Text4Humor,whichoughttogiverisetoonlythemostlight-heartedand**feelings,canoftenstirupvehemenceandanimosity.Evidentlyitisdearertousthanwerealize.Menwilltakealmostanykindofcriticismexcepttheobservationthattheyhavenosenseofhumour.Amanwilladmittobeingacowardoraliarorathieforapoormechanicorabadswimmer,buttellhimheasadreadfulsenseofhumourandyoumightaswellhaveslanderedhismother.Evenifheiscivilizedenoughtopretendtomakelightofyourstatement,hewillstillsecretlybelievethathehasnotonlyagoodsenseofhumourbutaresuperiortomost.Hehas,inotherwords,acompletelyblindspotonthesubject.Thisisallthemoresurprisingwhenyouconsiderthatnotonemanintenmillioncangiveyouanykindofintelligentanswerastowhathumourisorwhyhelaughs.
OnedaywhenIwasabouttwelveyearsold,itoccurredtometowonderaboutthephenomenonoflaughter.AtfirstIthoughtitiseasyenoughtoseewhatIlaughatandwhyIamamused,butwhyatsuchtimesdoIopenmymouthandexhaleinjerkinggaspsandwrinkleupmyeyesandthrowbackmyheadandhalloolikeananimal?WhydoInotinsteadrapfourtimesonthetopofmyheadorwhistleorwhirlabout?
ThatwasovertwentyyearsagoandIamstillwondering,exceptthatInownolongereventakemyfirstassumptionforgranted,InolongerclearlyunderstandwhyIlaughatwhatamusesmenorwhythingsareamusing.Ihaveillustr iouscompanyinmyconfusion,ofcourse,Manyofthegreatmindsofhistoryhavebroughttheirpowerofconcentr ationtobearonthemysteryofhumour,and,todate,theirconclusionsaresocontr adictoryandephemeralthattheycannotpossiblybeclassifiedasscientific.
Manydefinitionsofthecomicareincompleteandmanyaresimplyrewordingofthingswealreadyknow.Aristotle,forexample,definedtheridiculousasthatwhichisincongruousbutr epresentsneither**ernorpain.Butthatseemstometobeamostinadequatesortofobservation,forofatthisminuteIinsertherethewordrutabagas,Ihaveintr oducedsomethingincongruous,somethingnotfunny.Ofcourse,itmustbeadmittedthatAristotledidnotclaimthateverypainlessincongruityisridiculousbutassoonaswehavegoneasfarasthisadmission,webegintoseethatwehavecometogripswithaghostwhenwethinkhaveitpinned,itsuddenlyappearsbehindus,mockingus.
Anall-embracingdefinitionofhumourhasbeenattemptedbymanyphilosophers,butnodefinition,noformulahadeverbeendevisedthatisentirelysatisfactory.Aristotle'sdefinitionhascometobeknownlooselyasthe"disappointment"theory,orthe"frustr atedexpectation",buthealso,discussedanothertheoryborrowedinpartfromPlatowhichstatesthatthepleasurewederiveinlaughingisanenjoymentofthemisfortuneofothers,duetoamomentaryfeelingofsuperiorityorgratifiedvanityinappreciationofthefactthatweourselvesarenotintheobservedpredicament.
第36题：Whichofthefollowingcanbeinferredfromthefirstparagraph?
[A]Peopledon'tliketobeconsideredasonewithnosenseofhumour.
[B]Peoplewillgiveyouasatisfactoryanswertowhathumouris.
[C]Peoplewouldliketobealiaroracoward.
[D]Peoplecanmakelightofother'scommentontheirsenseofhumour.
正确答案：A本题的相关信息在文章第一段。作者讲到：人们可以承认自己有其他方面的缺点，但要说他的幽默感差极了，这跟诋毁他母亲一样令他痛苦。由此可见，本题的正确答案应当为A。其他几个选项的意思均与原文内容不符。
