The Americans have been voted the world’s “funniest nationality” ---the one “best at making people laugh” ---in a global poll (民意调查), which also names the Germans the “least funny” nationality and the British “not as funny as they think”.
30,000 people across 15 countries were asked to name both the “funniest” and “least funny” nationality in a poll conducted by Badoo.com, the world’s largest social network for meeting new people, with 119 million users worldwide.
The Americans were voted the funniest nationality, ahead of the Spanish --- the funniest Europeans --- in second, Italians in third and British in seventh.
The voting for the “least funny” nationality confirmed the view of America’s Mark Twain that “a German joke is no laughing matter”. The Germans won, ahead of the Russians and Turks. The stereotype of German humourlessness is believed to derive from their reputation for efficiency, punctuality and rationality(理性). Examples of German jokes include: “Yesterday, I met my friend Horst at the hospital. He’d swallowed a sponge. He says it doesn’t hurt but he’s always thirsty.”
“When we meet someone new, one of the first things we notice is whether they make us laugh”, says Lloyd Price, Badoo’s Marketing Director. “America is a worthy poll winner”, says Price. “It’s the world’s only comedy superpower.”
The British pride themselves on their humour but learn from the poll that they’re not as funny as they think. They placed just seventh of 15 --- behind the Brazilians, French and Mexicans.
【小题1】According to the poll, which is the right order from the funniest nationality to the least funny one?

The Americans have been voted the world’s “funniest nationality” ---the one “best at making people laugh” ---in a global poll (民意调查), which also names the Germans the “least funny” nationality and the British “not as funny as they think”.

30,000 people across 15 countries were asked to name both the “funniest” and “least funny” nationality in a poll conducted by Badoo.com, the world’s largest social network for meeting new people, with 119 million users worldwide.

The Americans were voted the funniest nationality, ahead of the Spanish --- the funniest Europeans --- in second, Italians in third and British in seventh.

The voting for the “least funny” nationality confirmed the view of America’s Mark Twain that “a German joke is no laughing matter”. The Germans won, ahead of the Russians and Turks. The stereotype of German humourlessness is believed to derive from their reputation for efficiency, punctuality and rationality(理性). Examples of German jokes include: “Yesterday, I met my friend Horst at the hospital. He’d swallowed a sponge. He says it doesn’t hurt but he’s always thirsty.”

“When we meet someone new, one of the first things we notice is whether they make us laugh”, says Lloyd Price, Badoo’s Marketing Director. “America is a worthy poll winner”, says Price. “It’s the world’s only comedy superpower.”

The British pride themselves on their humour but learn from the poll that they’re not as funny as they think. They placed just seventh of 15 --- behind the Brazilians, French and Mexicans.

1.According to the poll, which is the right order from the funniest nationality to the least funny one?

A．Spanish, Americans, French, Mexicans, British

B．Americans, Spanish, Italians, Brazilians, French

C．British, Mexicans, Brazilians, Spanish, Americans

D．Italians, French, British, Mexicans, Brazilians

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The poll was conducted among 119 million people by Badoo. com.

B．Spanish are the funniest nationality in Europe.

C．That Germans are named the “least funny” nationality is because of Mark Twain.

D．Some people think that British are funny while others think the opposite in the poll.

3.Which can be the substitute of the word “derive” in the fourth paragraph?

A．acquire           B．suffer            C．translate          D．accomplish

4.What is the author’s purpose of telling us a German joke?

A．The author wants to show that Germans are good at telling jokes.

B．The author wants to confirm what Mark Twain said.

C．The author wants to prove that Germans are not funny at all.

D．The author just wants to say that swallowing a sponge is no harm.

5.It seems that the best title for this passage is ______.

A．The Funniest Nationality

B．A Global Poll Conducted by Badoo.Com

C．Americans Won the Funniest Nationality

D．Americans Voted “Funniest Nation”, Germans “Least Funny”

I am always eager to do experiments, especially chemistry ones. It's   _26_  to work with test tubes and beakers（烧杯） , even though sometimes my efforts end in__27___. Experiments were fun for me  __28  a recent accident.
The   29  happened when I was heating a big test tube with an alcohol burner（酒精灯） , chatting to my partner while waiting for__30____ changes. All of a sudden, the tube cracked. Even though I jumped from my seat when I heard the crack, the hair on my forehead was __31____ as I was leaning too close to the test tube.
  __32___ I had no time to be sad about my hair: the liquid in the test tube poured onto the table and caught fire. I'd never  33 _ anything so bad! My___34___went blank （空白）for a moment. Then I quickly covered the fire with a damp cloth to__35____.
The teacher told me that the test tube broke in half at the bottom because we didn't dry it properly before __36___ it.
We calmed down and did the experiment, again. But our hearts were still __37____ rapidly even after we walked out of the lab.
But my bad __38___ didn't end there! Since all __39     was focused on the flames while we were in the lab, I didn't see the liquid falling onto my trousers.
During the following class, I felt a __40___ in my leg. Soon it became more and more painful and I touched the area with my fingers,   _41_  to make things better. But to my great    42___ , the material of my trousers turned into powder! “Vitrio（硫酸）! ! !”The terrible word came into my mind. I rushed out right away to wash and examine my poor skin.  _43_  , it was not a serious injury.
After changing my __44____I sat down and told myself: danger is no joke! It's very important to have a serious___45___ in chemistry class. Doing scientific experiments as a learner is no laughing matter.

Teenagers at one German school are learning how to achieve happiness alongside other traditional   35   such as maths and languages.

The class sits in a circle with their eyes shut and they count from one to ten: someone starts, the   36   voice comes from the far right, a third from the other side.

The aim of the game is to   37   for an opportunity to shout out the   38   without clashing (相撞) with another voice or leaving a pause. On the first try,  39   of the young Germans try to be first, while a few are too shy to join in. But by the fifth   40   , they develop a rhythm (节奏) . The message gives other people space but also claims your own. This is a requirement for social well-being.

Unlike schools in other nations, German schools do not usually have school sports teams or seek to build school spirit. Many teens admit they are   41   and confused, but school is not usually the place to find relief.

The Willy Hellpach School in Heidelberg is the first in the nation to develop a happiness   42   It is   43   for 17-19years old students to prepare for university entrance exams. "The course isn't there to make you happy," Ernst Fritz-Schubert, the school principal, warned pupils, "   44   rather to help you discover the ways to become happy. "

Cooking a meal together will be one of the class   45   , along with improving body language under the   46   of two professional actresses.

The course is taught for three periods a week. Despite the happy subject, the pupils themselves insist it is no laughing matter.

"In the first period, we had to each say something   47   about another member of the class and about ourselves. No laughing at people or teasing," said Fanny, 17.

The message is that self-esteem (自尊) improves   48   too.

Research by the school shows it is not the first to start happiness classes and they also exist at some US universities, but are mainly based on positive thinking, using   49   from studies of depression.

"That would be too one-sided for us. We want to show how decent (好的) food or exercise can help too," the principal said.

1.A. subjects         B. objects             C. customs                   D. habits

2.A. sweet         B. next               C. last               D. loud

3.A. look            B. see                C. find              D. listen

4.A. name         B. person            C. number                  D. treasure

5.A. all               B. few                C. most                      D. none

6.A. round                   B. limit                C. sheet           D. zone

7.A. happy                   B. lonely              C. curious           D. pleased

8.A. movement              B. class                C. course          D. approach

9.A. intended        B. made                   C. managed                  D. applied

10.A. and                   B. but                C. so              D. or

11.A. tests           B. exams              C. exercises         D. homework

12.A. guidance     B. lookout            C. permission      D. cooperation

13.A. backward              B. positive             C. negative          D. rude

14.A. atmosphere            B. achievement       C. happiness       D. score

15.A. inspections     B. instructions          C. motives         D. findings

I am always eager to do experiments, especially chemistry ones. It's   _26_  to work with test tubes and beakers（烧杯） , even though sometimes my efforts end in__27___. Experiments were fun for me  __28  a recent accident.

The   29  happened when I was heating a big test tube with an alcohol burner（酒精灯） , chatting to my partner while waiting for__30____ changes. All of a sudden, the tube cracked. Even though I jumped from my seat when I heard the crack, the hair on my forehead was __31____ as I was leaning too close to the test tube.

  __32___ I had no time to be sad about my hair: the liquid in the test tube poured onto the table and caught fire. I'd never  33 _ anything so bad! My___34___went blank （空白）for a moment. Then I quickly covered the fire with a damp cloth to__35____.

The teacher told me that the test tube broke in half at the bottom because we didn't dry it properly before __36___ it.

We calmed down and did the experiment, again. But our hearts were still __37____ rapidly even after we walked out of the lab.

But my bad __38___ didn't end there! Since all __39     was focused on the flames while we were in the lab, I didn't see the liquid falling onto my trousers.

During the following class, I felt a __40___ in my leg. Soon it became more and more painful and I touched the area with my fingers,   _41_  to make things better. But to my great    42___ , the material of my trousers turned into powder! “Vitrio（硫酸）! ! !”The terrible word came into my mind. I rushed out right away to wash and examine my poor skin.  _43_  , it was not a serious injury.

After changing my __44____I sat down and told myself: danger is no joke! It's very important to have a serious___45___ in chemistry class. Doing scientific experiments as a learner is no laughing matter.