Passage

Medium

I do not claim to tell a story as it ought to be told, but I know how a story should be told, for I have been in the company of expert storytellers for years. There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kind-the humorous story. The humorous story depends for its effect upon the manner of telling; the comic and the witty story, upon the matter.

A humorous story can be long and meander without arriving at a particular point, but comic and witty stories must be brief and end with a punch. The humorous story is a high and delicate art that requires an artist to tell, whereas the comic and witty stories do not need artistic skill. The humorous story is told gravely, with the teller attempting to conceal the humor. The comic storyteller, on the other hand, announces beforehand that the story is very funny and laughs at his own jokes.

Often, a rambling, humorous story may finish with a point, but the storyteller drops it casually, with the pretense that he does not know it is a nub. In contrast, the comic storyteller does not slur the nub; he shouts it at you and when he prints it he emphasizes the punchline with italics and exclamation marks, which is very depressing, and makes one want to renounce joking and lead a better life.

The expression "In contrast, the comic storyteller does not slur the nub" implies that the comic story teller_

emphatically highlights the punchline of the story

deliberately avoids mentioning the punchline of the story

subtly hides the humour at the end of the story

is skillfully casual in his treatment of the punchline

✅ Correct Option: 1

Option 1 -> Correct interpretation; "does not slur the nub" means doesn't minimize or pass over it lightly, which is confirmed by the passage stating he "shouts it at you" and "emphasizes the punchline."

Option 2 -> Contradicts the passage; the comic storyteller explicitly mentions and emphasizes the punchline, not avoids it.

Option 3 -> This describes the humorous storyteller who "drops it casually" and pretends not to know it's the nub, not the comic storyteller.

Option 4 -> Being "skillfully casual" is characteristic of the humorous storyteller, whereas the comic storyteller is deliberately emphatic and obvious.

Hence, Option 1 -> The phrase "does not slur the nub" literally means the comic storyteller doesn't gloss over or minimize the punchline. The passage immediately clarifies this by explaining that he "shouts it at you" and uses italics and exclamation marks to emphasize it, making the punchline unmistakably obvious rather than subtle -> correct

Question 1

How is the humour in a humorous story typically conveyed?

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the difference between a humorous story and a comic story?

Question 4

The writer portrays humorous stories as being of a higher level than comic stories by emphasising that

The expression "In contrast, the comic storyteller does not slur the nub" implies that the comic story teller_

Solution

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CUET English Past Year Questions (Topic-Wise)