Unit20 Humour Reading Laughing matter 广西柳州市第九中学 石进宇

Step1 Pre-reading Who are these comedians? What makes them funny?

funny silly stupid strange Mr Bean

Dustin Hoffman Tootsie Rainman act a role of a woman

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy They are each other’s opposites: One thin and one fat One is clever and one is silly.

Ma Ji He is a famous artist of crosstalk shows in China. His crosstalk shows always make his audience roar with laughter.

Step2 Fast reading Read the passage and answer the following questions: 1.The writer mentioned four different ways of acting. What are they? 2.Are some of Shakespeare’s comedies funny for us? Why or why not? 3.How can clowns help people? 4.How long has the tradition of crosstalk existed in China?

1.The writer mentioned four different ways of acting. What are they? They are comedies, clowns, crosstalk shows and comedians. 2.Are some of Shakespeare’s comedies funny for us? Why or why not?. No. Because we don’t understand the language and word play that Shakespeare used.

3.How can clowns help people? They can help people relax and forget their problems for at least a short moment. 4.How long has the tradition of crosstalk existed in China? The tradition of crosstalk has existed in China for more than 2000 years.

Step3 Careful reading Paragraph1 Comedies 1.Comedies are _____________ that make people laugh. 2.Techniques: A._________________________________ often appear on the stage. B.Funny plays often have characters that are ___________________________or_____________ doing certain jobs. C.Foreigners speak with __________. D.______________ is a way to create fun in comedies. Theatre plays Cross- dressing men or women Stereotypes of nationalitiespeople an accent Word play

Paragraph2 Clowns True or False 1.Clowns only act alone.( ) 2.Clowns often use so many words to make people laugh. ( ) 3.Clowns are not only funny for children but also for adults.( ) 4.Clowns’ clothes, make-up and the way they walk can make people laugh. ( ) F F T T

Paragraph3 Comedians Ways of working Techniques Advantages Work alone or as a pair Body language and their face; act out a situation—a sketch; use word play Make people not only laugh, but also think about life.

Paragraph 4 -5 Chinese crosstalk shows Fill in the blanks: The speakers of crosstalk shows may __________a little or _________small stretches, their talk includes __________ and _______________ as well as _______________________. dress up act out rhythm rhyming words tongue twisters

Step4 Useful expressions 1.make fun of 2.act as …; act out … 3.even if.. 4.(have)…in common (with) 5.date back to …

Step5 Discussion 1.Describe ( 描述 )crosstalk shows in your own words. …date back to…; roar…with laughter…/laugh loudly ; …dress up…; act out…; as well as… 2.Is the show of a comedian more like ( 更像 )that of a clown or a comedy? Explain your reason. clothes, words, make-up

Step 5 Homework 1.Compare Western and Chinese comedy shows. What do they have in common? How are they different? 2.Describe a funny story or person in your own words.