Biologically,thereisonlyonequalitywhichdistinguishesusfromanimals:theabilitytolaugh.Inauniversewhichappearstobeutterlydevoidofhumor,weenjoythissupremeluxury.Anditisaluxury,forunlikeanyotherbodilyprocess,laughterdoesnotseemtoserveabiologicallyusefulpurpose.Inadivideworld,laughterisaunifyingforce.Humanbeingsopposeeachotheronagreatmanyissues.Nationsmaydisagreeaboutsystemsofgovernmentandhumanrelationsmaybeplaguedbyideologicalfactionsandpoliticalcamps,butweallsharetheabilitytolaugh.Andlaughter,inturn,dependsonthatmostcomplexandsubtleofallhumanqualities:asenseofhumorCertaincomicstereotypeshaveauniversalappeal.Thiscanbestbeseenfromtheworld-widepopularityofCharlieChaplin'searlyfilms.Thelittlemanatoddswithsocietyneverfailstoamusenomatterwhichcountrywecomefrom.Asthatgreatcommentatoronhumanaffairs,Dr.SamuelJohnson,onceremarked,'Menhavebeenwiseinverydifferentmodes;buttheyhavealwayslaughedinthesameway.'
Asenseofhumormaytakevariousformsandlaughtermaybeanythingfromarefinedtingletoanearthquakingroar,buttheeffectisalwaysthesame.Humorhelpsustomaintainacorrectsenseofvalues.Itistheonequalitywhichpoliticalfanaticsappeartolack.Ifwecanseethefunnyside,wenevermakethemistakeoftakingourselvestooseriously.Wearealwaysremindedthattragedyisnotreallyfarremovedfromcomedy,sowenevergetalop–sidedviewofthings.
Thisisoneofthechieffunctionsofsatireandirony.Humanpainandsufferingaresogrim;wehoversooftenonthebrinkofwar;politicalrealitiesareusuallyenoughtoplungeusintototaldespair.Insuchcircumstances,cartoonsandsatiricalaccountsofsomberpoliticaleventsredressthebalance.Theytakethewindoutofpompousandarrogantpoliticianswhohavelosttheirsenseofproportion.Theyenableustoseethatmanyofourmostprofoundactionsaremerelycomicorabsurd.WelaughwhenagreatsatiristlikeSwiftwritesaboutwarinGulliver'sTravels.TheLilliputiansandtheirneighborsattackeachotherbecausetheycan'tagreewhichendtobreakanegg.Welaughbecausewemeanttolaugh;butwearemeanttoweeptoo.Itistoopowerfulaweapontobeallowedtoflourish.
Thesenseofhumormustbesingledoutasman'smostimportantqualitybecauseitisassociatedwithlaughter.Andlaughter,inturn,isassociatedwithhappiness.Courage,determination,initiative–thesearequalitieswesharewithotherformsoflife.Butthesenseofhumorisuniquelyhuman.Ifhappinessisoneofthegreatgoalsoflife,thenitisthesenseofhumorthatprovidesthekey.
1.Themostimportantofallhumanqualitiesis
2.TheauthormentionsaboutCharlieChaplin'searlyfilmsbecause
[B]Humanbeingsaredifferentfromanimals.
[C]Theyshowthatcertaincomicstereotypeshaveauniversalappeal.
[D]Theyshowthatpeoplehavethesameabilitytolaugh.
3.Oneofthechieffunctionsofironyandsatireis
[A]toshowabsurdityofactions.
[C]totakethewindoutofpoliticians.
[D]toshowtoomuchgrimnessintheworld.
4.Whatdowelearnfromthesentence'itistoopowerfulaweapontobeallowedtoflourishintotalitarianregimes?'
[A]Itcanrevealthetruthofpoliticaleventswithsatire.
[B]Itcanarousepeopletoriot.
[C]Itshowstragedyandcomedyarerelated.
5.WhoisSwift?
文章以部部深入,一般到具体的写作手法论及笑是人类特有的功能。
形式多种、效果一样。天下人有各种观点、制度、人际关系,对滑稽的东西都会报之以笑――一种一致的力量。
笑基于幽默感,有了它,人们会乐观、愉快、轻松,不偏不倚地对待一切,悲剧中寓以喜剧,幽默感又是人类开启幸福之门的钥匙。
论及的同时作者佐以例子,卓别林的早期电影,《格列佛游记》中的小人国战争等。
1.A幽默感。文章一开始就提出人类有别于动物是人有笑的功能,世界纷争繁杂、人际关系因意识观点差异而对峙,国家制度不一,但人们都能笑。笑基于人类最复杂而又微妙的品质――幽默感。反过来说没有幽默感的人恐怕难以笑。第二段正式指出:幽默感表现形式多种多样,而笑可由微笑到狂笑种种,但其效果相同,幽默感有助于我们保持正确的价值观。这是政治狂热者所缺乏的特征。如果我们能看见滑稽可笑的一面,我们就不会犯过于看重自己的错误。我们总会记得悲剧离喜剧不愿,因此,我们不会有偏重某一测的观点。第四段画龙点睛的指出幽默是人类最重要的特征,因为它和笑声结合在一起。而笑又是和幸福联系在一起。勇气、决心、创造力特征,我们和其他生命形式共享,而幽默感是人类所独有的。如果幸福是我们生活的伟大目标,那幽默感就是开启幸福的钥匙。B.讽刺感。这是第三段讲的内容,讽刺的功能,但不是人类最重要的特征。C.笑感。D.历史观点。
2.C作者提卓别林的电影的目的是证明某些喜剧模式对全世界都有吸引力。A.它可以取悦任何人。B.人类和动物不同。D.证明人有同样笑的功能。
3.B使各种事情重新相等和均衡。第三段着重讲了这一点。人类在痛苦中挣扎,常处于战争的边缘。政治实现令人绝望,在这种处境中,对某些政治事物的讽刺挖苦和漫画可以使各种心理重新平衡,可使失去均衡感的政客地下高傲头颅;可使我看见许多深邃的事情荒谬可笑。A.表现行为的荒唐。C.使政治家气馁。D.表现世界上太多的令人沮丧之事。
4.A它可以以讽刺的手法解释政治时间的真相。B.这可促使人民暴动。C.它表示了悲剧和喜剧相联系。D.它能使人哭。