The Science of Laughter

by Vocafy Đã xác minh

Anh (Mỹ) B2 12 câu hỏi Science

Explore why we laugh, how laughter spreads, and what research can—and cannot—tell us.

1. 1. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   What role is laughter most likely playing here?

   At a reunion, friends laugh while exchanging ordinary greetings. No one has told a joke, and everyone seems relaxed and pleased to be together.

   • Expressing disagreement with the greetings
   • Keeping the conversation formal and distant
   • Expressing warmth and social connection

   Consider how the friends feel about seeing one another.

   Show solution

   • Expressing warmth and social connection

   Much everyday laughter happens during ordinary conversation. It can help people connect without anyone telling a joke.

2. 2. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   Why can a strong laugh make it difficult to finish a sentence?

   During laughter, air leaves the lungs in repeated bursts rather than in the more controlled flow used for speech.

   • Laughter interrupts the airflow needed for steady speech.
   • The vocal cords become completely unable to produce sound.
   • The lungs take in air continuously without releasing it.

   Laughter and speech both depend on breathing.

   Show solution

   • Laughter interrupts the airflow needed for steady speech.

   Both laughter and speech use outgoing air. Taking a breath between laughs can help restore the steady flow needed for speaking.

3. 3. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   What does babies' early laughter show about communication?

   Babies can laugh before they can speak. Their early laughter often occurs during playful interaction with a caregiver.

   • Babies must understand spoken jokes before they can laugh.
   • People can share emotional signals before they can use words.
   • Every early laugh has a precise meaning, just like a word.

   Think about ways to connect that do not involve speech.

   Show solution

   • People can share emotional signals before they can use words.

   Sounds, expressions, and movements help babies and caregivers connect before spoken conversation becomes possible.

4. 4. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   Why can laughter spread without a shared joke?

   Someone hears a recording of people laughing and starts laughing too, even though they do not know what amused the people in the recording.

   • The recording communicates the exact meaning of the missing joke.
   • The listener must first imagine the event that caused the laughter.
   • The sound of laughter itself can act as a social cue to join in.

   A reaction can spread without its original cause being understood.

   Show solution

   • The sound of laughter itself can act as a social cue to join in.

   Laughter can encourage a shared response, but it is not an automatic trigger for everyone. The situation and social connection also matter.

5. 5. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   How should the interviewer interpret this laugh?

   During a job interview, Maya gives a brief laugh after a difficult question. Her hands are tense, and she says, "I'm a little nervous."

   • It proves that she feels completely comfortable.
   • It may reflect tension rather than amusement.
   • It shows that she considers the question a joke.

   Compare the laugh with her words and body language.

   Show solution

   • It may reflect tension rather than amusement.

   Laughter is not a reliable sign of happiness on its own. Words, facial expressions, and the situation help explain what it means.

6. 6. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   Why is tickling yourself usually less effective than being tickled by someone else?

   The brain uses information about your planned movements to predict some of the sensations they will produce.

   • Your brain partly predicts your own touch, reducing its tickling effect.
   • Your skin stops detecting touch whenever you move your hands.
   • Your brain strengthens every sensation caused by your own movements.

   Consider the difference between expected and unexpected touch.

   Show solution

   • Your brain partly predicts your own touch, reducing its tickling effect.

   The brain can reduce its response to expected sensations. Another person's movements are harder to predict, which can make their touch more ticklish.

7. 7. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   How can the pause help the joke?

   A storyteller pauses briefly before a punch line. Listeners have time to expect one ending before hearing a different, playful ending.

   • It makes the final line funny regardless of its meaning.
   • It builds an expectation that the final line can overturn.
   • It prevents listeners from forming any expectation.

   Think about the relationship between expectation and surprise.

   Show solution

   • It builds an expectation that the final line can overturn.

   Timing can shape humor without changing the words. A well-placed pause gives listeners time to build the expectation that a punch line disrupts.

8. 8. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   Why might the visitor miss the humor?

   A visitor understands every word of a joke about a local custom but does not know the custom. The local audience laughs; the visitor looks puzzled.

   • People can understand humor only in their first language.
   • Listeners must personally experience an event to find a joke about it funny.
   • The joke depends on background knowledge the visitor does not share.

   Understanding individual words is not always enough.

   Show solution

   • The joke depends on background knowledge the visitor does not share.

   Humor often depends on shared references and expectations. Explaining a local reference may make a joke clearer, though it does not guarantee a laugh.

9. 9. Chọn đáp án đúng.

   Under this account of humor, why might the audience laugh?

   One account of humor suggests that a broken expectation can be funny when it also feels harmless. In a comedy show, a chair unexpectedly collapses, but the audience knows the actor's safe landing is part of the performance.

   • The event is surprising but is understood as safe.
   • The audience believes the actor is in serious danger.
   • The event follows expectations without disrupting them.

   Both surprise and the audience's sense of safety matter here.

   Show solution

   • The event is surprising but is understood as safe.

   The same unexpected event may feel funny in a safe performance but alarming in real life. This account is one theory of humor, not an explanation for every laugh.

10. 10. Chọn đáp án đúng.

    What connection does this research suggest?

    Researchers have observed certain high-pitched calls during play in rats. These calls are sometimes described as "laughter-like," rather than identical to human laughter.

    • Rats understand jokes in the same way that humans do.
    • Some animals also produce vocal signals during social play.
    • The calls have exactly the same sound and meaning as human laughter.

    Separate a similar social function from identical abilities.

    Show solution

    • Some animals also produce vocal signals during social play.

    Comparing play-related sounds can help researchers explore how social behavior developed. Similar functions do not prove identical feelings or mental abilities.

11. 11. Chọn đáp án đúng.

    What is a reasonable way to use laughter based on this finding?

    A small study reports that participants feel less stressed immediately after a laughter session. It does not establish lasting benefits or test laughter as a treatment for illness.

    • Replace established medical treatment with regular laughter sessions.
    • Expect any single laugh to provide lasting relief from stress.
    • Try laughter as one possible way to ease stress, alongside other support when needed.

    Keep the practical conclusion within the study's limits.

    Show solution

    • Try laughter as one possible way to ease stress, alongside other support when needed.

    A short-term improvement does not establish a cure or a lasting effect. Laughter can be enjoyable without being a substitute for appropriate care.

12. 12. Chọn đáp án đúng.

    What can this survey tell us about laughter and friendship?

    In a survey, people who laugh more often with friends also report closer friendships. Researchers did not assign anyone to laugh more or track how the friendships changed over time.

    • Laughter and closeness are linked, but the direction of cause is unclear.
    • Laughing more is enough to make any friendship closer.
    • Existing friendship closeness cannot influence how often people laugh.

    Could closer friends already feel more comfortable laughing together?

    Show solution

    • Laughter and closeness are linked, but the direction of cause is unclear.

    Close friends may laugh more because they already feel at ease, and laughter may also support closeness. A survey alone cannot separate these possibilities.