Unit 8
Chapter 2
I. Reading
The Premature Delight
There was once a teacher who made a meager living by teaching five pupils in a very small village. The school was located between a carpenter's shop and a blacksmith's shop. While the carpenter sawed and nailed noisily, the blacksmith's hammer against his anvil could be heard clearly in the schoolroom. Because of the noise, it was extremely difficult for the students to learn and the teacher to teach.
One day the carpenter and the blacksmith called on the teacher to announce their decision to move. The teacher was so delighted by the news that he gave a farewell party for both the blacksmith and the carpenter. During the lavish party the teacher said, "I've been wondering where the two of you are planning to move." "Oh, I'm just going to change shops with the carpenter," the blacksmith replied. "Well," the teacher said unhappily, "my hopes for peace and quiet have just gone up in smoke." The teacher, who had just lost his hopes for peace and quiet, began to lose his savings for the year, too, as the party continued on into the night.
II. Writing
Following the guidelines given below, write about what the teacher did after the party. Do not use more than 250 words.
| Title: | Return to Peace and Quiet | |
| Introduction: | Teacher started a store — since not many stores in the village, business good — sold food and supplies — made a lot of money | |
| Development: | Teacher decided to build a new school — quietest place in the country — bought land — most beautiful school | |
| Conclusion: | New school quiet enough — blacksmith and carpenter — far away as possible — peace and quiet became a reality. |
III. Reading
Funny or Not
People everywhere enjoy hearing a good joke. What people laugh at, however, depends on such things as age, personality, mood, and culture.
One kind of humor is called "sick humor." While some people enjoy it, others wonder how anyone could laugh at it. The following example is here for you to judge.
Two weeks before Christmas a man who had broken his leg lay suffering in a hospital. He was not looking forward to spending Christmas in the hospital, but the break was too serious for him to be released.
The Christmas holidays passed, but on New Year's Eve the patient wanted to go to his friend's house where there was a party going on. After he convinced the doctor to let him go, he caught a cab and took off. He got out of the cab in front of his friend's house and tried to get to the door as fast as he could. In the process, however, he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his other leg.
IV. Activity
The above reading might lead to the discussion of questions like the following:
1) What is sick humor?
2) Is some of Korean humor sick?
3) What kinds of topics or people do Koreans joke about?
4) Why do people enjoy funny stories?
5) How is humor useful?
V. Quotation
No mind is thoroughly well organized that is deficient in a sense of humor.