单选题 Biologically, there is only one quality which distinguishes us from animals: the ability to laugh. In a universe which appears to be utterly devoid of humor, we enjoy this supreme luxury. And it is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter does not seem to serve a biologically useful purpose. In a divided world, laughter is a unifying force. Human beings oppose each other on a great many issues. Nations may disagree about systems of government and human relations may be plagued by ideological factions and political camps, but we all share the ability to laugh. And laughter, in turn, depends on that most complex and subtle of all human qualities: a sense of humor. Certain comic stereotypes have a universal appeal. This can best be seen from the world-wide popularity of Charlie Chaplin's early films. The little man at odds with society never fails to amuse no matter which country we come from. As that great commentator on human affairs, Dr. Samuel Johnson, once remarked, "Men have been wise in very different modes; but they have always laughed in the same way."
A sense of humor may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a relined tinkle to an earth quaking roar, but the effect is always the same. Humor helps us to maintain a correct sense of values. It is the one quality which political fanatics appear to lack. If we can see the funny side, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. We are always reminded that tragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never get a lopsided view of things.
This is one of the chief functions of satire and irony. Human pain and suffering are so grim; we hover so often on the brink of war; political realities are usually enough to plunge us into total despair. In such circumstances, cartoons and satirical accounts of somber political e vents redress the balance. They take the wind out of pompous and arrogant politicians who have lost their sense of proportion. They enable us to see that many of our most profound actions are merely comic or absurd. We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in Gulliver's Travels. The Lilliputians and their neighbors attack each other because they can't agree which end to break an egg. We laugh because we are meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too. It is no wonder that in totalitarian regimes any satire against the establishment is wholly banned. It is too powerful a weapon to be allowed to flourish in totalitarian regimes.
The sense of humor must be singled out as man's most important quality because it is associated with laughter. And laughter, in turn, is associated with happiness. Courage, determination, initiative--these are qualities we share with other forms of life. But the sense of humor is uniquely human. If happiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is the sense of humor that provides the key.
单选题 The most important of all human qualities is______.
  • A. a sense of humor
  • B. a sense of satire
  • C. a sense of laughter
  • D. a sense of history
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】推理判断题。这篇文章讲的就是幽默。文章一开始就提出人类有别于动物是人有笑的功能，世界纷争繁杂、人际关系因意识观点差异而对峙，国家制度不一，但人们都能笑。笑基于人类最复杂而又微妙的品质——幽默感。接着讲幽默感有助于我们保持正确的价值观。这是政治狂热者所缺乏的特性等。特别是在文章的第四段画龙点睛地指出幽默是人类最重要的特性，因为它和笑声结合在一起。而笑又和幸福联系在一起。根据以上事实判断，人最重要的品质就是幽默感，所以，选项A是正确答案。
单选题 The author mentions about Charlie Chaplin's early films because______.
  • A. they can amuse people
  • B. human beings are different from animals
  • C. they show that certain comic stereotypes have a universal appeal
  • D. they show that people have the same ability to laugh
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】事实细节题。答案在第一段倒数第二，第三句。这一点可从卓别林早期电影中看得很清楚，这位和社会格格不入的小人物能逗乐来自任何国家的人。所以选项C是正确答案。
单选题 One of the chief functions of irony and satire is______.
  • A. to show absurdity of actions
  • B. to redress balance
  • C. to take the wind out of politicians
  • D. to show too much grimness in the world
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】事实细节题。文章第三段着重讲了这一点。人类在痛苦中挣扎，常处于战争的边缘。政治现实令人绝望，在这种处境中，对某些政治事件的讽刺挖苦和漫画可以使各种心理重新平衡。由此可见，选项B是正确答案。
单选题 What do we learn from the sentence "it is too powerful a weapon to be allowed to flourish in totalitarian regimes?"
  • A. It can reveal the truth of political events with satire.
  • B. It can arouse people to riot.
  • C. It shows that tragedy and comedy are related.
  • D. It can make people laugh.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】推理判断题。这句话的前面是举出“小人国”为例，说明在集权国家一切对当权者的讽刺完全是被禁止的。"We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in Gulliver's Travels. ...In is no wonder that in totalitarian regimes any satire against the establishment is wholly banned."由此推断，讽刺可以揭示政治事件的真相。
单选题 Who is Swift?
  • A. A novelist.
  • B. A poet.
  • C. A dramatist.
  • D. An essayist.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】事实细节题。根据文章提到 "We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes a bout war in Gulliver's Travels."或根据常识，Gulliver's Travels(《格列佛游记》)是一部小说，所以Swift是一位小说家。故选项A是正确答案。