TAIBEI－IncreasingnumbersofTaiw-优题课

What is funny? The short answer is: Who knows? The joke that causes a burst of laughter from one listener might be met with a puzzled look from another.
In general, you should avoid jokes at any business or social gathering where there are more than two people in your conversational group. If there are only two people — and they consist of you and your best friend — go ahead and tell it.
Admittedly, a few people possess a perfect sense of timing, appropriateness, and joke delivery. You are probably not one of them. You might be quite funny and have many great jokes. But there’s a place for jokes — over dinner with family, hiking with friends, but business or social affairs with colleagues and acquaintances (熟人) are not it. It takes a whole other level of joke-telling ability to put a joke into the more formal conversations.
The best jokes come into the conversation so that by the time listeners realize a joke is in progress, the punchline that produces humour is being delivered — to their surprise and delight.
Jokes don’t translate well when you’re in a group with mixed backgrounds: those whose first language is not English, those who might not understand a special term or an “in” expression, young people who wouldn’t catch a reference to some bit of culture familiar to older people — and vice versa (反之亦然).
Never joke about another person in the group — about their name, habits, hometown, profession, appearance, or past. It’s not a question of whether the joke is cheery or appropriate. No one enjoys being singled out this way. When you are the subject of the joke, the laughter doesn’t feel good no matter how hard you try to tell yourself they’re not laughing at you. Because that’s what it feels like.
What do you say if you realize your joke upset someone? Apologize as briefly and as sincerely as you can, and hope that someone changes the subject. Try saying: “I’m sorry. I should have known better” or “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
What do you do if people don’t get your joke or don’t appear to find it as funny as you do? First, do not retell it, only louder this time, hoping the point of the joke will be seen. Second, don’t try to push people to get it. People do not like people whose jokes they don’t understand. They feel stupid and need to blame someone. If you want to leave with the goodwill of your listeners, say something to make them feel less foolish. You could say: “I don’t know why I tell jokes when I’m so poor at it.”
The world needs laughter, and good humour is a success wherever it goes, so this caveat (告诫) about joke-telling is not meant to dampen high spirits or to advocate dull conversation. If you’re a gifted story-teller and you know people love your jokes, go for it. We need your kind. The rest of us will save our jokes for family and close friends.
According to the passage, it might be appropriate for you to tell a joke at a business or social gathering if ______.

A．the joke is well chosen

B．you have complete confidence in your listeners’ sense of humor

C．only you and your best friend are involved in the conversation

D．the audience consists of your colleagues and acquaintances

Why do some jokes fail to work?

A．Because the punchline is too long to catch.

B．Because the joke-teller uses wrong words and expressions.

C．Because the joke-teller and listeners don’t share the same background knowledge.

D．Because the jokes are not properly translated into the listeners’ native language.

How will people feel when they are joked about?

A．They will feel happy if the joke is a pleasant one.

B．They will be upset no matter what kind of joke it is.

C．They will enjoy the joke when realizing that people are not laughing at them.

D．They will panic because it makes them the center of attention.

When people do not understand a joke they hear, they tend to ______.

A．believe it’s the joke-teller’s fault	B．get someone to retell the joke
C．ask for explanation	D．say something foolish

Which of the following best describes the writer’s opinion on joke-telling?

A．Nobody knows what makes a joke funny.

B．We should not tell jokes unless we are asked to do so.

C．Joke-telling is a very complex thing.

D．Jokes should be told only to friends and family members.

It was a weeknight. We were a half dozen guys in our late teens, hanging around “the flat” — as usual. The flat was poorly furnished, which, after some time, grew tiresome. We wanted action.
We got in a car, big enough for all of us to crowd into — and off we went, in search of adventure. We soon found ourselves at Blue Gum Corner, a place named after the huge old blue gum tree that stood by there, a well-known local landmark. It stands at a minor crossroad leading to our town. The trunk is tall and smooth with no handholds for climbing. About six metres from the ground the first branch sticks out over the road. We parked beneath the huge old tree and discussed what we might do. All of a sudden we hit upon an idea — a hanging! I was chosen as “hangee”.
The plan was quite simple. As I stood upon the roof of the car, the rope (绳子) was threaded down my jacket through my collar and down one leg of my jeans. I put my foot through the loop at the bottom. There I hung, still. The boys rolled about laughing until, a car, I hear a car! Before they ran to hide in the nearby field, they gave me a good push so that “the body” would swing as the car drove by.
To our disappointment, the car simply turned off for town without even slowing. The boys came out of their hiding places and we discussed the situation. Surely they had seen me, hadn’t they? Then we heard another car. The act was repeated, but still without any obvious reaction. We played the game about five or six times, but as no one seemed to notice, we abandoned the trick.
What we did not know was that every car that had passed had unquestionably seen “the body” and each one, too scared to stop, had driven directly to the local Police Station. Now at that time of the night, the local policeman was sound asleep in his bed, so the first person sent to the scene was the traffic officer that happened to be on duty that particular night. He had been informed that some person had been killed, by hanging, at Blue Gum Corner. When he arrived, the body was gone! And he was hearing “unnatural sounds” from the surrounding area. As far as he knew, some fierce animal was hiding in the field before him, possibly dragging a body behind him — and we thought we were scared!
He went to his radio and made a call that really began to worry us. I lay so close that I could hear every word. He called for the “armed police” and a “dog team, better make it two” and he had a “serious situation” at Blue Gum Corner. Then the police officer arrived. After a briefing from the traffic officer he decided not to go into the field until armed police and dog teams arrived. Now two spotlights were on the field and none of us could move.
As luck would have it, police cars cannot leave their spotlights on all night without charging their batteries. So, after a time, the two officers began lightening the field by turns, allowing us the opportunity to move on our fours for freedom. One by one, we all managed to steal away and make our way home. Behind us we left what must have looked like a small city of lights, police cars, roadblocks, barking dogs, armed officers and an old rope hanging from a tree.
When I think back to that night, to that tree, to what the drivers of the cars think happened, to what police believe happened, and to what I know happened, I am reminded of a simple truth — our eyes see darkness and light, color and movement, our ears hear only vibrations (振动) in the air. It is how we explain these vivid pictures that shapes our “reality”.
The boys made the “hanging” plan in order to ______.

A．make a fool of the police

B．draw public attention

C．seek fun and excitement

D．practise acting skills

Seeing that no car passing by stopped, the boys must have felt ______.

A．discouraged	B．proud
C．annoyed	D．confident

Why was the traffic officer sent to the scene of “hanging”?

A．Because a fierce animal kept the traffic in disorder.

B．Because the local policeman was not available at that time.

C．Because some naughty kids were playing a terrifying game.

D．Because many scared drivers turned directly to him for help.

The boys managed to escape from the field when ______.

A．the two police cars were being charged

B．the police officer was taking over the duty

C．the traffic officer was making a call for help

D．the two spotlights were not working together

What is conveyed in the passage?

A．Actions speak louder than words.

B．The truth lies beneath the surface.

C．Experience is the best teacher.

D．To see is to believe.

What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Blue Gum Tree	B．A Body Found Hanging
C．Escape to Freedom	D．A Disappointing Experience

Detective Keeling took his client—a goodlooking lady into the back yard of the store together. The lady opened a door in the wall and they entered the small room behind the store. They crossed the room to a locked door.
Mr. Keeling took some special keys from his pocket. Moments later, one of the keys unlocked the door. The lady went into the store. She said she would hide under the table to keep watch on her husband. Mr. Keeling did not follow her.
The detective went quickly to the policeman’s house. Then the two men hurried to the jewellery store. They looked through the window. The policeman was surprised. He spoke to Mr. Keeling, “I don’t understand. You told me, ‘Robbins took a young woman to a restaurant.’ Where is she?”
“There she is!” said Mr. Keeling. He pointed through the window.
“Do you know the lady with Robbins?” asked the policeman.
“That’s his secret friend,” said Mr. Keeling.
“No! You’re wrong! That’s Robbins’ wife,” said the policeman. “I’ve known her for fifteen years.”
“What?” the detective shouted. His face became pale. “Who is under the table in the store?” He started to kick the door of the jewellery store. Mr. Robbins came to the door and opened it. The policeman and the detective ran into the store.
“Look under that table!” shouted the detective. “Be quick!”
The policeman lifted the cloth and put his arm under the table. He pulled out a black dress, a black veil and a woman’s wig(假发).
“Is this young lady your wife?” Mr. Keeling asked the jeweller. He pointed at the woman.
“Yes! She is my wife!” said Mr. Robbins angrily. “Why did you kick my door? Why are those clothes under my table?”
“Please check all the jewellery in your store, Mr. Robbins,” the policeman said. “Is anything missing?”
Some diamond rings and some expensive necklaces were missing. The missing jewellery was worth $800. Later that night, Mr. Keeling was sitting in his office. He was looking through a big book of photographs. They were photographs of criminals. The policeman had brought the book to the detective's office. Suddenly, Mr. Keeling stopped turning the pages. He looked at a picture of a handsome young man with a familiar face.
The next morning, Mr. Keeling paid the jeweller $800, then closed his office.
At the beginning, the lady was able to go into the jewellery store because ______.

A．she went to the back yard and found the way

B．she was the owner of the store and had the key

C．two men helped her together to enter the store

D．Mr. Keeling unlocked the back door to the store

The young lady who stayed with Mr. Robbins in the jewellery store was actually ______.

A．Mr. Robbins’ sister	B．Mr. Robbins’ secret friend
C．Mr. Robbins’ wife	D．a clever thief

It can be inferred from the passage that Mr. Keeling cooperated with his client ______.

A．so that he could get some jewellery from the store

B．because he thought he was helping the lady

C．because he wanted to play a joke on Mr. Robbins

D．so that he could get a job as a policeman

The missing jewellery worth$800 was in fact taken away by ______.

A．a young woman	B．a young man
C．a detective	D．a policeman

Bookie’s, the campus bookstore is located at the Campus Activity Centre, main floor.
Bookie’s is the only place in Kamloops to buy your course textbooks. There is a booklist in the bookstore listing the books required for each course. If you need help in finding your course textbooks, ask any of the staff in the bookstore.
There are more than just textbooks at bookie’s. They carry a wide variety of stationary, art supplies and gift items. You can also buy telephone cards, postage stamps and bus passes. You must show your student card to get a discount for the bus passes.
TEXTBOOK RETURNS
1) Do I need my receipt to return books?
Yes.
2) How long do I have to return books?
Books purchased must be returned within ten working days of the date of the purchase.
3) What if I wrote my name in the book?
Unfortunately, we can not give you a full refund for books not in mint condition as publishers will not accept this for credit.
4) What happens if I miss the last day for return?
We may purchase the text book as “used” in accordance with our Buyback program.
5) Ｗhat if I discover that my book has missing pages half way through the semester?
We will replace the defective books, new or used, for a like copy of that title. Cash refunds are not given for defective books returned outside the normal return dates.
BUYBACKS
1) What books do you buy back?
We buy back all current edition textbooks. If we do not use them at UCC, we buy them back according to the value established in the North American marketplace.
2) How much do I get for my books?
If bookie’s is buying the book for use at UCC, you will receive 50% of the current new retail price. In order to receive optimum buyback price, discs and supplements must accompany the book.
3) What happens to the books that I sell?
Books for bookie’s are processed by our staff and sold to students at 75% of the new retail price.
4) What condition do my books need to be in?
Books should be in good condition, meaning that the cover is still attached and all pages intact. Notes and markings on the pages of the books are perfectly fine. Workbooks and study guides are generally not purchased back unless they are free of all markings. No sales receipt is required for these books.
BOOKSTORE HOURS
Monday–Thursday 9:00am–6:00pm
Friday 9:00am–5:00pm
Saturday and Sunday Closed
The intended readers of this passage are ______.

A．book dealers	B．university students
C．publishers	D．campus staff

The underlined word “defective” can best be replaced by ______.

A．latest

B．perfect

C．brand-new

D．incomplete

Bookie’s will not buy back your used textbook if ______.

A．the cover of the book is missing

B．there are markings and notes on the pages

C．you have lost the sales receipt

D．you miss the last day for return

Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．Bookie’s is a place for students to buy their course textbooks.

B．Student cards are needed to get a discount for the textbooks.

C．Books bought in bookie’s should be returned within ten working days.

D．Books bought back are processed by the staff and sold to students.

The items which can be bought back don’t include ______.

A．textbooks with markings

B．workbooks with markings

C．textbooks with covers and all pages

D．study guides free of markings

It was in October. I was aimlessly wandering down the street, heading into a most gloriously beautiful sunset. I had an urge to speak to someone on the street to share that beauty, but it seemed everyone was in a hurry.
I took the next-best action. Quickly I ducked into a department store and asked the lady behind the counter if she could come outside for just a minute. She looked at me as though I were from some other planet. She hesitated, and then seemingly against her better judgment, she moved toward the door.
When she got outside I said to her, “Just look at that sunset! Nobody out here was looking at it and I just had to share it with someone.”
For a few seconds we just looked. Then I said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.” I thanked her for coming out to see it; she went back inside and I left. It felt good to share the beauty.
Four years later my situation changed greatly. I came to the end of a twenty-year marriage. I was alone and on my own for the first time in my life. I lived in a trailer park which, at the time, I considered a real come-down, and I had to do my wash in the community laundry room.
One day, while my clothes were going around, I picked up a magazine and read an article about a woman who had been in similar circumstances. She had come to the end of a marriage, moved to a strange community, and the only job she could find was one she disliked: clothing sales in a department store.
Then something that happened to her changed everything. She said a woman came into her department store and asked her to step outside to look at a sunset. The stranger had said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world,” and she had realized the truth in that statement. From that moment on, she turned her life around.
The author asked the woman to go outside to ______.

A．admire the sunset	B．cheer her up
C．offer some help	D．have a chat

Four years later, the author ______.

A．found her dream job

B．put an end to her marriage

C．worked in a laundry room

D．lived in the same community

After reading the article in the magazine, the author was probably______.

A．disappointed	B．puzzled
C．inspired	D．overjoyed

Which of the following shows the right order of what happened?
a. I shared a few words and beautiful sunset with the woman.
b. The woman I met years ago got into frustration after divorce.
c. I got divorced and felt lost in my life.
d. I came across a beautiful sunset but had no one to share with.
e. The woman felt astonished by the invitation from a stranger.
f. I recognized the woman I met before in the magazine.

A．b, d, e, f, a, c	B．d, e, a, c, f, b
C．d, e, a, f, b, c	D．b, d, e, a, c, f

What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Sharing Beauty	B．Never give up
C．Beauty of Life	D．An Unforgettable experience