Questions 31-33
Choose the correct letter, A, B, or C.
Write your answers in boxes 31-33
on your answer sheet.
31. According to the lecturer, comedy is
32. According to the lecturer, humour
33. According to the lecturer, opposites and contradictions
The answer is a. The lecturer states that comedy is subjective and hard to pin down, saying "when analysing comedy and what is funny, it is almost like it is only visible out of the corner of your eye. As soon as you try and look directly at it and analyse it too much... all of the funniness disappears." This means it is difficult to analyze, supporting option (A). There is no evidence in the passage for comedy being accessible to everybody or a mixture of art and science.
Associated Text:
when analysing comedy and what is funny, it is almost like it is only visible out of the corner of your eye. As soon as you try and look directly at it and analyse it too much... all of the funniness disappears.
The answer is b. The lecturer discusses how humour is related to intelligence, stating, "I think that our need to feel intelligent comes into play a lot in finding things funny." They continue, "Maybe humour is actually the overwhelming joy at feeling intelligent," and give examples where understanding a joke makes us feel clever. This supports choice (B). There is direct evidence against (A), and nothing in the passage suggests humour makes us feel foolish, so (C) is incorrect.
Associated Text:
I think that our need to feel intelligent comes into play a lot in finding things funny. Maybe humour is actually the overwhelming joy at feeling intelligent. Someone makes a clever joke and only a few people get it. If we get the joke, we recognise the person as being clever and we feel clever ourselves as we understand the concept. We laugh.
The answer is b. The script states, "What else makes something funny? Well, comedy is full of opposites and contradictions. Sometimes the expected makes us laugh." This means that opposites and contradictions do make us laugh, so (B) is the correct choice. There is no reference to opposites and contradictions being not funny or only unexpected, so (A) and (C) are incorrect.
Associated Text:
What else makes something funny? Well, comedy is full of opposites and contradictions. Sometimes the expected makes us laugh.
Questions 34-40
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD for each answer.
The answer is opposite. The script clearly says, "Historically, the original meaning of the word 'comedy' was merely a dramatic play that was the opposite of tragedy." This directly provides the word needed for the blank, confirming that comedy was once considered the opposite of tragedy.
Associated Text:
Historically, the original meaning of the word 'comedy' was merely a dramatic play that was the opposite of tragedy.
The answer is happier. The script says about comedy, "Comedy, on the other hand, usually revolved around normal people moving up in the world and would feature a happier ending." This shows that historically, comedy was associated with a happier ending, which directly fills the blank.
Associated Text:
Comedy, on the other hand, usually revolved around normal people moving up in the world and would feature a happier ending.
The answer is high. The script says, "High comedy is seen as intellectual wit, often set among high society and using clever characterisations and complex situations." This indicates that high comedy is associated with intellectual humour.
Associated Text:
High comedy is seen as intellectual wit, often set among high society and using clever characterisations and complex situations.
The answer is low. The script clearly says, "Low comedy uses coarse language, slapstick and farce – for example Monty Python and Little Britain." This makes it clear that low comedy uses bad language and slapstick.
Associated Text:
Low comedy uses coarse language, slapstick and farce – for example Monty Python and Little Britain.
The answer is imitation. The script explains, "Parody is where a work deliberately mimics another style for comic effect or ridicule." It also says about spoof, "Spoof is light parody or gentle imitation." This means both parody and spoof use imitation.
Associated Text:
Parody is where a work deliberately mimics another style for comic effect or ridicule. Spoof is light parody or gentle imitation.
The answer is audience. The script says, "A beat is a small pause put in place to enhance a joke... sometime after the punchline to enable the audience time to react and get the joke." This proves that pausing after a joke gives the audience a chance to respond.
Associated Text:
A beat is a small pause put in place to enhance a joke... sometime after the punchline to enable the audience time to react and get the joke.
The answer is build. The script explains, "but often a pause is placed before a line to build expectation." Therefore, pausing before a punchline is a way to build expectation, making 'build' the correct answer.
Associated Text:
but often a pause is placed before a line to build expectation.
