Laugh-lab, an experiment set up more than a year ago, established that the British, Irish, New Zealanders and Australians prefer a play on words and that the French, Danes and Belgians have a taste for the surreal（超现实主义的）. Americans and Canadians, _______, laugh at jokes showing one group’s superiority over another. The Germans apparently have the _______ sense of humor -- if only because they have no national preference, and therefore find almost anything funny.
The winning joke was the product of international selection. It was posted by Gurpal Gosall, a 31-year-old psychologist from Manchester. This joke, according to Richard Wiseman, founder of Laugh-lab, _______ all. It also contained the three _______ that were found central to humor: a sense of superiority, an unexpected response, and a sad feeling. The joke was that:
A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn’t seems to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his mobile phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: ‘My friend is dead! What can I do?’ The operator, in a clam, soothing voice says: ‘Just take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s _______.’ There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy’s voice comes back on the line. He says: ‘OK, now that?’
Dr Gosall and _______ the joke for years. He said: ‘It makes people feel better ... reminds you that there’s always someone out there doing something more _______ than you.’ It was one of a series of jokes read to a volunteer who was being given a brain scan. With each joke, a specific area at the front of the volunteer’s brain lit up. There was also a reaction in an area linked to _______, showing recognition of an old joke. ‘It _______ other research, because if people have damage to that part of the brain, then they lose their sense of humor,’ Dr Wiseman said.
There were other ____________. The Laugh-lab computers counted the number of words in every joke that people submitted（提交）. According to the data, jokes containing 103 are the funniest. Interestingly, the winning joke is 102 words long-almost the ____________ length for a joke!
Many of the jokes submitted contained references to ____________. The researchers found that jokes mentioning ducks were seen as funnier than other jokes. Perhaps it’s because of their webbed feet or their odd shapes. ____________, the implication is clear -- if you are going to tell a joke involving an animal, make it a duck.
The Laugh-lab computer also recorded the date and time that each person from the UK ____________ the jokes in Laugh-lab. Careful analysis of the data revealed that people found the jokes funniest on the 7th October at 6:03 in the evening. Perhaps they have ____________ discovered the funniest moment of the year!
1.A.in addition B.on the other hand C.by all means D.to a certain degree
2.A.keenest B.broadest C.strangest D.worst
3.A.differed from B.relied on C.cared about D.appealed to
4.A.elements B.parts C.functions D.styles
5.A.kind B.alive C.dead D.quiet
6.A.liked B.made C.missed D.shared
7.A.violent B.helpful C.stupid D.sensible
8.A.language B.laughter C.memory D.analysis
9.A.dates back to B.keeps up with C.breaks away from D.fits in with
10.A.terms B.jokes C.discussions D.discoveries
11.A.perfect B.similar C.familiar D.expected
12.A.ducks B.animals C.shapes D.fears
13.A.Additionally B.Regardless C.Surprisingly D.Somehow
14.A.tested B.told C.searched D.rated
15.A.scientifically B.moderately C.separately D.occasionally
Darwin, _________ book On the Origin of Species probably ranks second only to the Bible, had great impact on Western thought.
A.who’s B.which C.for whom D.whose
Performances, ________ the public was admitted for free, were arranged fortnightly.
A.them B.in which C.to which D.when
Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of ________ is the hovercraft.
A.them B.which C.what D.whatever
It is easy ________ the consequences of unchecked plant disease: food shortage could kill millions of people and cause unrest in the world.
A.imagine B.to be imagined C.imagining D.to imagine
________ with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend hours going from one dress on another before selecting the dresses she wants to try on.
A.Having faced B.Faced C.To face D.Facing
