Unit 1

Reading

Stand-up for your health

Do you know who this person is? What kind of imagine will appear in your

mind? How do you feel at the sight of him? what’s the style of his film? Do you think laughing is good for

people’s health?

Laughter is a bridge that can lead people to health, happiness and peace. It is a good therapy to help people get rid of bitterness and forget all the problems.

Fast-reading for general idea.1 What is the article about?

2 How many types of stand-up are

there?

3 What is laughter good for?

It’s about stand-up comedy.

There are four main types.

It’s good for our health.

Careful-reading for detailed information

1 What is special about stand-up comedy?

Stand-up is different from other forms of comedy because the comedian is in front of the audience and may talk directly to audience members.

2 what are the four main types of stand-up?

They are observational, prop physical, and impressionist.

3 When did Billy Crystal begin practicing stand-up?

He began practicing stand-up when he was a child.

4 What is one reason Billy Crystal has become so famous?

His outstanding ability to improvise.

5 How many times has Billy Crystal hosted the Academy Awards?

Eight times. 6 Who were Bob Hope and George

Burns?

They were two comedians who lived to be 100 years old and kept working until the end of their lives.

7 What dies your brain do when you laugh?

It sends chemicals that are good for you into your body.

8 What is the English idiom about laughter mentioned in the text?

Laughter is the best medicine.

Listen to the tape and decide the following true or false. 1 A stand-up comedian is not allowed to

make fun of an audience member.

2 If the comedians act or speak like a

well-known person, this is called

observational comedy.

3 What the physical comedians usually

do is tripping over chairs, walking into

doors and falling down on stage.

F

F

T

4 Quite a few stand-up comedians have become famous as television and film actor later on in life.

5 The fact that when Crystal hosts the Academy Awards, he always keeps a toothbrush in his pocket for good luck is only known to a few people.

6 Billy Crystal has no plans to go on making films to go on telling jokes.

7The reason why people who laugh a lot live longer is that when you laugh, your brain sends chemicals around your body that are good for you.

T

F

T

F

Now let's come to Part C2.

The four main types of stand-up comedy are explained in the article. Match each type with an appropriate example. Write the correct letter in the bracket.

A comedian stands on stage and holds a banana to his ear. He says, “Hello? Hello? I’m sorry I can’t hear you. Something must be wrong with my phone!”

B A comedian puts on glasses, changes his or her voice and pretends to someone else.

prop

Impressionist

A comedian walks on stage. As she introduces herself, she falls down.

A comedian says, “My grandmother started walking 1 km a day when she turned 60. she’s 89 now, and we don’t know where she is!”

physical

observational

Competition:Guess the words according to their English explanations as fast as you can

1 Correct or right for the situation, suitable _______

2 Major, chief _______

3 Cried out loud, either laughing or_______

4 Funny and entertaining _______

5 Stand in line, line up _______

6 Make somebody laugh or smile _______

7 Perform without preparation ________

8 Very good, excellent ________

appropriate

main

howled

humorous

Queue up

amuse

improvise

outstanding

discussion (1) What are necessary qualifications a good

comedian needs to have?

(2) When you are in low spirits, what will you do to stop unpleasant feelings?

(3) Besides laughter, what are other factors that can help people keep healthy and live longer?

Consolidation exercises:

Stand-up is one of the most well-known and well-loved types of comedy. In observational comedy, the comedian makes jokes about 1__________ things he or she 2________ in everyday life. Prop 3_________ use props to tell their jokes. Physical comedians use their 4_______ to make jokes. Impressionist comedians act or speak like a well-known person,

humorousobserves

comedians

bodies

which is called doing an 5_________ of the person, Billy Crystal is one of the stand-up comedians who have become famous as television and film actors later on in life. His 6_________ with all age groups and his ability to 7______ people all over the world prove that stand-up can be enjoyed by everyone.

impression

popularity amuse

Doctors have been 8__________ the effect stand-up and other forms of comedy have on people. They have discovered that people who laugh a lot live longer. This agrees with the English saying “9_________ is the best 10_________”.

researching

laughter medicine

Translate the following sentences into English.

1 有一种非常出名，深受人们喜爱的喜剧形式叫做单口喜剧。

One of the most well-known and well-loved types of comedy is called stand-up.

2 单口喜剧演员可以拿某一观众开玩笑，也可以根据观众的反应随机应变说不同的笑话。

A stand-up comedian may make fun of an audience member, or he or she might decide to tell different jokes in response to the reactions of an audience.

3 观众只能看见他站在那里两片嘴唇动个不停。

The audience could only see him standing there moving his lips.

4 克里斯托放弃了讲事先准备好的笑话，即兴编了一个。

Instead of telling the joke he had planned, Crystal made up a new one.

5 克里斯托深受各年龄断人群的喜爱，他有能力让世人感到开心，这证明单口喜剧能被所以人欣赏。

Crystal’s popularity with all age groups and his ability to amuse people all over the world prove that stand-up can be enjoyed by everyone.

Language points:

1.people have always enjoyed laughing, and there has always been humor.

人们总是喜欢笑 , 并且总是含有幽默感 . enjoy doing 喜欢做 , doing 动名词做 enjoy 的

宾语 . 后接 v-ing 的动词还有 : appreciate, avoid, bear,

consider, dislike, delay, escape, finish, hate, imagine, keep, mind, miss, precise, resist, risk, stand, suggest

I don’t mind waiting for you in the cold wind. I didn’t imagine your coming here so early.

高考链接 ----There is a story here in the

paper about a 110-year-old man.

----My goodness! I can’t imagine

______ that old. (2006. 江苏 )

A to be B be have been

C being D having been

humor (1) noun [U] 幽默He‘s got a great sense of humor (= he i

s very able to see things as amusing). (2) verb [T] 使某人开心 , 逗某人发笑

I applied for the job just to humor my parents.

humorous  adj. 幽默的 , 好笑的Her latest book is a humorous look at teenage life.

2. A stand-up comedian may make fun of an audience member, or he or she might decide to tell different jokes in response

to the reactions of an audience. (page 2)单口喜剧演员可能就某一观众开玩笑，或是根据观众的反映讲不同的笑话。

a. make fun of 取笑；拿……开玩笑 It’s cruel to make fun of people who stam

mer.

常用搭配 :

make fun of=poke fun at 开玩笑 ;嘲笑

play jokes on 开……的玩笑 play a trick on 捉弄 , 开玩笑 Don’t play jokes on that poor girl.

Don’t be serious. He just played a trick on you just now.

response noun [C or U] an answer or reaction:Responses to our advertisement have been disappointing.Her proposals met with an enthusiastic response.Management has granted a 10% pay rise in response to union pressure.

responsibility n. 责任 ; 负责 ; 任务 responsible adj. 须负责任的

相关短语 in response to 对……做出反应 take responsibility for 对……负责be responsible for 对……负责 ,

作为……的原因be responsible to 向……负责

may/ might, 情态动词用于肯定句中 , 表示不太肯定的推测 , 意为“有可能” must 表推测 , 意为“一定 , 准是” , can 用于疑问句 , 意为“有……的可能吗” , 用于否定句 , 表示“不可能”

It may be true, but I’m not sure. He can’t have finished the work so soon. Where can he have gone? It must have rained last night, for the gro

und is wet.

高考链接 (2006 年四川 )

---- Is jack on duty today?

---- It ________ be him. It’s his

turn tomorrow.

A mustn’t B won’t

C can’t D needn’t

(2006 年湖南 ) Some aspects of a pilot’s job _______

__ be boring and pilots often ________ work at inconvenient hours.

A can; have to B may; can

C have to; may D ought to; must

reaction

(1) n. response to a situation, an act, an influence, etc. 对情况、行动、影响等作出反应，回应

What was his reaction to the news?

I love to watch people's reactions when I say who I am.(2) return to a previous state after a period of the opposite condition

回复到原来的状态；复旧 After all the excitement, there was an inevitab

le reaction.

These comedians act or speak like a well-known person. (page 2) 这类喜剧演员的动作或说话方式都像某个名人。

act: (1)verb [I] to do something for a particular purpose, or to behave in the stated way:She acted without thinking.He acted as if he'd never met me before. (2)verb [I or T] to play a part; to perform in a film, play, etc:Have you ever acted in a play before?

高考链接： （ 2005 湖南） We went to Canad

a to travel and my cousin _________ as our guide.

A played B showed

C acted D performed

4 Each time, he performs his stand-up routine in front of millions of people when the show is broadcast live on TV.

每次 , 当节目在电视上现场直播时他都是在上百万人面前表演他的单口喜剧节目。

Live: adj. 现场直播的 a live recording

This evening there will be a live broadcast of the debate.

  

Instead of telling the joke he had planned, Crystal made up a new one.

克里斯托没有讲预先准备好的笑话，而是即兴编了一个。

made up: 编造 , 捏造 I made up an excuse about having to look af

ter the kids.My dad was always really good at making up stories.

高考链接：（ 2205 年江苏） Everybody in the

village likes Jack because he is good at telling and ________ jokes.

A turning up B putting up

C making up D showing up

He said,” It seems appropriate that he got his start in silent films.!”

他说：“看来，他不愧是从无声电影起步的啊！”

appropriate: adj. 合适的Is this film appropriate for small children?Is this an appropriate occasion to discuss finance?NOTE: The opposite is inappropriate.

amuse: verb [I or T] 使愉快 , 使开心 I've brought with me an article from yesterda

y's paper that I thought might amuse you. We amused ourselves by watching the pass

ers-by.I bought a magazine to amuse myself while I was on the train.Apparently these stories are meant to amuse.

amused   adj. 感到愉快的 an amused smile

She was very amused by/at your comments.amusement    nounamusing   adj. 令人愉快的

an amusing story/person/situation