My favorite English teacher could draw humor out of the driest material. It wasn't forced on us either. He took Samuel Johnson's dictionary, Addison's essays, and many other literary wonders from the eighteenth century and made them hilarious, even at eight o'clock in the morning. The thing that amazed me most was that the first time I read these works on my own some of them seemed dead, but the second time, after his explanation, I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen the humor. The stories and poems and plays were suddenly filled with allusions (典故) and irony (反讽) and hilarious moments. I learned more from him than from any other teacher.
My least favorite English teacher also made people laugh. Some students found him to be funny. Many others did not. He assigned journals over a six week period, to be written every day. At the end of the six weeks I had a notebook full of bits and pieces about my ideas, short stories, reactions to what we had read, and so on. Our teacher announced that we would be grading each other's journals. Mine was passed to Joe, that class clown, who always behaved in a funny or silly way. He saw it fit to make joke of and said, " This writing isn't fit to line (衬垫) the bottom of a birdcage. " Our teacher laughed at that funny remark. It hurt me so much that the anger from it has driven my writing and teaching ever since.
So what makes the difference? Humor is one of the most powerful tools teachers or writers have. It can build up students and classes and make them excited about literature and writing, or it can tear them apart. It is true that humor is either productive or counter-productive and self-defeating.
1.The passage mainly discusses ________.
A. teaching B. literature
C. humor D. knowledge
2.The underlined word "hilarious" in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.
A. funny B. tiring
C. inspiring D. brilliant
3.The English teacher the writer disliked most ________.
A. was not able to make students laugh
B. hurt his students' feelings
C. didn't let his students do the grading
D. had no sense of humor
Trip 1 Black Bear Count
There have been fires in this area in the last few years and the Office of the National Park is not sure how many black bears are still living. Some bears have been seen since the fires, and the Office has asked for young people to help count them.
The entire trip will last three hours. Bookings necessary.
Cost: Free When: May 8
Trip 2 Garland Valley
Bring your drink and lunch for this walk in a beautiful area of the Blue Mountains. Garland Valley is close to the town of Garland but is part of the National Park. Many wild animals live in this area, including many rare birds. This is a great walk for bird-lovers. The trip lasts four hours. Bookings necessary.
Cost: ＄ 15 When: May 8, May 15
Trip 3 Flashlight Adventure
Put on your warm clothes, bring a flashlight and a pair of glasses, and come for a night walk along the Dungog Valley. A guide will lead the tour. Many of the animals you will see on this trip can only be seen at night. The guide will tell you about the lives of the animals you see. Numbers are strictly limited on night trips, so be sure to book early. This walk lasts two and a half hours.
Cost: ＄ 12 When: May 8, May 15, May 22
Equipment to be needed:
·Please bring enough water and food for all walks.
·Wear good walking shoes--no high heels.
·Wear a hat for day walks.
·Dress warmly for night walks.
·Children must be with an adult.
·Make sure your flashlight works well and bring extra batteries for night walks.
·Follow all instructions from guides during the walks. The mountains are a dangerous place.
Bookings:
·Bookings for the above trips can be done by telephone (893 - 4847) or on the Internet at (www. bluemountaintour, com)
1.Where are these trips?
A. In a large city. B. In a park in the mountains.
C. In a special zoo. D. In three different countries.
2.Which of the following is NOT necessary for the three trips?
A. Good walking shoes. B. A pair of glasses.
C. Food and water. D. A sleeping bag.
3.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Adventure Travel in America
B. Hunting around the Great Mountains
C. Discovery Trips in the Blue Mountains
D. Interesting Trips in the East of the USA
About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and - WHUMP! - it hit the Jaguar's shiny black side door! SCREECH ... ! ! ! ! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" "That's my new Jaguar, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please...I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" begged the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" tears were streaming down the boy's face as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up. " Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me. "
Moved by the words, the young businessman lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE -- a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming you.
1.The boy threw a brick at the businessman's car because ________.
A. he wanted to ask for some money
B. he wanted to get help from the driver
C. the businessman drove at a high speed
D. he hated the brand-new car very much
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Josh would accept the money from the kids.
B. The two kids were Josh's neighbors.
C. Josh's new car broke down easily.
D. Josh was a kind-hearted man.
3.According to the passage, the last sentence means ________.
A. trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble
B. trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life
C. driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous
D. protecting oneself from being hurt
The class sits in a circle with their eyes shut and they count from one to ten: someone starts, the 36 voice comes from the far right, a third from the other side.
The aim of the game is to 37 for an opportunity to shout out the 38 without clashing (相撞) with another voice or leaving a pause. On the first try, 39 of the young Germans try to be first, while a few are too shy to join in. But by the fifth 40 , they develop a rhythm (节奏) . The message gives other people space but also claims your own. This is a requirement for social well-being.
Unlike schools in other nations, German schools do not usually have school sports teams or seek to build school spirit. Many teens admit they are 41 and confused, but school is not usually the place to find relief.
The Willy Hellpach School in Heidelberg is the first in the nation to develop a happiness 42 It is 43 for 17-19years old students to prepare for university entrance exams. "The course isn't there to make you happy," Ernst Fritz-Schubert, the school principal, warned pupils, " 44 rather to help you discover the ways to become happy. "
Cooking a meal together will be one of the class 45 , along with improving body language under the 46 of two professional actresses.
The course is taught for three periods a week. Despite the happy subject, the pupils themselves insist it is no laughing matter.
"In the first period, we had to each say something 47 about another member of the class and about ourselves. No laughing at people or teasing," said Fanny, 17.
The message is that self-esteem (自尊) improves 48 too.
Research by the school shows it is not the first to start happiness classes and they also exist at some US universities, but are mainly based on positive thinking, using 49 from studies of depression.
"That would be too one-sided for us. We want to show how decent (好的) food or exercise can help too," the principal said.
1.A. subjects B. objects C. customs D. habits
2.A. sweet B. next C. last D. loud
3.A. look B. see C. find D. listen
4.A. name B. person C. number D. treasure
5.A. all B. few C. most D. none
6.A. round B. limit C. sheet D. zone
7.A. happy B. lonely C. curious D. pleased
8.A. movement B. class C. course D. approach
9.A. intended B. made C. managed D. applied
10.A. and B. but C. so D. or
11.A. tests B. exams C. exercises D. homework
12.A. guidance B. lookout C. permission D. cooperation
13.A. backward B. positive C. negative D. rude
14.A. atmosphere B. achievement C. happiness D. score
15.A. inspections B. instructions C. motives D. findings
This novel was about an unbelievable but g 1. adventure. Its author was a black businessman who was b 2. up in America. In 1956, he visited Africa, his birthplace. One day, when he was w 3. on the pavement near the bay enjoying the sea scenes, he lost his money and passport that he kept in an e 4. So he went to the embassy to s 5. help, but the ambassador with rude manners didn't p 6. his staff to help though he bowed to him. S 7. at his impatient face, he understood that it was the f 8. of his skin colour that accounted for their rejection. So he decided to take a c 9. to sail on a small boat home. He met a large amount of difficulty but was never stopped. On the c 10. , difficulty pushed him to go ahead harder.
He is the only one of the students who ________ a winner of schoolarship for three years.
A. is B. has been
C. are D. have been
