Unit 3 A taste of English humour

Unit 3 A taste of English humour

Period 1 Warming up and reading

Read the following jokes and find their punchlines.

Policeman: Why did you have to break into the same shop three times?

Thief: I stole a dress from that shop but my wife didn’t like it. So I had to go back and change it twice!

Teacher: You say that John Jones has a cold and cannot come to school today. Who am I speaking to?

Voice: Oh, this is my father.

Policeman: You can’t park here. Driver: Why not? Policeman: Read the sign. Driver: I did. It says, “Fine for

parking!”

Customer: I say waiter! There are some coins in my soup!

Waiter: Well, you said you wanted some change in your meals.

Do you know them?

赵本山 冯巩

Mr. Bean

Charlie Chaplin

Can they make you laugh? Do you think English humour is

different from Chinese humour?

Which do you like better, verbal or nonverbal? Why?

Pre-reading

1. What do you know about Charlie Chaplin?

2. What do you know about his films? What is so interesting about them?

Look at the title and the pictures of the passage and predict its content.

Skim the reading passage then find out the main idea of the reading passage.

This passage is about Charlie Chaplin’s biography.

Task 1: Skimming

Charlie Chaplin

BornJobFamous character

Costume

Type of actingDied

In a poor family in 1889

Actor

“The little tramp”, a poor and homeless man

Large trousers, worn-out shoes and a small round black hat

Mime and farce

In Switzerland in 1977

Task 2 Intensive reading

1 . Choose the best answer to the following question.

• (1) Charlie Chaplin made people laugh when they felt depressed, so they could feel ____.

• A. less content with their lives • B. more satisfied with their lives• C. more worried about their lives• D. they had a miserable life

B

• (2) When and where is the film The Gold Rush set in?

• A. It is set in California at the end of the nineteenth century.

• B. It is set in Canada at the end of the nineteenth century.

• C. It is set in California in the middle of the nineteenth century.

• D. It is set in Canada in the middle of the nineteenth century.

C

• (3) What did not happen to the little tramp Chaplin acted in the film The Gold Rush?

• A. He and his friend were caught in a snowstorm.

• B. He and his friend had nothing to eat and were very hungry.

• C. He and his friend boiled a pair of leather shoes to eat.

• D . He and his friend were fortunate enough to find some gold.

D

• (4) Chaplin was given a special Oscar for ___.

• A. the characters he played in his films

• B. the films he directed• C. the joy he gave us in his films• D. his outstanding work in films

D

• (5) What’s the author’s attitude to Charlie Chaplin?

• A. positive• B. negative• C. serious• D. appreciative

D

2. Write down the main idea of each paragraph.

Main

Body

Paragraph 1:

Paragraph 2:

Paragraph 3:

Paragraph 4:

Paragraph 5:

Why people needed cheering up.

What Charlie’ childhood was like.

An example of a sad situation that he made funny.

What his most famous character was like.

His achievements.

Homework

1. Read the passage again and find out the useful new words and expressions. Try to learn them by heart.

2. Write a summary of the passage in your own words in the exercise book.