Cruel jokes are a classic trait of British humor
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “The British are the only people who like to be told how bad things are.” This is definite1y true of British comedy. Most people think humor is about happy things, but for the British, the opposite is true. We love to use our cruel sense of humor to complain and be negative.
British comedy, for example, draws a fine line between comedy and tragedy. BBC's The Office is a TV show, famous for its dry humor. The main character, David Brent, is a foolish man, and the show's comedy comes from his delusions. For example, he often tells himself that he is loved by everyone but the viewer can see that everyone hates him.
Stupid characters for the audience to laugh at are an old tradition in Britain. In Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, the character Malvolio is an old man whom people play tricks on. The audience will laugh away, although the reality is that this man is a truly tragic individual.
This side of British humor is reflected in friendships as well. At university, my friends and I would always laugh at one another. I had an American friend who actually found this sarcasm（挖苦）quite upsetting. She didn't realize that in Britain, the better friends you are with someone, the more you laugh at them.
This approach-laughing at everything-may sound rather depressing, but our strange humor played a big part in British history. In World War II, along with a stiff upper lip（坚定沉着）,the British got through it by laughing. What else was there to do？
There is a saying in English：“Laugh and the world laughs with you；cry and you cry alone.” If you are ever on the receiving end of British sarcasm, you may feel like crying, but it's best to just laugh it off！
1. How is British comedy different from other types?
A. It is often surprising and boring.
B. It often laughs at human nature.
C. It is often about negative things.
D. It often makes people feel depressed.
2. What does the underlined word "delusions" in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. strong abilities B. fun characters C. incorrect beliefs D. deep confidence
3. Why is Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night mentioned in the article?
A. To show one of the best examples of British comedy.
B. To explain how Shakespeare's comedy is different.
C. To show how difficult it is to make people accept British comedy.
D. To prove Britain has a long tradition of laughing at stupid characters.
4. How does the author advise people to react to British humor?
A. Learn from it.
B. Don't take it seriously.
C. Reply sarcastically.
D. Be careful not to make stupid mistakes.
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