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Comedy and Psychology
Earlier this year I did a parttime comedy course. The class was taught by Ryan, a professional comedian.I had performed a show, which wasn't originally meant to be a comedy. However, the audience laughed at my first joke, then continued to laugh throughout the routines that were meant to be serious. So it was the audience who told me I was funny, but I didn't understand why or how to control the comic (滑稽的) moments. So, I joined the course to learn.
“Turn off your editor that makes you say the right thing and remember how to be a child，” explained Ryan.“Don't try to be clever.Don't try too hard to be funny ...and knowing all about the theory of humor is unlikely to help you much. Just behave in a silly way. That's what people want to see on stage.” Ryan would help us loosen up by saying things like，“Wander around talking to others, but make sure that you're the lowest status person here.”
I'd say that understanding the psychology of humor has actually helped. Recently I came across the book Inside Jokes: Using Humor to ReverseEngineer the Mind.Its main idea is that any selfdirected intelligent system will need to correct its own fault.There's a risk that the occasional error will be made. If this was boring or burdensome, we'd be less willing to do it. However, evolution has made the process fun.
Here's a joke in the book：Two fish are in a tank.One says to the other, “Do you know how to drive this thing？” It works on the principle that we have started to imagine one thing — that the tank is the typical container people keep fish in — and, just in time，the following words tell us that our first assumption was wrong — it's a heavy vehicle.For correctly figuring out the error，we are rewarded with a pleasurable feeling.The joke is an efficient way of encouraging this natural reaction，and comedians have become experts in slightly touching this mental funnybone in order to make us laugh.
Ryan was right when he said that knowing the theory of humor wouldn't help us that much as a comedy.During one exercise in the course，four of us were told to perform an opera. Susan and Caroline sang earnestly on either side of the stage, and I brought Henry to the floor, where we wrestled (摔跤) each other like outofcontrol teenagers. The rest of the group was in uncontrollable fits of laughter. As a performer, I'll never appreciate just why it seemed so funny.But the point is that I would never have written this on the paper.It was a joyous, found moment.
语篇解读：本文是一篇议论文。文章论述了喜剧和心理学之间的关系。
1. Why did the author attend the comedy course?
A．He wanted to see how the theories worked in practice.
B．He discovered he had some natural ability in comedy.
C．He worried about how other performers would find him.
D．He got unpleasant experiences when performing a comedy.
解析：选B 推理判断题。根据第一段最后两句可知，作者参加了喜剧课程，是因为他发现自己在喜剧方面有一定的天赋。故选B。
2. Ryan required the people on the comedy course to .
A．copy their favorite performance
B．imagine other people's reactions
C．help themselves feel comfortable
D．behave in a more playful manner
解析：选D 推理判断题。根据第二段中的“and knowing all about the theory of humor is unlikely to help you much.Just behave in a silly way.That's what people want to see on stage.”可知，Ryan要求喜剧课上的人们以一种更有趣的方式表现。由此可知答案为D。
3. What is the purpose of the joke mentioned in Paragraph 4?
A．To discuss what humor brings about exactly.
B．To give an example of another kind of humor.
C．To prove the point about psychology of humor.
D．To show why some people are funnier than others.
解析：选C 写作意图题。根据第四段最后一句可知，第四段提到笑话的目的是证明幽默心理学的观点。故选C。
4. What view does the author put forward in the end?
A．Visual humor is what appeals to people most.
B．What people find funny is often unpredictable.
C．Theories explaining humor tend to be mistaken.
D．Learning comic skills proves to be a difficult task.
解析：选B 推理判断题。根据最后一段最后两句可知，作者认为人们觉得有趣的东西往往是不可预测的。故答案为B。
