Unit 1

LESSON

1 Laughter
Laughing is something that we do naturally every day.
Now, scientific research is making its amazing effects known.

When do we laugh?

14 Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter

 Goals & Activities

LESSON 1
TALKING GIVING
LISTENING READING WRITING
& ASKING A TALK
Understanding Understanding Talking and asking Talking logically Writing logically
conversations and the main idea, key about topics about information about whether or
explanations points, and details related to laughter. and ideas on not laughing
related to laughter. of a text about topics related to makes a person
laughter. laughter. healthier.

Talking about one example of traditional Japanese comedy

Target Task: performances.

Warm-up

Listen to the conversation between Aya and Jim.

1 What made Aya smile?
A. A clever joke.
B. An interesting photo.
C. A funny sound.
2 What does “contagious” mean?
A. Spread to others.
B. Tell jokes to others.
C. Make others surprised. *chimpanzee

Choose one picture from page 14 and describe it.

Talk in pairs about the following questions:

1 About how many times do you laugh a day?

2 What is the funniest thing that you experienced recently?

Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter 15

 1 What is laughter?

New Words
“Laugh, and the world laughs with you.” This saying
2. poem [p/ucm] comes from an 1883 poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. She
5. mood [m\;d] understood something about laughter that is still true today.
11. preverbal
[pr};v=;Rbl]
When you laugh, people around you will too. Laughter
11. caregiver(s) has the power to change our mood, affect others, and more. 5

[k'cRg}vcR(z)]
But what is laughter? And what is its magic power?
12. trigger(ed)
[tr]gcR(d)] Laughter is part of the universal human vocabulary.
13. activate(s)
All members of the human species understand it. The
[!ktcv"it(s)]

16. involve(d) first laughter appears at about 3.5 to 4 months of age, long
[inv^;lv(d)]
before we’re able to speak. Laughter, like crying, is a way 10
17. modification(s)
[m§;dcfik'iÍCn(z)] for a preverbal infant to interact with caregivers.
17. breathing We know that laughter is triggered by many sensations
[br];ˇi©]

21. majority
and thoughts, and that it activates many parts of the body.
[mcdß%;rcti] When we laugh, we alter our facial expressions and make
sounds. When we laugh loudly, the muscles of the arms, 15

legs, and trunk are involved. Laughter also requires

modifications in our breathing pattern.
One interesting fact about laughter is that we rarely
2-7-4
laugh when we are alone. In a study, children were asked
whether they enjoyed watching anime more when they were 20
2-5-1
alone or with other children. Although the majority

p.16 2. Ella Wheeler Wilcox ['lc w];lcR w]lk6;ks] 1850-1919

11.a preverbal infant = an infant who hasn t started speaking yet
p.16 8. it 21. the majority = the majority of the ( )
p.16 5. to change our mood, affect others, and more 3

16 Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter

 replied that there was no difference, they were observed to New Words

LESSON 1
3. obviously
laugh 8 times more when watching the anime in a group [^;bvicsli]

than when watching it by themselves. Obviously, we do

not laugh simply because something is funny.
1 2 3

Key Ideas
1. According to the passage, what is laughter?
Laughter is .
2. What causes us to laugh?
.
3. What is the last paragraph of this passage mainly about?
A. How children laugh more than adults do.
B. How being with others leads to laughter.
C. How laughter makes people happy and healthy.

The Gist
Laughter has the power to change our ( ) and affect others. We first laugh
before we can even ( ), because laughter is a form of communication. When
we laugh loudly, our muscles are involved and our ( ) is also modified.
Interestingly, research shows that we usually laugh more when we are with ( )
than when we are by ourselves.
*modify
activate  breathing  involve  mood  others  speak *interestingly
2

Think and Talk

Talk in pairs. What makes you laugh?

・ I don’t laugh so often.

・ I laugh when I watch [read] .... ・ I laugh when my friends ....

Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter 17

 2 The positive effects of laughter

New Words
Everyone knows that laughter makes you feel good.
5. bear [b'cR] In English we say, “Laughter is the best medicine.” But
5. conduct(ed) can laughter really have a positive effect on health?
[kcnd&kt(id)]

6. participant(s)
Experiments have shown that, if we laugh, our ability
[p6;Rt]scpCnt(s)]
to bear pain increases. In one study conducted by Oxford 5

6. threshold
[†r'ÍHould] University researchers, participants’ pain threshold was
7. placing [pl'isi©] tested by placing a bag of ice on their arms to see how long
<place
they could bear it. They were then split into two groups.
10. deem(ed)
[d];m(d)] One was shown 15 minutes of comedy videos, while the
withstand
12.
[wiˇst!nd]
other was shown material the researchers deemed boring. 10

17. giggling [g]gli©] The study showed that subjects who had watched
<giggle
comedy videos were able to withstand up to 10% more pain
17. chuckling
[tÍ&kli©] than they had before watching them. To the researchers’
<chuckle
surprise, it was also found that the other group was actually
18. physiological
[f}zicl^;dßikl] less able to bear pain after watching 15 minutes of the 15

uncontrollable
18.
[¶nkcntr/ulcbl]
“boring” programs. The type of laughter was also

Phrases
important. Just giggling or chuckling did not appear to
3. h ave a effect have any physiological effects. It was only uncontrollable
2-10-1
on ...
laughter that produced results.
8. split into ...
12. up to

13. to one’s surprise

17. appear to

p.18 6.pain threshold = the level at which someone feels pain

p.18 8. it 8. They 19. results
p.18 11. The study showed ... showed, videos, pain

18 Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter

 This effect is thought to occur because laughter releases New Words

LESSON 1
1. release(s)
brain chemicals called endorphins, which dull pain and [ril];s(iz)]
2-2-3
stress signals, into the body. Laughter can also activate 2. endorphin(s)
[end%;Rfn(z)]
immune cells, which combat bacteria and viruses.
2. dull [d&l]
5 Scientists and researchers all over the world continue to 3. signal(s) [s]gnl(z)]

investigate the amazing effects that laughter can have on 4. combat [kcmb!t]

the human body. 4. bacteria

[b1kt]ric]

1 2 3 4. virus(es)
[v[ircs(iz)]

6. investigate
[inv'stcg"it]

Key Ideas
1. What positive effect does laughter have on health?
When we laugh, .
2. In the experiment, which group was more able to bear pain?
The group that .
3. According to the passage, what type of laughter is likely to release endorphins more?
A. Polite laughter.
B. Giggling and chuckling.
C. Laughter that cannot be controlled.

The Gist
A saying goes, “Laughter is the best ( )” and, in fact, research has shown
that our ability to ( ) pain increases after we laugh. In an experiment,
( ) who watched comedy videos could bear pain longer compared to those
who watched boring videos. This may be because laughter releases brain chemicals
which dull pain and reduce stress ( ).
bear  giggle  medicine  participants  signals  threshold

Think and Talk

Does laughter make you feel good?

・ I think so. When I laugh, I ....

・ I’m not sure. Even when I laugh, I don’t ....

Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter 19

 3 The role of laughter in society

New Words
Scientists have found that laughter plays an important
3. decadelong part in maintaining human relationships. In one
[d'keidl∞;©]
decadelong survey, researchers studied over 2,000 cases of
3. survey [s=;Rvei]

4. naturally
naturally occurring laughter. Surprisingly, they found
[n!tÍCrCli]
that, in most cases, laughter did not actually follow jokes or 5

6. obvious [^;bvics]
obvious humor. People even laughed after comments and
6. humor [hj\;mcR]
9. playful [pl'ifl]
questions, such as “Here comes Mary!” and “How did you
10. strengthen do on the test?”
[str'©†n]
Such laughter and other forms of playful communication
11. foster [f^;stcR]

11. emotional
strengthen our relationships by acting as a kind of social 10

[im/uÍCnl]
glue. They trigger positive feelings and foster emotional
12. bond [b^;nd]
connections, forming a positive bond, which acts as a strong
13. buffer [b&fcR] 2-1-3

13. disappointment
buffer against stress and disappointment.
[d}scp%intmcnt]
We know that laughter draws people together in ways
16. fully [f\li]
that cause healthy physical and emotional changes in the 15
19. apparently
[cp'rCntli] body. However, data shows that we do not fully utilize the
Phrases power of laughter. According to one study, 60% of women
play a part
1.
surveyed replied they laughed out loud, while only 40% of
7. Here comes .
men did. Women apparently laugh a lot more than men.
14. draw together

Male (age)

Female 50 59

40 49

30 39

20 29

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

almost 1- 5 times 1- 3 times rarely

every day per week per month

frequency of laughing out loud 2003

p.20 6.obvious humor = clear, direct, and simple humor

p.20 9. Such laughter 19. did
p.20 17. 60% of women surveyed

20 Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter

 Age also seems to make a difference to how much New Words

LESSON 1
3. affirmatively
people laugh. When asked if they laughed a lot, 65% of [cf=;Rmctivli]
2-5-1
participants in their 30s replied affirmatively, compared to 5. pupil(s) [pj\;pl(z)]

45% of those in their 50s. Another study noted that 8. regardless

[rig^;Rdlcs]
5 elementary school pupils laugh 300 times a day on average, 8. gender [dß'ndcR]

while people in their 70s only laugh twice a day. Once we Phrases

recognize the power of laughter, we need to bring it into our 3. compare to ...

bring into ...

everyday lives regardless of gender or age! 7.

8. regardless of
1 2 3

Key Ideas
1. What have scientists learned about laughter?
They have learned .
2. What surprising fact about laughter did the survey find?
.
3. Which is mentioned in the passage? Choose all that apply.
A. Laughter promoting a social bond.
B. Reasons why women laugh more than men.
C. The relationship between age and laughter.

The Gist
Laughter helps to ( ) human relationships. Often, it is not caused by
humor, but follows comments and questions. In this way, laughter makes connections
between people stronger, and these bonds can be a ( ) against stress. Studies
show that women laugh more than men, and children laugh more than the ( ).
We should use the ( ) of laughter more in our daily lives.
buffer  elderly  gender  maintain  power  strengthen

Think and Talk

Talk in pairs. When was the last time you laughed? What made you laugh?

・ Yesterday during class, I laughed because ....

・ Last night while I was watching TV, I laughed and laughed because ....

Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter 21

 Comprehension Check

A Listen to the statements and answer T (true) or F (false).

1. ( ) 2. ( ) 3. ( ) 4. ( ) 5. ( )

B-1 Fill in the blanks in the graphic organizer below about Lesson 1.

Fact Evidence

Study:
・People rarely
・Children watched anime alone or in a group.
(1 )
・T hey laughed 8 times more when 2
when alone.
.

Study:
・Laughter helps us ・One group watched comedy videos, and the other watched
to bear 4 .
(3 ). ・T he group that watched comedy videos was able to bear
5 more pain than they had before watching them.

・( 6 ) Study:
may inf luence ・People were asked if they 7 .
how much ・65% of participants in their 30s agreed.
people laugh. ・45% of participants in their 50s agreed.

B-2 Explain each picture based on the information obtained in the lesson.
Add your comments at the end.

Sentence starters

1 One interesting thing about laughter is .... In a study, ....

2 Laughter is the best medicine. For example, ....
3 Gender and age may make a difference to how much people laugh. For
example, ….

1 2 3

22 Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter

Share Your Thoughts

LESSON 1
Write your ideas about the following questions.

・ What kind of things make you laugh? Do you think laughing makes you healthier?
Example
Watching short videos of funny animals always makes me laugh. Laughing makes me feel
happy and relaxed, so I believe it makes me healthier. I will explain two advantages of this
hobby and how it helps me stay healthier.
First, watching funny animal videos gives me a calm, warm feeling. I don’t have any pets,
and I don’t have a favorite animal, but watching such animal videos never fails to make me
laugh. I feel happy and relaxed then, and this reduces my stress.
Second, these funny animal videos often give me chances to laugh together with my
friends and family. When I find one that I like, I show it to them. I feel even happier when I
laugh with someone close to me. Sharing a moment and laughing about it with someone else
like this gives me a comfortable, cheerful feeling.
I think laughing makes me stay healthy. Watching short animal videos is one of the best
ways for me to stay happy, relaxed, and positive.

Share your ideas with your partner.

Language in Action
1 Fill in the blanks with words from the box. Change the form if necessary.
1. It is not possible for humans to ( ) under water.
2. While other players have ( ), Emily has speed.
3. Lack of sleep can contribute to the development of ( ) problems.
4. Some people say the right brain controls ( ) and the left brain controls
logic. breathing  emotional  obviously  physiological  pupil  strengthen
*logic

2 Fill in the blanks with the most suitable words that start with the given letter.
1. We will use this room for the next event. It’s our biggest room and ( u )
(t ) 100 people can be seated in it.
2. Because I got home late, I thought my mother was angry but, ( t ) my
(s ), she smiled.
3. The professor is one of the pioneers in vaccine research, and is ( p )a
leading ( p ) in this field. *vaccine *leading

4. My little brother is sometimes too honest. He says what he thinks

(r )(o ) other people’s feelings.
Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter 23
 Next Step

You will talk about the culture of laughter with the students of your sister
school. One of them is going to introduce their culture of laughter.

STEP 1 Listen to the speech and answer the questions. Don’t look at
Step 2 yet!
What is the name of a popular type of comedy performance
in their country?
( ) comedy.

Complete the table using words or phrases from the speech.

Places performances
are held (3 or more)

Content of performance

Length of performance

How to become a
professional performer

*stand-up comedy *basically

STEP 2 Listen again and fill in the blanks.

Hello. I am going to talk about the culture of laughter in the U.S. In our
country, there are many kinds of comedy performances that ＿＿＿＿＿＿
laughter to people. The most popular one is stand-up comedy. Stand-up comedy
is a ＿＿＿＿＿＿ show held in comedy clubs, comedy festivals, bars, colleges, or
theaters. Usually one stand-up comedian talks ＿＿＿＿＿＿ to the audience
and makes them laugh by telling funny stories or jokes. The time of the
performance is different: three minutes to over 45 minutes, ＿＿＿＿＿＿
＿＿＿＿＿＿ the types. Basically, stand-up comedians ＿＿＿＿＿＿ their skills
by themselves to become professionals. They write jokes and stories and find
opportunities to perform all by themselves. Sometimes
we need the same shared cultural or historical
＿＿＿＿＿＿ in order to laugh at their performance,
but ＿＿＿＿＿＿ watching some on the Internet.

24 Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter

 LESSON 1
In order to introduce the Japanese culture of laughter, choose one example
of comedy performances of Japan and talk about it.
Expressions
Hints: style, place, content, time, how to become the performer

Example

Rakugo is the art of storytelling by one person. Most of the stories are
funny stories and have punch lines called ochi or sage. The rakugoka or
performer needs to keep the audience attracted and make them laugh
toward the punch line. Each performance is 15 to 20 minutes. The longest
one is over one hour, and the shortest one is only three seconds! In order
to become a performer, usually you ask a master to let you be his or her
apprentice or student first. Then, you keep performing, raising your rank
and developing your skills until you become a master. Some rakugoka
perform in English, too. You can find rakugo in English on the Internet, so
you can enjoy the atmosphere. *punch line *apprentice

memo

Check Your Progress!

I can understand conversations and explanations related to laughter.

I can understand the main idea, key points, and details of a text about
laughter.
I can talk and ask about topics related to laughter.

I can talk logically about information and ideas on topics related to laughter.

I can write logically about whether or not laughing makes a person healthier.
I can talk about one example of traditional Japanese comedy
Target Task:
performances.

Unit 1 LESSON 1 Laughter 25