Analysts have had their go at humor, and I have read some of this interpretative literature, but without being greatly instructed. Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind.
In a newsreel theatre the other day I saw a picture of a man who had developed the soap bubble to a higher point than it had ever before reached. He had become the ace soap bubble blower of America, had perfected the business of blowing bubbles, refined it, doubled it, squared it, and had even worked himself up into a convenient lather. The effect was not pretty. Some of the bubbles were too big to be beautiful, and the blower was always jumping into them or out of them, or playing some sort of unattractive trick with them. It was, if anything, a rather repulsive sight. Humor is a little like that: it won’t stand much blowing up, and it won’t stand much poking. It has a certain fragility, an evasiveness, which one had best respect. Essentially, it is a complete mystery. A human frame convulsed with laughter, and the laughter becoming hysterical and uncontrollable, is as far out of balance as one shaken with the hiccoughs or in the throes of a sneezing fit.
One of the things commonly said about humorists is that they are really very sad people—clown with a breaking heart. There is some truth in it, but it is badly stated. It would be more accurate, I think, to say that there is a deep vein of melancholy running through everyone’s life and that the humorist, perhaps more sensible of it than some others, compensates for it actively and positively. Humorists fatten on trouble. They have always made trouble pay. They struggle along with a good will and endure pain cheerfully, knowing how well it will serve them in the sweet by and by. You find them wrestling with foreign languages, fighting folding ironing boards and swollen drainpipes, suffering the terrible discomfort of tight boots (or as Josh Billing wittily called them, “tite” boots). They pour out their sorrows profitably, in a form that is not quite fiction nor quite fact either. Beneath the sparkling surface of these dilemmas flows the strong tide of human woe.
1.The central theme of this essay is:（ ）
2.The main idea of Paragraph 2 is:（ ）
3.Why does the author feel that when humor is dissected, it dies in the process?（ ）
4.The word “melancholy” in Paragraph 3 probably means （ ）.
5.In his final sentence, the author is evoking an image of （ ）.
问题1选项
A.There is little humor in old newsreel.
B.Humor can be dissected like a frog.
C.Humor is essentially a mystery, and because humorists are more aware of melancholy, they seem sadder than most people.
D.Humorists need to compensate for the pain they have suffered.
问题2选项
A.The author once saw a picture of the largest soap bubble ever made.
B.The bubble blowing performance was a repulsive sight.
C.Humor is fragile.
D.Laughter is not a measure of humor.
问题3选项
A.The fun in humor lies in examining its contents.
B.Humor must tantalize the senses on impact — if it has to be explained, it loses its effect.
C.Humor is best enjoyed by people with scientific minds.
D.A good humorist should explain his or her joke to make sure everyone understands it.
问题4选项
A.joy
B.sadness
C.hysteria
D.exhilaration
问题5选项
A.the ocean
B.sparkling germs
C.high tide
D.flowing water
第1题:C
第2题:C
第3题:B
第4题:B
第5题:B
第1题:
【选项释义】
The central theme of this essay is: ______. 本文的中心主题是：______。
A. There is little humor in old newsreel A. 旧新闻影片中几乎没有幽默
B. Humor can be dissected like a frog B. 幽默可以像青蛙一样被解剖
C. Humor is essentially a mystery, and because humorists are more aware of melancholy, they seem sadder than most people C. 幽默本质上是一种神秘，因为幽默家更能觉察到忧郁，所以他们似乎比大多数人都要悲伤
D. Humorists need to compensate for the pain they have suffered D. 幽默家需要补偿他们所遭受的痛苦
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】根据题干信息可定位到原文第一段“分析家们热衷于幽默，我也读过一些解释性的文献，但没有得到太多的指导。幽默可以像青蛙一样被解剖，但在这个过程中，事物会死亡，而内在的东西会让任何人泄气，除了纯粹的科学头脑。”（Analysts have had their go at humor…the pure scientific mind.）第二段第二、三句“他已经成为美国最优秀的肥皂泡沫吹制者，他完善了吹泡泡的行业，将其精炼、翻倍、弄平，甚至把自己泡成了方便的泡沫。效果并不好。有些泡泡太大而不美观，吹风机总是跳进泡泡或从泡泡中跳出来，或者对泡泡耍一些不吸引人的把戏。”（He had become the ace soap bubble blower…with them.）以及第三段第一句“关于幽默家，人们常说的一件事是，他们真的是非常悲伤的人，他们的心都碎了。”（One of the things commonly said about humorists is that they are really very sad people—clown with a breaking heart.）文章第一段提到了分析师分析幽默的行为。第二段举了吹肥皂泡的例子，引出幽默的本质。最后一段作者提到幽默家并不是真正的快乐。可知作者认为幽默是生活中的一部分，所以正确答案为C选项。
【干扰项排除】
A选项原文并未提及，属于无中生有；
B选项对应原文第一段第二句“幽默可以像青蛙一样被解剖，但在这个过程中，事物会死亡，而内在的东西会让任何人泄气，除了纯粹的科学头脑。”（Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind.），属于以偏概全；
D选项对应原文第三段第三句“幽默家也许比其他人更敏感，会积极地对此进行补偿。”（the humorist, perhaps more sensible of it than some others, compensates for it actively and positively.），属于以偏概全。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The main idea of Paragraph 2 is: ______. 第二段的大意是：______。
A. The author once saw a picture of the largest soap bubble ever made A. 作者曾经见过一张有史以来最大的肥皂泡的照片
B. The bubble blowing performance was a repulsive sight B. 吹泡泡的表演令人厌恶
C. Humor is fragile C. 幽默是脆弱的
D. Laughter is not a measure of humor D. 笑声不是衡量幽默的标准
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】根据题干信息可定位到原文第二段第一句“前几天，我在一家新闻片剧场看到一张照片，他把肥皂泡发展到了前所未有的高度。”（In a newsreel theatre the other day I saw a picture of a man who had developed the soap bubble to a higher point than it had ever before reached.），以吹肥皂泡表演开始，接下来提到“幽默与吹肥皂泡相似”（humor is a little like that）：脆弱而又飘忽不定。作者还认为“幽默就是一个谜”（Essentially, it is a complete mystery），所以正确答案为C选项。
【干扰项排除】
A选项对应原文第二段第一句“前几天，我在一家新闻片剧场看到一张照片，他把肥皂泡发展到了前所未有的高度。”（In a newsreel theatre the other day I saw a picture of a man who had developed the soap bubble to a higher point than it had ever before reached.），属于偷换概念；
B选项对应原文第二段第四句“如果有什么不同的话，那是一种相当令人厌恶的景象。”（It was, if anything, a rather repulsive sight.），属于曲解原文；
D选项原文未提及衡量幽默的标准，属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Why does the author feel that when humor is dissected, it dies in the process? 为什么作者觉得幽默在被剖析的过程中消亡了呢？
A. The fun in humor lies in examining its contents A. 幽默的乐趣在于审视其内容
B. Humor must tantalize the senses on impact—if it has to be explained, it loses its effect B. 幽默必须在冲击力上撩拨感官——如果必须解释，它就失去了效果
C. Humor is best enjoyed by people with scientific minds C. 有科学头脑的人最喜欢幽默
D. A good humorist should explain his or her joke to make sure everyone understands it D. 一个好的幽默家应该解释他或她的笑话，以确保每个人都能理解它
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干信息可定位到原文第一段最后一句话“幽默可以像青蛙一样被解剖，但在这个过程中，事物会死亡，而内在的东西会让任何人泄气，除了纯粹的科学头脑。”（Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind），意思就是经过剖析后的幽默除了纯科学头脑，其他人只会变得沮丧。也就是说经过剖析后的幽默断然无存，所以正确答案为B选项。
【干扰项排除】
A、D选项对应原文第一段最后一句话“幽默可以像青蛙一样被解剖，但在这个过程中，事物会死亡，而内在的东西会让任何人泄气，除了纯粹的科学头脑。”（Humor can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind），属于反向干扰；
C选项原文并未提及，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The word “melancholy” in Paragraph 3 probably means ______. 第三段中的“melancholy”一词的意思可能是______。
A. joy A. 快乐
B. sadness B. 悲伤
C. hysteria C. 歇斯底里
D. exhilaration D. 兴奋
【考查点】词义推测题。
【解题思路】根据题干信息可定位到原文第三段第三句“我认为，更准确的说法是，每个人的生活中都有一种深深的忧郁情绪，幽默家也许比其他人更敏感，会积极地对此进行补偿。”（It would be more accurate, I think, to say that there is a deep vein of melancholy running through everyone’s life and that the humorist, perhaps more sensible of it than some others, compensates for it actively and positively.），后面提到幽默家是靠烦恼致富的，他们能够从烦恼中获得补偿（Humorists fatten on trouble. They have always made trouble pay）。因此melancholy这个词应该是表示消极意思的词。选项B与trouble意思相近，所以正确答案为B选项。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项均无法替换该词。
第5题:
【选项释义】
In his final sentence, the author is evoking an image of ______. 在他的最后一句话中，作者唤起了一个______的形象。
A. the ocean A. 海洋
B. sparkling germs B. 闪闪发光的细菌
C. high tide C. 高潮
D. flowing water D. 流水
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干信息可定位到原文最后一句“在这些两难困境的光彩夺目的表面下，涌动着人类痛苦的强大浪潮”（Beneath the sparkling surface of these dilemmas flows the strong tide of human woe.）表示在光鲜亮丽的外表下，背后是遭罪的，所以正确答案为B选项。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项均无法表现出外表光鲜里面糟糕的样子。
