Anewstudyhasfoundthatmakingsomeonelaughisoneofthebestwaystowoo(求婚)one’slover.Howeverresearchershavediscoveredthatnotallhumourisequal.Thequickestpathtosuccessistouseaveryspecificformofwit:Self-

Question

　　A new study has found that making someone laugh is one of the best ways to woo(求婚)one’s lover. However researchers have discovered that not all humour is equal. The quickest path to success is to use a very specific form of wit: Self-deprecation.

 “Many studies show that a sense of humour is attractive to women especially to their girlfriends but we’ve found that self-deprecating humour is the most attractive of all. ” said anthropologist Gil Greengross.

One possible explanation is that taking the mickey out of oneself is a high-risk strategy.

 “It is a risky form of humour because it can draw attention to one’s real faults thereby diminishing(缩小)the self-deprecator’s status in the eyes of others. But based on the idea that self-deprecating humour can be an especially reliable indicator not only of general intelligence and creativity but also of moral virtues such as humility. ”

Anthropologist Kate Fox author of Watching the English believes self-deprecation is uniquely vital for those with an English cultural background: “For the English the rules of humour are the cultural equivalent of natural laws—we obey them automatically rather in the way that we obey the law of gravity. ”

 “Pomposity(夸耀)and self-importance are outlawed. Serious matters can be spoken of seriously but one must never take oneself too seriously. ” she added.

 “As long as everyone understands the rules they are duly impressed both by one’s achievements and by one’s reluctance(不愿)to talk about them publicly. ”

However Greengross warns of another danger in the use of self-deprecation. “If you are a low-status individual using self-deprecating humour can be disastrous to you. ” he said.

 “Think about the secondary-school child whom nobody liked who made fun of his shortcoming in sports. His kids laughed at him and he was considered more pathetic(悲惨的)than he was previously. This is high-risk attraction. It is not for everyone. ” (330W)

1. What is Kate Fox?

A. A film-maker.

B. An official at school.

C. A lawyer.

D. An expert in studying anthropology.

2. From the passage we know that Gil Greengross　　　.

A. is attractive to women all the way especially to his girlfriend

B. believes that he himself is really the author of Watching the English

C. thinks that a low-status individual can be disastrous to him/her while using self-deprecation

D. loves the secondary-school child whom nobody liked because of his shortcoming in sports

3. The underlined phrase “taking the mickey out of oneself” (in Paragraph 3)may be replaced by　　　.

A. making someone laugh

B. self-deprecation

C. obeying the law of gravity

D. pomposity and self-importance

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The quickest path to success is to make someone laugh.

B. Self-deprecation perhaps lowers its status in the eyes of others.

C. The English obey natural laws without obeying the law of gravity.

D. Nobody likes making fun of one child’s shortcoming in sports.

5. Where does the text probably come from?

A. A novel.                 B. A survey study.

C. A pet magazine.     D. A travel guide.

Answer 1

DCBBB