It is awkward（令人尴尬的）when everyone around you bursts out laughing at a joke that you do not find funny, especially if it's a joke told in a foreign language.
While Chinese students find it easy to adapt to a foreign lifestyle, socializing with locals is much harder, according to a recent study. Researchers looked at how well Chinese students made themselves a part of communities across the world. Of all the activities they struggled with, understanding jokes was considered the toughest.
Most of the time, jokes are funny only for people who share a common cultural background or are aware of humor in the same way.
Being able to understand local jokes can help students feel a sense of belonging. But even without the ability to understand jokes, students should not feel any less confident about themselves.
"It's OK if you don't get the jokes. Don't doubt yourself because in most time, it is not a problem of language ability but a matter of the known and unknown, "said Christine Han, who was once an overseas student and is now an Australian permanent resident.
Australia is ready-made for jokes, thanks to its history as a colony for prisoners, its unusual accent, the inner bush country and its strange food. However, to most Chinese overseas students, understanding jokes about sports is the biggest headache. Sport is an important part of Australian national identity.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 16percent（3. 3 million）of the population aged 15 years and over watched Australian football in 2010. About 9 percent（1. 9 million）attended a rugby league game.
British actor and comedian Simon Pegg discussed the differences between British and American sense of humor in a column of The Guardian. He believes that while Brits use irony（反语）on a daily basis, the Americans do not see the point of using it so frequently . He wrote, "British jokes, on the other hand, tend to be more subtle with a dark or sarcastic（讽刺的）undertone while the American jokes are more obvious and forward, a bit like Americans themselves. "
【小题1】As a whole, many Chinese students ________.
| A．tend to understand a small part of the local jokes |
| B．are difficult to get along with the local people |
| C．tend to feel the local jokes dull |
| D．work hard to adapt to the life in foreign countries |
【小题2】Why is humor involved in sports in Australia?
| A．The Australians have a lot to do with sports in life. |
| B．Humor comes from their sports. |
| C．Humor and sports are part of the Australians' life. |
| D．Sports include much humor. |
【小题3】By comparing the jokes in the UK and in the US, we can know the characters of British people and Americans are ________.
| A．the same and humorous |
| B．different but friendly |
| C．different but humorous |
| D．outgoing and friendly |
