Question: Two young artists named Sue and Joanna shared a studio apartment in the Greenwich Village area of New York, trying to realize their dreams. In November pneumonia killed many people. Unluckily, Joanna fell ill, too. One morning, a doctor examined Joanna and then spoke with Sue in another room. "She has decided that she has no chance. All we can do is give her a strong will to live."

Holding back her tears, Sue went to Joanna's room. Joanna lay with her face toward the window, eyes wide open. She was counting something backward. "Twelve," she said, and a little later "eleven" until "five," almost together. Sue looked out of the window. What was there to count? There was a wall covered with an old ivy vine growing half way up it. The cold breath of autumn has stricken the leaves from the vine until it was almost bare.

"Five what, dear?" asked Sue.

"Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too."

"Oh, Don't be silly." Said Sue, "You will get better."

"There goes another one. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark."

"Try to sleep." said Sue. "I must call Mr. Behrman up to be my model for my drawing of an old miner. Don't try to move until I come back."

Old Behrman was a poor painter who lived in the building. For years he had always been planning to paint a work of art, but had never yet begun it. He earned a little money by serving as a model to artists who could not pay for a professional model.

Sue found Behrman in his room. In one area was a blank canvas that had been waiting twenty-five years for the first line of paint. Sue told him about Joanna and how she feared that her friend would float away like a leaf.

"What!" Old Behrman was angered at such an idea. "How silly! Just take me to her room."

Joanna was sleeping when they went in. A cold rain was falling, mixed with snow.

The next morning, Sue awoke after an hour's sleep. She found Joanna staring at the covered window. "Pull up the shade; I want to see." Sue obeyed.

"It's the last leaf," said Joanna. "It will fall today, and I will go with it."

When night came, the rain began to fall again with a strong wind.

The next morning, Joanna demanded that the window shade be raised. The ivy leaf was still there. Joanna lay for a long time, looking at it. And then she called Sue, "I have been a bad girl. I'm so wrong. Now I want to get well and paint again."

The doctor came to see Joanna in the afternoon. He told Sue "Joanna is improving. Now I must see Behrman. Pneumonia, too, very ill. Little hope for him."

Later that day, Sue came to Joanna, and put one arm around her.

"Mr. Behrman died of pneumonia in the hospital today. He was sick only two days. When someone went into his room, Behrman was lying there with his shoes on. His shoes and clothes were all wet. Nobody knew why."

"Oh, poor Behrman!" Cried Joanna.

"See the last leaf on the wall," said Sue, " It looks like a real leaf, doesn't it? "

"A real leaf ? "

"Ah, darling, it is Behrman's masterpiece -- he painted it there the night when the last leaf fell." 1. What are the names of the 2 artistis?
2. What condition killed many people?
3. Did Joanna fall ill?
4. What was her prognosis?
5. How did she react?
6. Who spoke with her?
7. Who was the painter in the building?
8. How did he earn money?
9. How many years for the first line of paint?
10. Did Joanna improve? Provide a numbered list of answers.
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A numbered of answers: 1. Sue and Joanna
2. pneumonia
3. yes
4. she has no chance.
5. She was counting something backward
6. a doctor
7. Old Behrman
8. by serving as a model to artists
9. twenty-five years
10. yes

Question: A culture's values can be mirrored by its humor. Humor has been evaluated by many great minds such as Thomas Hobbes, who, in "On Nature", disliked humor, "Laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from sudden thought of feeling far better than others." He thought humor to be a negative quality of human narrow-mindedness.

However, Mordechai Gordon, Ph. D of Education, insists, "Humor allows us to view the world from an angle that is amusing rather than serious." I agree with Gordon. Learning to look at the world through humor is important.

In the United States, every four years an election occurs. Without humor as a way to express their feelings, how else would Americans keep from clawing their eyes out and going the way of lemming? Television shows like "The Daily Show" have become important parts of American culture. They are mothering the masses by metaphorically airplane-ing politics into our mouths. They make politics fun.

Of course, politics is only one type of humor. Social humor helps people through the twists and turns of the human condition. American pop culture promotes an unhealthy self- image. On the topic of self-image, Hari Kondabolu stands out. He has a joke about the popular musical group "The Pussycat Dolls", describing their hit song "Don't Cha" as a negative representation of women. He points out an obvious offence in American culture.

A study from Loyola University of Maryland has shown that humor is one determining factor for selecting a mating partner. Amongst other things, mates look for an outstanding funny bone in a potential partner.

Of course, humor is not always used for good purposes. Humor can be linked to vulgarity and racism, but, like everything else, it has potential to unite human beings by allowing us to laugh at ourselves, our failures and our connection with one another.

Though 1ife may seem tough and depressing at times, all I have to do is look in the mirror at my increased wrinkles to know that there is a comedy out there that even Chaplin wasn't aware of.

With that in mind, remember to laugh with humanity and sometimes at humanity. 1. Is humor important in the opinion of the author?
2. Where was the study done showing we look for humor when dating?
3. What is mirrored by a culture?
4. Who didn't like humor?
5. What did he think it was?
6. Who said it helps us see things less seriously?
7. When do we elected politicians in America?
8. Is laughter important in this process?
9. What television show provides an outlet for this?
10. Who jokes about a song?
11. What is it's name
12. By whom?
13. Is humor only used to help?
14. What is something less than positive that may appear there?
15. What might it be linked to?
16. What does the author see in his reflection?
17. What do they tell him?
18. And what should we chuckle at besides ourselves? Provide a numbered list of answers.
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A numbered of answers:
1. yes
2. Loyola University
3. its humor.
4. Thomas Hobbes
5. a negative quality of human narrow-mindedness
6. Mordechai Gordon
7. every four years
8. Yes
9. "The Daily Show"
10. Hari Kondabolu
11. "Don't Cha"
12. "The Pussycat Dolls",
13. No
14. representation of women
15. vulgarity and racism
16. increased wrinkles
17. That there is a comedy in everything.
18. our failures and connection with one another.