A good joke can be the hardest thing to understand when studying a foreign language. As a recent article in The Guardian newspaper noted, “There’s more to understanding a joke in a foreign language than understanding vocabulary and grammar.”
Being able to understand local jokes is often seen as an unbelievable ice-breaker for a language learner eager to form friendships with native speakers. “I always felt that humor was a ceiling that I could never break through,” Hannah Ashley, a public relations account manager in London, who once studied Spanish in Madrid, told The Guardian, “I could never speak to people on the same level as I would speak to a native English speaker. I almost came across as quite a boring person because all I could talk about was facts.”
In fact, most of the time, jokes are only funny for people who share a cultural background or understand humor in the same way. Chinese-American comedian Joe Wong found this out first-hand. He had achieved huge success in the US, but when he returned to China in 2008 for his first live show in Beijing, he discovered that people didn’t think his. Chinese jokes were as funny as his English ones.
In Australia, meanwhile many foreigners find understanding jokes about sports to be the biggest headache. “The hardest jokes are related to rugby because I know nothing about rugby,” said Melody Cao, who was once a student in Australia. “When I heard jokes I didn’t get, I just laughed along.”
In the other two major English-speaking countries, the sense of humor is also different. British comedian Simon Pegg believes that while British people use irony — basically, saying something they don’t mean to make a joke—every day, people in the US don’t see the point of using it so often. “British jokes tend to be more subtle and dark, while American jokes are more obvious with their meanings, a bit like Americans themselves,” he wrote in The Guardian.
【小题1】What can we guess about Hannah Ashley?| A．She thinks that Spanish people generally do not have much of a sense of humor. |
| B．She believes that one had better rely on facts when speaking a foreign language. |
| C．She found that humor was a barrier to her getting along well with Spanish people. |
| D．She had a better command of the Spanish language than of the English language. |
| A．suggest that there are cultural differences in humor |
| B．show that it’s hard to put jokes into another language |
| C．prove that local people have different taste in humor |
| D．show that expressing ability affects the sense of humor |
| A．jokes about sports are difficult for foreigners to understand |
| B．Americans are generally more humorous than British people |
| C．not all English native speakers can understand English jokes easily |
| D．British people’s dark jokes often make people uncomfortable |
To joke around is to have fun with someone. To fool someone is to try to make them believe something that is not true.
April 1st is known as the day to fool people with practical jokes, pranks or harmless tricks.
Many centuries ago, people in the Western world used the Julian calendar.
The fool is a common character in art, music and literature. William Shakespeare is famous for his fools. And fools make for great pop songs. Fools are found in many words, expressions and proverbs. To be foolhardy means to do something that are too dangerous or risky. For example, it is foolhardy to hike up a mountain during a heavy snowstorm. If something is foolproof, it is planned or made so well that nothing could go wrong.
''Look, I don't want to get into trouble. This plan of yours sounds risky. ''
''My plan is foolproof. Nothing will go wrong as long as you do exactly as I say. ''
| A．Not even a fool could mess it up. |
| B．And that is the purpose of April Fools' Day. |
| C．They celebrated the New Year on April 1st. |
| D．Even a smart person can be a fool at times. |
| E．But the tradition remains the same—to fool someone. |
| F．Fools also find themselves in many proverbs. |
| G．But how did this tradition begin? |
Plays are an important part of British culture. The West End theatre in London is the best place to watch a profession al play, but acting also takes place in every school and village hall across the country.
There are over 2,500 non-professional drama groups in the UK today and they are an active part of community life. People from all walks of life take on acting roles besides their regular jobs. They do it for fun, for the love of acting and as a way to meet new people.
Not everyone in a drama club is a skilled actor, but enthusiasm is considered to be more important than talent. Friends, family members and neighbours enjoy getting together to watch the final performance and telling the people they know “break a leg”. It’s a great way of bringing communities together. Also, in many rural parts of Britain, non-professional theatre is the only chance people have to see plays for miles around.
Many people get a taste for acting at school. Every school puts on a play at least once per year, usually at Christmas, and parents love coming to watch their children perform. Ask any British person and they’re sure to have happy memories of being in their school’s Christmas play, whether they played the role of Mary or Joseph or perhaps even a sheep or a donkey.
Another Christmas theatre tradition is the pantomime (童话剧). Pantomimes are a type of musical comedy for families. The audience is encouraged to participate in the performance-singing along with the music and shouting to the actors. Pantomimes are really fun to watch, especially for children.
British people love going to the theatre, professional or not, and many of them also enjoy performing. If you have the chance, go and see a play in the UK.
【小题1】Where can British people probably see the best professional play according to the passage?| A．In the school halls. | B．In every village hall. |
| C．In the West End theatre in London. | D．In many rural parts of Britain. |
| A．To get to know more people. | B．To look for the fun of life. |
| C．Because they enjoy performance. | D．Because they don’t like their own jobs. |
| A．Pay attention to safety. | B．Say good luck and wish you success. |
| C．Wish actors good health. | D．Avoid being hurt. |
| A．During the Christmas period. |
| B．At the beginning of a school year. |
| C．During family gatherings. |
| D．The time when you’re visiting schools and villages. |
Canadian Music Festivals to Let Your Hair Down at
Osheaga-Quebec
This 3-day local favorite is one of Canada’s biggest festivals, having a line-up of indie, rap and pop moguls. The festival is divided into six main stages: Mountain, River, Tree, Green, Valley and Zone Piknic Electronik-each featuring a different type of music.
Ottawa Bluesfest-Ontario
This music festival will celebrate its 25th birthday with hundreds of world-class shows. Taking place in the LeBreton Flats along, the Ottawa River, the festival will run across five stages over 10 exciting days. The star-studded line-up is full of local and international talents. Household names include alt-J, Alexisonfire, Chvrches, Jessie Reyez, Kygo, Logic, Shakey Graves, and many, many, many more.
Montreal Jazz Festival-Quebec
Founded in 1979, this Jazz festival will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year by hosting more than 600 concerts across 20 stages. Held in the heart of downtown and kicking off at the end of June, this year’s line-up is a mix of artists from around the world. This festival attracts more than 2.5 million music fans during 10 days, and is world famous in the jazz community. Most shows are free but some can cost up to $40 per person.
Festival d’été-Quebec
Established in 1908, the Festival d’été is an all-out 11-day musical feast that takes place in downtown Quebec City annually. Its main stage is one of the biggest in North America and is found in the historic Plains of Abraham. There are also hundreds of smaller performances spread across a dozen venues in the city. The best part is tickets are super cheap!
【小题1】Where will the Montreal Jazz festival be held?| A．On the Ottawa river. | B．In a village. |
| C．In the city center. | D．On a plain. |
| A．Thrill-seekers. | B．Foodies. |
| C．Party-planners. | D．Concert-goers. |
| A．All of them are held in Quebec. | B．All of them are multi-stage festivals. |
| C．All of their performers are from Canada. | D．All of their shows are ticketed. |
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