| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| 内容摘要 | 第5-7页 |
| Abstract | 第7-11页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第11-16页 |
| ·Outline of the thesis and the aim of the study | 第11-14页 |
| ·Outline | 第11-13页 |
| ·Aim of the study | 第13-14页 |
| ·Research method and data collection | 第14页 |
| ·Organization of the thesis | 第14-16页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第16-28页 |
| ·Humor | 第16-25页 |
| ·The definitions of humor | 第16-18页 |
| ·The classifications of humor | 第18-19页 |
| ·The functions of humor | 第19-20页 |
| ·A brief review of previous studies on humor | 第20-25页 |
| ·Three conventional humor theories | 第21-22页 |
| ·Modern linguistic study on humor | 第22-25页 |
| ·Receptive aesthetics | 第25-26页 |
| ·The philosophical foundation and theoretical origin | 第25-26页 |
| ·Main viewpoints of receptive aesthetics | 第26页 |
| ·Humor and receptive aesthetics | 第26-28页 |
| Chapter Three Situation Comedy and its Development in China | 第28-38页 |
| ·The definition of situation comedy | 第28-30页 |
| ·Situation comedy in China | 第30-33页 |
| ·A brief review of situation comedy | 第30-31页 |
| ·Major features of Chinese situation comedy | 第31-33页 |
| ·A study of the Chinese situation comedy Home with Kids | 第33-38页 |
| ·Brief introduction to Home with Kids | 第33页 |
| ·Reasons for the popularity of Home with Kids | 第33-38页 |
| ·Social reasons for its popularity | 第34页 |
| ·Cultural reasons for its popularity | 第34-35页 |
| ·Educational reasons for its popularity | 第35-36页 |
| ·Linguistic reasons for its popularity | 第36-38页 |
| Chapter Four Comprehension and Reception of Verbal Humor: From the Viewpoint of Receptive Aesthetics | 第38-52页 |
| ·Evoking expectation horizons | 第39-42页 |
| ·Changing and modifying expectation horizons | 第42-49页 |
| ·Viewers’expectation horizons in the image of the father | 第43-44页 |
| ·Viewers’expectation horizons in the image of the mother | 第44-45页 |
| ·Viewers’expectation horizons in the images of three kids | 第45-49页 |
| ·Reinforcing and reintrojecting of expectation horizons | 第49-52页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第52-54页 |
| ·Summary and significance of the present research | 第52-53页 |
| ·Limitation and suggestions for future research | 第53-54页 |
| Bibliography | 第54-57页 |
| Appendix | 第57-61页 |
