[1] Humor is a phenomenon which is influenced by culture. It can be difficult to deter
mine what aspects define a certain sense of humor. A nation’s wit is linked to the historical development of the country. How funny somebody finds a certain incident depends on many factors including age, personal experience, level of education and geographical location. Therefore humor is something which is not always transferable in another country.
[2] What somebody from one area may find hilarious may not be amusing at all to somebody from another location. Whether or not someone gets a joke is determined by their interpretation, filtered by the cultural context.
[3] What about when both countries speak the same mother tongue？ Does that mean that they will then share the same sense of humor, or can differences still occur？ Let’s take the example of Britain and America. Not only do Americans and Brits spell the word “humor” differently, most claim that American humor and British humor are quite different in nature. Time and time again, people say that Brits and Americans don’t “get” each other’s sense of humor. To what extent is this true, if at all？
[4] There’s a received wisdom in the U.K. that Americans don’t get irony. It is often believed to be one of the most common differences between the British and American sense of humor. This is of course not true. One of the major differences seems to be how often both countries use irony. Brits use irony on a daily basis. We use it as liberally as prepositions in every day speech. We tease our friends. We use sarcasm as a shield and a weapon. We avoid sincerity until it’s absolutely necessary. We mercilessly take the piss out of people we like or dislike basically. And ourselves. This is very important. Our brashness and swagger is laden with equal portions of self-deprecation. This is our license to hand it out.
[5] But it is not the foundation of American humor. I think Americans understand British irony (most of the time anyway!); what they don’t understand is the need to use it so frequently. When Americans use irony they tend to state that they were “only kidding”. They feel the need to make a joke more obvious than Brits do, maybe this stems from a fear of offending people.
[6] The American sense of humor is generally more slapstick than that in Britain. I think this arises from a cultural difference between the two. Their jokes are more obvious and forward, a bit like Americans themselves. British jokes, on the other hand, tend to be more subtle but with a dark or sarcastic undertone. There is usually a hidden meaning. This may stem from the fact that British culture is more reserved than American culture.
[7] Americans say, “Have a nice day” whether they mean it or not. Brits are terrified to say this. We tell ourselves it’s because we don’t want to sound insincere, but I think it might be for the opposite reason. We don’t want to celebrate anything too soon. Failure and disappointment lurk around every corner. This is due to our upbringing. Americans are brought up to believe they can be the next president of the United States. Brits are told, “It won’t happen for you.”
[8] Yet certain American comedies have gained huge success in Britain and vice versa. Therefore, although there are differences between both comic styles, there is still an appreciation and understanding of the other sense of humor. Both the British and American versions of the comedy The Office are hugely successfully on both sides of the Atlantic. Both shows have their own cultural differences, yet they portray a lifestyle. which both Americans and Brits alike can relate to. Although both nations have subtle differences in their wit, they can appreciate the other’s sense of humor.
46、According to this passage, all of the following factors influence how funny a person finds a certain incident except __________.
A.age
B.gender
C.personal experience
D.level of education
47、What is the main idea of the third paragraph？()
A.In this paragraph, the question whether Brits and Americans share the same sense of humor or not is put forward.
B.In this paragraph, the author emphasizes that Brits and Americans don’t understand each other’s sense of humor.
C.In this paragraph, the author emphasizes that American humor and British humor are quite different in nature.
D.In this paragraph, the question that to what extent American humor is different from British humor is put forward.
48、What is the topic sentence of the fourth paragraph？()
A.The first sentence.
B.The fourth sentence.
C.The fifth sentence.
D.The second sentence.
49、According to the fourth paragraph, the difference between American humor and British humor lies in the use of ___________.
A.joke
B.sarcasm
C.irony
D.metaphor
50、Why are British jokes more subtle than American jokes？()
A.Because Brits are more straightforward.
B.Because Brits are more slapstick.
C.Because Brits are more open.
D.Because British culture is more reserved than American culture.
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