Unit 3
A taste of English humour
Joke 笑话

POLICEMAN: Why did you have to break into the same shop three times?
THIEF: Well, I stole a dress from that shop but my wife didn’t like it. So I had to go back and
change it twice!
Punchline
Mime 哑剧
Clown 小丑表演
Comedy 喜剧
Sketch 小品、幽默短剧

Cross talk 相声
Shuanghuang 双簧
Match the writers and humor forms
Mark Twain
Edward Lear
Funny poem
Funny story
A foreigner
A famous humourist
Great silent films
?
Charlie Chaplin
A Master of
Nonverbal Humour
Pre-reading
Predict：
What will be introduced about Charlie Chaplin in the passage？
Task 1 Find out the main idea of each paragraph
Para. 1 His achievements
Para. 2 An example of his works
Para. 3 Charlie’s childhood
Para. 4 World situation
Para. 5 His most famous character
Fast reading
Task 2 What’s the main idea of the passage?

The passage is mainly about Charlie Chaplin’s _______, ______, and __________, as well as a kind of humour ---_____________.
childhood
works
achievements
nonverbal humour
Task 1 Finish the chart (Para. 2)
died
worse off
sing
dance
actors
humour
Careful reading
Why did people like The Little Tramp?
Because he was optimistic(乐观的) and determined to overcome all difficulties.
Because he was always kind even when people were unkind to him
Task 2 Answer the following question (Para. 3)
Time:
Place:
Job in the film:
What troubles did they meet in California?
They ___________ in a small hut on the edge of a mountain during a __________ with ____________.
Task 3 The Gold Rush (Para. 4)
The end of the nineteenth century
Alaska
Searching for gold
were hiding
snowstorm
nothing to eat
Born: _____________________
Job: _______________________
Famous character: __________________
Type of acting: _____________________
Died: _____________________________
Costume: ______________________
Task 4 Some notes about Charlie Chaplin
in a poor family in 1889
actor, director, producer
the little tramp
mime
in Switzerland in 1977
a small
black hat
a moustache
a walking stick
very large trousers
worn-out shoes
Summary
Charlie Chaplin made people laugh at a time when they felt depressed, so they could feel more 1__________ their lives. However, Charlie’s own life was not that easy. 2________, his father died, leaving the family even 3________. By his teens, Charlie had become one the most famous child actors in England. As time went by, he began making films. His famous character, the little tramp, was a poor, 4________ man, who was a social 5______ but was loved for his optimism and determination to 6_________ all difficulties. The little tramp could make a sad situation 7__________. The film, The Gold Rush, is a good example. Charlie Chaplin wrote, 8_______ and produced the films he 9________. In 1972, he was given a special Oscar for his 10___________ work in films. He is loved and remembered as a great actor.
content with
Unfortunately
worse off
homeless
failure
overcome
entertaining
directed
starred in
outstanding
Discussion
Do you think Charlie Chaplin’s poor childhood helped him in his work? Why?
His family (his parents’ jobs)
His personality (性格) (adj.)
His experiences (What did he do in childhood)
Conclusion
Today we have learned something about Charlie Chaplin. His poor childhood didn’t have any negative impact on him, but contributed to his good qualities and his success. So I hope: no matter what difficulties you meet, you can be as optimistic(乐观的) and confident as Charlie Chaplin.
Homework
Write a composition about the topic you just discussed.
Para. 1: State your opinion.
I think Charlie’s poor childhood helped him in his work. Here are the reasons:
Para. 2: State your reasons.
Firstly, ……
Secondly, ……
Finally, ……
Para. 3: State your conclusion.
In a word, Charlie’s poor childhood contributed a lot to his work.
To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it.
---Charlie Chaplin