Humour Humour Unit 20

Warming up & Listening

What on earth is humour? Humour is a word means making others laugh. The emotion shows on people’s face means they are happy. So we can say it is humour. Its adjective is humourous. It is a word often be used to describe people if they often make others laugh. We often called them humourists(幽默大师).

comedy jokes comedians funny play (farce) word play Humour tongue twisters cross talk The show of a clown

Do you know who is he? Charlie Chaplin He is one of the most famous humourists that can make others laugh all the time.

Tongue twister Can you say tongue twister fluently? 四是四， 十是十， 十四是十四， 四十是四十 ， 十四不是四十， 四十不是十四。 Can you?

Practise saying the following tongue twisters. Betty bought some butter, but the butter was bitter, so she bought some better butter to make the bitter butter better.

I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish, but if you wish the wish the witch wishes, I won’t wish the wish you wish to wish. If white chalk chalks white on a black blackboard, will black chalk chalks black on a white whiteboard then?

Practise saying the following tongue twisters. She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells shells on the seashore, I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

A big black bug bit the big black bear, made the big black bear bleed blood. I thought a thought. But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought.

Practise saying the following tongue twisters. How many cans can a canner can if a canner can can cans? A canner can can as many cans as a canner can if a canner can can cans. Mr. See owned a saw and Mr. Soar owned a seesaw. Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw before Soar saw See. 

1. tongue twister 绕口令 2. bitter 苦; 痛苦; 严酷; 激烈 (1) This tea is somewhat bitter. (2) She had a bitter experience in the old days. (3) The bitter winter is coming. (4) Their friendship ended with a bitter quarrel. 3. chalk n. a piece of chalk v. means write chalk on a blackboard

Speaking

Langue focus in speaking dialogue 1. I would like to reach a wide audience, though I mostly have adults in mind. 我愿意有更多的观众，虽然我内心考虑更多的是成年观众。 most 与mostly都是副词，但most是much的最高级，

也用来修饰形容词和副词的最高级，有“最…”的意思；mostly的含义是“大部分；主要地”，相当于for most part, in most cases, almost all, chiefly 等含义。

如：What most pleased me was that I passed the final exam. The medicine was mostly sugar and water. have sb./sth. in mind: 考虑特别的人或计划，特别是为了特别的目的。如：　 It’s a nice house, but it wasn’t quite what we had in mind. 这房子不错, 但它还不是我们真正想要的。

2. Jokes about speaking a foreign language, German for example, always works. 关于说一门外语的笑话, 如德语, 总是能让人开怀大笑的。　 work: 发挥正常功能；获得预期效果。如: Will this new pan /method work? 这项新计划／方法行得通吗？ The charm worked. 那符咒奏效了。

3. My next show will have a part in which I act the role of a scientist, the way that a scientist walks and talks. 我在下一场演出中有个角色, 我要扮演一个科学家, 要模仿科学家走路和谈话的样子。 act the role =take the role 扮演某个角色, 起某种作用 Who is acting the role of Hamlet? 4. It’s a bitter sweet song. 这是一首让人流泪也让人笑的歌。

5. intend intend to do sth./intend sb. to do sth/ intend that/be intended for/ with the intention of (1) I intended to catch the early train, but I didn't get up in time. (2) Ask him what he intends us to do. (3) We intended that this plan shall be carried out. (4) The flowers were intended for you, not for me. (5) I came with the intention of staying, but now I have decided to leave. 我来的时候是打算留下的, 但是现在我打算离开。

Practise speaking the dialogue. Make up your own dialogue, work in pairs. One plays the part of a journalist and the other a circus clown. The journalist asks the clown about his work and his new show.

The dialogue should include the following questions. Try to answer them by using the useful expressions on page 52. 1. For which age do you write your show? 2. What do you do as a clown? 3. What are you doing at this moment? 4. What are your plans for your next show? 5. How do you make children laugh? 6. When will you stop working as a clown?

Example J: For which age do you write your show? C: I write my show for children but often the parents like my shows too. Some jokes are funny for the children but their deeper meaning is even funnier to the parents.

J: What do you do as a clown? C: Well, I act funny. I make strange faces and run after animals in the circus. Sometimes I just smile and greet people to our show. I also tell jokes.

J: What are you doing at this moment? C: Why, I’m talking to you! You meant in show? I have an act with a donkey. It’s very funny really. Many children told me afterwards they think I’m even more stupid than my donkey, And that is of course just what I want them to feel!

J: What are your plans for your next show? C: I plan to jump out of a big box that looks like a birthday present and throw candy to the children in the audience. I have decided my next show to be all about happiness.

I intend to give my audience a show of about an hour which are fun I intend to give my audience a show of about an hour which are fun. I hope people will go home feeling happier than when they came to the circus. J: How do you make children laugh? C: I do funny things and wear cloths of bright colors. The make-up on my face look funny even though I don’t do anything.

I have a big red ping-pang ball as a nose and when I act as if I’m crying, water shoot out of my eyes like rain. Of course the children can’t see the little tubes hidden under my hair. J: When will you stop working as a clown? C: I will stop working as a clown when my audience no longer thinks I’m funny. But I hope that will never happen.

Useful expressions Expressing intentions and plans: I will do… I’m going to do… intend to do… I wish to do… I plan / want to do… I’ve decided (not)to do… I hope (not) to do…

Homework 1. Try to say the Tongue twister 2. Preview the listening part for the next class.

Thank you!