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I am not sure that I can draw an exact line between wit and humor（perhaps the distinction is so subtle that only those persons can decide who have long white beards）, but even an ignorant person may express an opinion in this matter.

I am quite positive that humor is the more comfortable and livable quality. For humorous persons, if their gift is genuine and not a mere shine upon the surface, are always agreeable companions. They have pleasant mouths turned up at the corners, to which the great master of Marionettes has fixed the strings and he holds them in his nimblest（灵巧的）fingers to twitch them at the slightest jest（笑话）. But the mouth of a merely witty man is hard and sour. Nor is the flash from a witty man always comforting, but a humorous man radiates a general pleasure.

I admire wit, but I have no real liking for it; it has been too often employed against me, whereas humor is always an ally; it never points an impertinent（不礼貌的）finger into my defects. A wit's tongue, however, is as sharp as a donkey's stick—I may gallop the faster for its prodding（刺戳）, but the touch behind is too persuasive for any comfort.

Wit is a lean creature with a sharp inquiring nose, whereas humor has a kindly eye and a comfortable girth. Wit has a better voice in a solo, but humor comes into the chorus best.

Wit keeps the season's fashions and is precise in the phrases and judgments of the day, but humor is concerned with homely eternal things.

1．The author's attitude towards wit can most accurately be described as____.

A．cautious admiration

B．wholehearted amusement

C．tolerant disapproval

D．aversion

2．The author dislikes wit because it____.

A．can be employed against him

B．is superficial

C．follows the judgments of the day

D．is too brief

3．“A wit's tongue is like a donkey's stick” in that both____.

A．consider their victim's feelings

B．are gently persuasive

C．goad their victims

D．are used with definite purpose

4．The author probably intended this selection on wit and humor to____.

A．permanently eliminate the confusion of them

B．express his personal opinion of them

C．reveal their similarities

D．deprecate the quality of wit

5．Implied but not stated:____.

A．Humor is always genuine

B．Humorous persons have pleasant faces

C．Wit is more nimble than humor

D．Humor comes by more naturally than wit

1．【答案】A

【精析】对比文章倒数第一、二、三段的第一句话可以判断出，作者对wit的态度应该是很谨慎地欣赏，故A项正确。

2．【答案】A

【精析】由文章第三段中的“it has been too often employed against me”可知，A项为正确答案。

3．【答案】C

【精析】由文章第三段最后一句话“A wit's tongue, however, is as sharp as a donkey's stick—I may gallop the faster for its prodding（刺戳）, but the touch behind is too persuasive for any comfort.”可知，将智者的话语比作驴的蹄子是因为两者对他们的承受者都具有刺激作用，故选C项。

4．【答案】B

【精析】由全文内容可知，作者通过对智慧和幽默的描写只是为了表达自己的看法，故B项正确。

5．【答案】D

【精析】由文章最后一句话“Wit keeps the season's fashions and is precise in the phrases and judgments of the day, hut humor is concerned with homely eternal things.”可知，D项为正确答案。