普通高中课程标准实验教科书 英语必修4 Unit 3 A taste of Engli

1 There are thousands of jokes which use "play on words" to amuse¹ us. One person asks a question which expects a particular reply. Instead, what he gets is another kind of answer which makes the situation funny. Now read some of these customer and waiter jokes. Can you match the joke with the explanation?

1     C: What's that fly doing in my soup？

       W: Swimming, I think!

2     C: What's that?

       W: It's bean soup.

C: I don't want to know what it's been. I want  to know what it is now.

3    C: Waiter, will the pancakes be long?

       W: No, sir. Round.

 

2Some jokes are longer and tell a short, funny story. The following is one of those jokes about the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Doctor Watson. Read it and decide which of these two kinds of jokes you like better. Give your reasons.

 

       Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson went camping in a mountainous² area. They were lying in the open air under the stars. Sherlock Holmes looked up at the stars and whispered³, "Watson, when you look at that beautiful sky, what do you think of?" Watson replied, "I think of how short life is and how long the universe has lasted." "No, no, Watson!" Holmes said. "What do you really think of?." Watson tried again. "I think of how small I am and how vast⁴ the sky is." "Try again, Watson!" said Holmes. Watson tried a third time. "I think of how cold the universe is and how warm people can be in their beds." Holmes said, "Watson, you fool! You should be thinking that someone has stolen our tent!"

1 amuse   

v.娱乐，逗乐，使高兴，使有趣

参考例句：

• Tom makes up stories to amuse his little brother.汤姆编故事逗他的小弟弟。
• I often amuse myself with reading.我常以读书自乐。

2 mountainous   

adj.多山的，如山的，巨大的

参考例句：

• A mountainous country is one in which there are many mountains.山国是多山的国家。
• The Antarctic is a mountainous area.南极洲是一个多山的地区。

3 whispered   

adj.耳语的，低语的v.低声说( whisper的过去式和过去分词 )；私语；小声说；私下说

参考例句：

• She sidled up to me and whispered something in my ear. 她悄悄走上前来，对我耳语了几句。
• His ill luck has been whispered about the neighborhood. 他的不幸遭遇已在邻居中传开。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 vast   

adj.巨大的，庞大的；大量的，巨额的

参考例句：

• Tom has made a vast improvement in his German.汤姆的德语有了很大的进步。
• China has a vast territory and a large population.中国地域辽阔，人口众多。