Why do we laugh and get amusement from so many different things，from puns （雙關語） to pratfalls？Why are some things funny to some people and not to others？How is that while a successful joke can cause pleasure，a sick one can cause serious harm？
Over the centuries，various scholars have attempted to produce a universally agreed-upon theory of humor．Plato and Aristotle introduced the superiority（優(yōu)越感） theory，the idea that people laugh at the misfortune of others．Their theory seems to explain teasing，but it doesn't work well for knock-knock jokes．Sigmund Freud argued for his relief theory，the concept that humor is a way for people to release psychological tension and reveal their inner fears and desires．His theory works well for dirty jokes，less well for most puns．
The majority of humor experts today agree with the incongruity theory，the idea that humor arises when there's a gap between what people expect to happen and what actually happens．Incongruity has a lot going for it - jokes with unexpected funny lines，for example，fit well．But scientists have found that in comedy，unexpectedness is overvalued．
With the goal of developing a new，more satisfactory explanation，I produced "the gentle violation（違背）theory"，the idea that humor arises when something seems wrong or threatening，but is actually OK or safe．A dirty joke，for example，trades on moral or social violations，but it's only going to get a laugh if the person listening is open enough to consider the subject OK to talk about．Similarly，puns can be seen as linguistic violations that still make grammatical sense．
And while most humor theories have struggled to account for tickling （撓癢癢），or just avoided the phenomenon altogether，my theory accounts for even this kind of laughter．Tickling involves violating someone's physical space in a gentle way．People can't tickle themselves - because it isn't a violation．
（1）What is the author's attitude towards Plato and Aristotle's theory？ AA
A．Critical
B．Approving
C．Uncaring
D．Unclear
（2）According to Sigmund Freud's theory，we can infer that BB．
A．people will laugh when they see others suffer
B．telling dirty jokes is a relief of one's nervous feelings
C．unexpectedness can explain how humor works
D．tickling doesn't involve psychological tension
（3）According to the author，why are some things funny to some people but not to others？ DD
A．Because the sense of humor varies greatly from person to person．
B．Because people have different expectations for the same thing．
C．Because some people lack the sense of safety deep in their heart．
D．Because people's understanding of violation is different．
（4）What is the author's main purpose of writing this passage？ CC
A．To draw people's attention to the research of humor．
B．To criticize people's misconceptions about humor．
C．To explain what exactly causes people to laugh．
D．To prove the sense of humor can be developed．
【答案】A；B；D；C
【解答】
【點評】
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發(fā)布：2024/5/27 14:0:0組卷：9引用：2難度：0.5
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1．Hi Judy!
You often complain to me that you always buy goods unreasonably on sale promotion（促銷）and feel it shameful after going back to your school dormitory with new things not needed，considering all the money you spend is your parents' income．
In fact，this is a common phenomenon，called impulsive buying，a buying unplanned and hard to control．It usually happens when a store offers discounts（打折）or sales promotion-a special way used by stores to get more customers，which means you may fall into its traps even without notice．
Stores，with a good knowledge of customers' psychology（心理），make use of it to drive business．Avoiding all the impulsive buying is a hard thing．However，knowing our psychology behind it and reducing the times when influenced by sales promotion may be useful．So you should keep calm when facing the sales promotion by keeping in mind what you really need．
Find out the conditions where you are likely to buy things blindly．When seeing a dress advertised at 20% off，do not concentrate on the discount，but warn yourself against falling into the trap of "saving money''．
Besides，do not forget the long-term effects of your choice when meeting a sales promotion．Short-term benefits，like excited feeling just after buying items encourage impulsive buying．But the long-term costs such as waste of money and the sense of shame really annoy you．When seeing the advertisements，remember what you really want to buy originally and warn yourself of that terrible feeling．Only in this way can you save money for really needed things．
Yours，
Rachel
（1）Judy felt it a shame to．
A．complain to others about the poverty of her family
B．waste her parents' money on unneeded things
C．buy cheap things at lower prices or with less money
D．rely on her parents for further education
（2）Which of the following is true of impulsive buying according to Rachel？
A．It is designed by shops to draw customers' attention．
B．It can be brought under control with the help of stores．
C．It is planned by buyers with the purpose of saving money．
D．It is done by customers without considering its bad effects．
（3）In face of sales promotion Judy is advised to．
A．have belief in her own immediate decision
B．check the quality of the goods at low prices
C．stay calm by thinking about what she really needs
D．take the chance to learn more about stores tricks
（4）How do buyers usually feel in the long run after buying discounted things？
A．Regretful．
B．Thrilled．
C．Relaxed．
D．Sceptical．發(fā)布：2025/1/10 8:0:1組卷：4引用：2難度：0.6 -
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（1）What can we know about Burlington School？
A．It is open all year.
B．It is located in London.
C．It provides no accommodation.
D．It offers no social practice classes.
（2）Which school offers the biggest discounts？
A．Burlington School.
B．New School of English.
C．University of Liverpool.
D．Interactive English School.
（3）How is New School of English different from the others？
A．It sets a strict age limit.
B．Its accommodation is optional.
C．Its teachers are qualified and experienced.
D．It offers General and Specialist English courses.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 16:30:6組卷：0引用：1難度：0.6 -
3．Ever since I graduated from high school I've worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer.However，making the transformation between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier.For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be unacceptable，getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is suffering.My friends never seem to understand why I'm so relieved to be back at school or that my summer vacation has been anything but a vacation.
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The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear over night.Issues like being laid off and overseas relocation had always seemed distant to me until my co-workers told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico，where people would work for 60 cents an hour.
After working 12-hour shifts（輪班）in a factory，the other options have become only too clear. "This job pays well，but it's hell on the body，" said one co-worker. "Study hard and keep reading." she added.When I'm back at the university，skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school.All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale（陳腐的）now ring true.
My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.
（1）What does the author think of his summer holiday？
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B．It brought him nothing but suffering.
C．It was a relief from his hard work at school.
D．It offered him a chance to make more friends.
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A．They do better in the real world.
B．They are confident when they work.
C．They think too highly of themselves.
D．They are expert at handling machines.
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A．A low income.
B．The lack of security.
C．An unstable location.
D．Less break.
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A．He became responsible for his work.
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D．He came to appreciate his college education.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 16:30:6組卷：0引用：1難度：0.5
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