plaster. He spent a miserable day in bed sadly. The following day, however, the doctor comforted him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good.

The man took heart and sure enough, on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble（蹒跚）along to a party. In order to make up for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more than was good for him. In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals. He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.

The man spent Christmas day feeling miserable because ________.

A. he thought he would miss the New Year’s Eve celebration

B. the doctor had failed to cure him

C. he hated the hospital and his roommates

D. being unable to walk, he could not enjoy himself.

The point of the joke taken to explain “sick humor” is that________.

   A. the man should have said how much he hated hospitals

   B. the man had not got a leg to stand on

C. no sooner had the man been out of hospital than he had to go back in again

D. being unable to walk, he did not enjoy the celebration

What can you learn about the man from the story?

A. The man got well soon because the doctor took good care of him.

B. He had to go to hospital again though he hated it.

C. On New Year’s Eve, the man was able to walk properly to the party.

D. At the party, he enjoyed himself but only drank a little.  

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项多余选项。

Dear Boris,

     ___1____

After I had spent a week with my English family, I slowly began to understand their English a little better. ___2____ Students in my group are from different cities of Britain and their dialects (方言) are different too! Some of their accents are quite strong and they also have their own words and expressions.

__3____ Before I came to England I had thought that fish and chips were eaten every day. That’s quite wrong! I get rather annoyed now when I hear all the foolish words about typical English food.

I had expected to see “London fog”. Do you remember our texts about it? We had no idea that most of this “thick fog” disappeared many years ago when people stopped using coal in their homes. But the idea to speak about weather was very helpful. ___4____ On the other hand, habits are different. People tell me what is typical British here in London is not always typical in Wales or Scotland. ___5____

But what is ordinary for all British is that they follow traditions(传统). Probably Britain has more living signs of its past than many other countries. And people have always been proud of having ancient (古老) buildings in capitals, big cities and the countryside.

I will tell you more about Britain in my other letters.

Love from Britain.

                                                           Peter

A. The weather in London is really changeable.

B. I have difficulty in understanding my classmates.

C. Thanks for your nice letter.

D. The family I live with are friendly.

E. It’s very different from what I learned at school.

F. Local habits and traditions are not the same as what we knew.

G. But it’s not the language that’s different and surprising.

What ____ fun it is to walk alone with ______ full moon hanging in the sky.

A. /; a   B. a; /     C. the; /   D. a ;the

—Do you know the tower ___ in the heart of the city?

    —Do you mean the one ___ to the north of the city library?

    A．locating; lay                B．located; lying

    C．being located; lying         D．located; lay

Mrs. Black took the police back to____ place ____ she witnessed the robbery.

A. the same; as  B. the same; where      C. the same; that          D. as the same; as

Take an umbrella to ______you from the rain, which may ___you from taking a walk.

   A. protect; stop                 B. protect; protect

   C. prevent; protect               D. prevent; keep

Many difficulties have ______ as a result of the overuse of coal

A. risen        B. arisen         C. raised          D. arose

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”

More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday.” “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing,” said business consultant Maisly Jones.

Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale(士气). Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”

David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because       .

A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B. he couldn’t stand a clean appearance

C. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D. he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes

David Smith wears casual clothes now, because     .

A. they make him feel at ease when working   B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C. he looks handsome in casual clothes       D. he no longer works for any company

According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A. Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.

B. Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.

C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.

D. All the employers in the US are for casual office wear.

In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT       .

A. saving employees’ money                 B. making employees more attractive

C. improving employees’ motivation          D. making employees happier

London Summer School in Classics

Dates

The London Summer School in Classics 2008 will be held at King’s College London. It will run from 8th July until 17th July. Applications close on 2nd June, 2008.

 For an application form, please download either the 2-page PDF or the word format document from the foot of the page.

If you have any problems downloading the application form or any questions, please contact: London Summer School in Classics, King’s College London.

Tel: 020 7848 2299

Fax: 020 7848 2545

Organization

The school is organized by the colleges of the University of London. The summer school offers eight days of intensive teaching in Greek and Latin. There are four language classes each day as well as lectures and a debate, between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. The course is not residential (提供住宿的), and there is no teaching during the weekend of 12th to 13th July.

The fee is ??85.00. Travel grants (旅行补助金) are available as a contribution to your travel costs, but may not cover all your expenses. The travel grants are arranged during the summer school.

Teaching is generally in groups of 12-15 people and it, as far as possible, comprises (包含) of students of roughly the same level of experience. The style of teaching is friendly, but demanding: a lot of work is expected from students during the school, but they usually find the whole experience both stimulating and valuable. Some classes concentrate chiefly on reading, while others offer a mixture of grammar and translation practice. Our tutors include some of the most experienced and talented teachers of Classics in the London area and beyond.

The Summer School in Classics caters for a wide range of interests and for both school & university students as well as those who wish to learn Greek or Latin, or to revive their knowledge of the languages. Our principal concern is to provide a thorough program of language learning in a lively university environment.

To join in the school, you have to apply before ________.

 A. 8th July, 2008     B. 2nd June, 2008  C. 17th July, 2008     D. 13th July, 2008

As a student of the school, you are probably asked to _______.

 A. do a lot of reading in Greek and Latin

 B. learn the grammar of Greek and Latin only

 C. do some translation work only

 D. speak Greek and Latin with experienced teachers

What is the London Summer School in Classics most concerned about?

 A. Providing a stimulating experience for students.

 B. Promoting students to develop a wide range of interests.

 C. Teaching students languages in a lively environment.

 D. Improving students’ level of debating in the argument.

Which is one of the teaching ways of the school?

 A. Student groups consist of the same level students strictly.

 B. Students needn’t do any work in the class.

 C. Students learn Greek and Latin by listening to teachers all day.

 D. Students are generally divided into groups of 12-15.

Which of the following can we know from the passage?

 A. The fee is ??85, including the travel costs.

 B. Students needn’t go to class on 12th and 13th July.

 C. People should fill in two application forms.

 D. People can contact the school by phone or email.

书面表达（满分３０分）

你在网络上读到一篇关于“九零后”的英语文章，你打算以“Post-90’s Generation”为题，用第一人称给《二十一世纪英文报》写一篇文章，内容包括：

注意：1．必须包括表格中的所有内容；

      2．为了使文章通顺完整，可以适当增加内容； 3．词数：120-150左右。

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