Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives.It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no,” criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face.For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed.It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialogue may start a quarrel.For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum.
Humor is often the best way to keep a small misunderstanding from escalating into a big deal.Recently a neighbor of mine had a squabble with his wife as she drove him to the airport.Airborne, he felt miserable, and he knew she did, too.Two hours after she returned home, she received a long-distance phone call.“person-to-person for Mrs.I.A.Pologize,”intoned the operator.“That’s spelled‘P’as in…”.In a twinkling, the whole day changed from grim to lovely at both ends of the wire.
An English hostess with a quick wit was giving a formal dinner for eight distinguished guests whom she hoped to enlist in a major charity drive.Austerity(节俭)was a fashion in England at the time, and she had asked her children to serve the meal.She knew that anything could happen-and it did, just as her son, with the studied concentration of a tightrope walker, brought in a large roast turkey.He successfully elbowed the swinging dining-room door, but the backswing threw the bird onto the dining-room floor.
The boy stood rooted:guests stared at their plates.Moving only her head the hostess smiled at her son, “No harm, Daniel, ” she said.“Just pick him up and take him back to the kitchen”…she enunciated clearly so he would think about what she was saying…“and bring in the other one.”
A wink and a one-liner instantly changed the dinner from a red-faced embarrassment to a conspiracy of fun.
(1)
What is the main idea of the passage?
[ ]
A.
Humor is the key to success in our work and our lives.
B.
Humor enables us to cope with difficult situation effectively.
C.
Humor is the only best way to criticize someone without losing his face.
D.
Humor makes fun of any difficult situations.
(2)
Which of the following is NOT stated in the passage?
[ ]
A.
Comedians on TV are believed to have done a lot in making people more tolerant of racial and religious differences.
B.
To make up differences, humor is a most acceptable as well as a most effective means.
C.
People often turn to humorous ways when meeting with difficult situations because of its effectiveness.
D.
Only by adopting the means of humor can one succeed in some jobs.
(3)
What caused the roast turkey to drop onto the floor?
[ ]
A.
The backward movement of the door.
B.
The son’s hasty behavior.
C.
Someone happened to be at the door.
D.
The bird raised by the family.
(4)
By saying “…and bring in the other one,” the hostess meant that _________.
[ ]
A.
the son had to cook another turkey for the guests
B.
she already had made more than one turkey ready for the dinner.
C.
some other dish would be served instead of a turkey
D.
the son could serve the same turkey after it was cleaned
(5)
What do you think would probably be the result if the hostess got angry and scolded the son?
[ ]
A.
It would make the embarrassing situation worse
B.
The son would refuse to serve the guests any more
C.
The son would talk back and make the mother all the more angry
Our boat floated on, between walls of forest too thick to allow us a view of the land we were passing through, though we knew from the map that our river must from time to time be passing through chains of hills which crossed the jungle plains.Nowhere did we find a place where we could have landed:where the jungle did not actually spread right down into the river, banks of soft mud prevented us going ashore.In any case, what would we have sailed by landing?The country was full of snakes and other dangerous creatures, and the jungle was so thick that one would be able to advance only slowly, cutting one’s way with knives the whole way.So we stayed in the boat, hoping we reached the sea, a friendly fisherman would pick us up and take us to civilization.
We lived on fish, caught with home-made net of string(we had no hooks), and fruits and nuts we could pick up out of the water.As we had no fire, we had to eat everything, including the fish, raw I had never tasted raw fish before, and I must say I did not much enjoy the experience; perhaps sea fish which do not live in the mud are less tasteless.After eating my raw fish, I lay back and dreamed of such things as fried chicken and rice, and ice-cream.In the never-ending damp heat of the jungle, ice-cream was a particularly frequent dream.
As for water, there was a choice:we could drink the muddy river water, or die of thirst.We drank the water.Men who had just escaped what had appeared to be certain death lose all worries about such small things as diseases caused by dirty water.In fact, none of us suffered from any illness as a result.
One day we passed another village, but fortunately nobody saw us.We did not wish to risk being taken prisoners a second time:we might not be so lucky to escape in a stolen boat again.
(1)
What they could see in the boat was only ________.
[ ]
A.
high wall
B.
villagers from time to time
C.
vast land
D.
heavy woods
(2)
They couldn’t land because ________.
[ ]
A.
the mud on the shore was too soft
B.
the forest was too thick to let them go through
C.
they could not find the mark on the map
D.
they could not find anyone to lead them out of the forest
(3)
The passage infers that the forest was ________.
[ ]
A.
rich of fruits and animals to be served as food
B.
not very thick as they could advance slowly by cutting the branches
C.
full of various dangerous beings
D.
full of ancient trees
(4)
The most proper title for this passage might be ________.