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高一下册 Unit20 Humour 胡三元

Unit 20 HUMOR

Language matter

Pre-reading Presentation Reading Homework

Task 1 Watching a film Let’s enjoy a short film and then answer the questions.

Questions: 1. What do you think this short film is? An advertisement of PEPSI. 2. How do you like it, funny or dull? 3. What kind of film is it? 4. Can it be called a comedy? 5. Is the hero a famous comedian? 6. Do you know any comedians both at home and abroad? Please name some.

Task 2 Pre-reading Look at the pictures at page 52 and answer the following questions: 1. Who are these comedians? 2. What makes them funny? 3. What do you think of them?

The comic duo of the 1930s “Laurel and Hardy”. The thin one is called Stan Laurel, the stout one Oliver Hardy. They are funny because they are each other’s opposites: one fat and one thin; one is clever and one is silly etc.

**Although Mr. Rowan Atkinson acts different comic characters he is most famous around the world as Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean is funny because he makes funny faces, he acts silly, he seems to be quite stupid, and the things he does are strange.

Dustin Hoffman in the film Tootsie (1982). In this film Hoffman acts the role of a woman, and many agree that his performance was so good that you often can ’ t tell the difference. And in the film of course there are all kinds of funny moments.

Ma Ji is a well-known artist of crosstalk shows in China. His crosstalk shows always make his audience shout with laughter.

Some other famous comedians in China

Task 3 Listen and understand Question: What forms of humour are introduced in the text?

Charlie Chaplin

One hundred years of crosstalk in China

TASK 4 Skimming True or False

1. Cross-dressing means men dressed up as women and women as men. 2. Word play creates fun by using a word or phrase that has two meanings or words having the same sound but different meanings. 3. Shakespeare’s plays are no longer funny because Eng- lish has greatly changed. 4. Clowns usually make people laugh by what they look and what they do, not by what they say. 5. Clothes, body language, facial expressions and word play are all very important in comedians’ shows. 6. As far as we know cross- talk has never been shown by only one comedian or more than two comedians. 7. Crosstalk can only be found in China and few foreigners know about this Chinese art form. 8. Fluent spoken Chinese is a must for one who intends to be a crosstalk comedian.

1. Cross-dressing means men dressed up as women and women as men. 2. Word play creates fun by using a word or phrase that has two mean- ings or words having the same sound but different meanings.

3. Shakespeare’s plays are no longer funny because Eng-lish has greatly changed. 4. Clowns usually make people laugh by what they look and what they do, not by what they say.

5. Clothes, body language, facial expres- sions and word play are all very import- ant in comedians’ shows. 6. As far as we know cross-talk has never been shown by only one comedian or more than two comedians

7. Crosstalk can only be found in China and few foreigners know about this Chinese art form. 8. Fluent spoken Chinese is a must for one who intends to be a crosstalk comedian.

1. Cross-dressing means men dressed up as women and women as men. ( ) 2. Word play creates fun by using a word or phrase that has two meanings or words having the same sound but different meanings. ( ) 3. Shakespeare’s plays are no longer funny because Eng- lish has greatly changed. ( ) 4. Clowns usually make people laugh by what they look and what they do, not by what they say. ( ) 5. Clothes, body language, facial expressions and word play are all very important in comedians’ shows. ( ) 6. As far as we know cross- talk has never been shown by only one comedian or more than two comedians. ( ) 7. Crosstalk can only be found in China and few foreigners know about this Chinese art form. ( ) 8. Fluent spoken Chinese is a must for one who intends to be a crosstalk comedian. T T T T F F F T

TASK 5 Careful reading Question: In what ways do they make people laugh?

Comedies Clowns Comedians Crosstalk shows Comedies make people laugh by cross-dressing men or women appearing on the stage. funny plays with stereotypes of nationalities or people doing certain jobs. making fun of somebody ’ s way of dressing. telling an amusing story. playing on words to create fun.

Clowns make people laugh by acting alone or as a pair. not using any words at all. their clothes, make-up and the way they walk. helping people forget their trouble for at least a moment.

Comedians make people laugh by working alone or as a pair. body language and their face. acting out a situation called a sketch. playing with words. making people listen and think.

Crosstalk shows make people laugh by playing with words. making many jokes and funny conversations. dressing up a little or act- ing out small sketches. creating a rapid flow of fun. using rhythm and rhyming. using tongue twisters.

TASK 6 Post-reading

Home work 1. Go over the “ Reading ” and find out the useful expressions in it. 2. Preview Language study and Grammar — p Exx. – Practsing & Grammar — pp

Thank you. The End