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Biologically, there is only one quality which distinguishes usfrom animals: the ability to laugh. In a universe which appears tobe utterly devoid of humor, we enjoy this supreme luxury. Andit is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter doesnot seem to serve a biologically useful purpose. In a divideworld, laughter is a unifying force. Human beings oppose eachother on a great many issues. Nations may disagree aboutsystems of government and human relations may be plaguedby ideological factions and political camps, but we all share the ability to laugh. And laughter, inturn, depends on that most complex and subtle of all human qualities: a sense of humor Certaincomic stereotypes have a universal appeal. This can best be seen from the world-wide popularity ofCharlie Chaplin’s early films. The little man at odds with society never fails to amuse no matterwhich country we come from. As that great commentator on human affairs, Dr. Samuel Johnson,once remarked, ‘Men have been wise in very different modes; but they have always laughed in thesame way.’
A sense of humor may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a refined tingle toan earth quaking roar, but the effect is always the same. Humor helps us to maintain a correctsense of values. It is the one quality which political fanatics appear to lack. If we can see the funnyside, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. We are always reminded thattragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never get a lop sided view of things.
This is one of the chief functions of satire and irony. Human pain and suffering are so grim; wehover so often on the brink of war; political realities are usually enough to plunge us into totaldespair. In such circumstances, cartoons and satirical accounts of somber political events redressthe balance. They take the wind out of pompous and arrogant politicians who have lost their senseof proportion. They enable us to see that many of our most profound actions are merely comic orabsurd. We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in Gulliver’s Travels. TheLilliputians and their neighbors attack each other because they can’t agree which end to break anegg. We laugh because we meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too. It is too powerful aweapon to be allowed to flourish.
The sense of humor must be singled out as man’s most important quality because it is associatedwith laughter. And laughter, in turn, is associated with happiness. Courage, determination, initiative– these are qualities we share with other forms of life. But the sense of humor is uniquely human. Ifhappiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is the sense of humor that provides the key.
1. The most important of all human qualities is
[A] a sense of humor.
[B] A sense of satire.
[C] A sense of laughter.
[D] A sense of history.
2. The author mentions about Charlie Chaplin’s early films because
[A] they can amuse people.
[B] Human beings are different from animals.
[C] They show that certain comic stereotypes have a universal appeal.
[D] They show that people have the same ability to laugh.
3. One of the chief functions of irony and satire is
[A] to show absurdity of actions.
[B] to redress balance.
[C] to take the wind out of politicians.
[D] to show too much grimness in the world.
4. What do we learn from the sentence ‘it is too powerful a weapon to be allowed to flourish intotalitarian regimes?’
[A] It can reveal the truth of political events with satire.
[B] It can arouse people to riot.
[C] It shows tragedy and comedy are related.
[D] It can make people laugh.
5. Who is Swift?
[A] A novelist.
[B] A poet.
[C] A dramatist.
[D] A essayist.
答案詳解：
1. A 幽默感。文章一開始就提出人類有別於動物是人有笑的功能，世界紛爭繁雜、人際關係因意識觀點差異而對峙，國家製度不一，但人們都能笑。笑基於人類最複雜而又微妙的品質――幽默感。反過來說沒有幽默感的人恐怕難以笑。第二段正式指出：youmoganbiaoxianxingshiduozhongduoyang，erxiaokeyouweixiaodaokuangxiaozhongzhong，danqixiaoguoxiangtong，youmoganyouzhuyuwomenbaochizhengquedejiazhiguan。zheshizhengzhikuangrezhesuoquefadetezheng。ruguowomennengkanjianhuajikexiaodeyimian，womenjiubuhuifanguoyukanzhongzijidecuowu。womenzonghuijidebeijulixijubuyuan，yinci，womenbuhuiyoupianzhongmouyicedeguandian。disiduanhualongdianjingdezhichuyoumoshirenleizuizhongyaodetezheng，yinweitahexiaoshengjiehezaiyiqi。erxiaoyoushihexingfulianxizaiyiqi。yongqi、決心、創造力特征，我們和其他生命形式共享，而幽默感是人類所獨有的。如果幸福是我們生活的偉大目標，那幽默感就是開啟幸福的鑰匙。
B.諷刺感。這是第三段講的內容，諷刺的功能，但不是人類最重要的特征。C.笑感。D.曆史觀點。
2. C 作者提卓別林的電影的目的是證明某些喜劇模式對全世界都有吸引力。
A.它可以取悅任何人。B.人類和動物不同。D.證明人有同樣笑的功能。
3. B使(shi)各(ge)種(zhong)事(shi)情(qing)重(zhong)新(xin)相(xiang)等(deng)和(he)均(jun)衡(heng)。第(di)三(san)段(duan)著(zhe)重(zhong)講(jiang)了(le)這(zhe)一(yi)點(dian)。人(ren)類(lei)在(zai)痛(tong)苦(ku)中(zhong)掙(zheng)紮(zha)，常(chang)處(chu)於(yu)戰(zhan)爭(zheng)的(de)邊(bian)緣(yuan)。政(zheng)治(zhi)實(shi)現(xian)令(ling)人(ren)絕(jue)望(wang)，在(zai)這(zhe)種(zhong)處(chu)境(jing)中(zhong)，對(dui)某(mou)些(xie)政(zheng)治(zhi)事(shi)物(wu)的(de)諷(feng)刺(ci)挖(wa)苦(ku)和(he)漫(man)畫(hua)可(ke)以(yi)使(shi)各(ge)種(zhong)心(xin)理(li)重(zhong)新(xin)平(ping)衡(heng)，可(ke)使(shi)失(shi)去(qu)均(jun)衡(heng)感(gan)的(de)政(zheng)客(ke)地(di)下(xia)高(gao)傲(ao)頭(tou)顱(lu)；可使我看見許多深邃的事情荒謬可笑。
A.表現行為的荒唐。C.使政治家氣餒。D.表現世界上太多的令人沮喪之事。
4. A它可以以諷刺的手法解釋政治時間的真相。
B.這可促使人民暴動。C.它表示了悲劇和喜劇相聯係。D.它能使人哭。
5. A小說家。
B.詩人。C.戲劇家。D.散文家。
詞彙：
1. devoid 沒有，缺乏
2. plague n.瘟疫，惹人煩惱的人和事v.給……造成麻煩，痛苦，困難
3. faction 派別
4. comic stereotype 可笑/滑稽的模式
5. commentator （集注）作者，評論員，解說員
6. tinkle n.一連串的丁零聲，電話聲，v.使發出丁零聲
7. fanatic 狂熱者（尤指宗教、政治的狂熱）
8. lop-sided 不均勻的
9. hover 翱翔，盤旋；彷徨
10. somber 低沉的，暗淡的，嚴峻的
11. redress 糾正，補償
12. pompous 自大的，浮誇的
13. arrogant 傲慢的
14. proportion 均衡，勻稱，平衡，比例
15. Lilliputian 微型的，極小的，源自《格列佛遊記》中的小人國裏的人
16. totalitarian 極權主義的
17. regime 政體，政權，統治方式或製度
難句譯注：
1． In a divided world, laughter is a unifying force.
【參考譯文】在分裂的世界中，笑是一種促成一致（團結）的力量。
2． Human relations may be plagued by ideological factions andpolitical camps,
【參考譯文】人際關係可能因思想意識派別和政治陣營的不同而受侵擾。
3． Certain comic stereotypes have a universal appeal.
【參考譯文】某些滑稽的模式具有全球性的效果。
4． Charlie Chaplin查理•卓別林1889-1977，英國諷刺滑稽劇及電影演員，導演及製片人。
5． At odds with society和社會格格不入。
6． Dr. Samuel Johnson撒繆爾•約翰生，1709-1784，英國辭典編撰者及作家。
7． A sense of humor may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a refined tinkleto an earth quaking roar.
【參考譯文】幽默感表現的方式多種多樣，笑也許是銀鈴般優雅輕笑，也許是震耳欲聾的放聲大笑。
8． If we can see the funny side, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously.
【參考譯文】如果我們能見到可笑的一麵，我們就不會犯這種錯誤：對自己看得過重（自以為了不起）。
9． We are always reminded that tragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never geta lop-sided view of things.
【參考譯文】我們會經常提醒自己禍兮福所伏（悲劇離喜劇實際並不遙遠），那我們決不會偏執一詞地看事物。
10． Take the wind out of sb’s sails使某人氣餒或泄氣。
11． Swift Jonathan swift喬納森•斯威夫特1667-1745，英國作家，生於都柏林，曾獲牛津大學碩士，三一學院神學博士學位，1688年nian到dao英ying國guo，後hou加jia入ru英ying國guo國guo教jiao會hui。他ta同tong情qing英ying國guo統tong治zhi下xia的de愛ai爾er蘭lan人ren民min，積ji極ji參can加jia他ta們men為wei爭zheng取qu自zi由you和he民min族zu獨du立li的de鬥dou爭zheng。他ta以yi政zheng治zhi諷feng刺ci文wen著zhu世shi，其qi文wen筆bi犀xi利li、諷刺尖銳、文章推理嚴密，用詞簡潔、語言樸實清晰，被認為是英語的典範，《格列佛遊記》是他的代表作之一。
12． We laugh because we are meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too.
【結構簡析】mean to do是打算或注定要…，一般用於被動。
【參考譯文】我wo們men笑xiao是shi因yin為wei想xiang笑xiao，可ke是shi我wo們men也ye想xiang哭ku。是shi指zhi小xiao人ren國guo和he鄰lin國guo僅jin僅jin為wei打da雞ji蛋dan一yi類lei小xiao事shi而er打da仗zhang可ke笑xiao，確que實shi也ye是shi可ke悲bei。作zuo者zhe結jie合he現xian實shi指zhi出chu是shi人ren類lei悲bei劇ju之zhi所suo在zai。
寫作方法與文章大意：
文章以部部深入，一般到具體的寫作手法論及笑是人類特有的功能。
形式多種、效果一樣。天下人有各種觀點、製度、人際關係，對滑稽的東西都會報之以笑――一種一致的力量。
笑基於幽默感，有了它，人們會樂觀、愉快、輕鬆，不偏不倚地對待一切，悲劇中寓以喜劇，幽默感又是人類開啟幸福之門的鑰匙。
論及的同時作者佐以例子，卓別林的早期電影，《格列佛遊記》中的小人國戰爭等。
