Class 12 English Unit 7: Humor Reading: Why do We laugh Inappropriately by David Robson Language Development Section

 

Unit: 7: Humor Reading: Why do We Laugh Inappropriately by David Robson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxLRv0FEndM

Reflection of the Essay

My conversation with Sophie Scott is nearly over when she spins round in her chair to show me a video of a near-naked man cannon balling into a frozen swimming pool. “They start laughing as soon as they see there isn’t blood and bones everywhere,” says Scott.  Why do we get such an attack of the giggles – even when someone is in pain? As a neuroscientist at University College London, Scott has spent the last few years trying to answer these questions – and at TED 2015 in Vancouver last week, she explained why laughter is one of our most important, and misunderstood, behaviors. She found that the brain activity seemed to reflect areas normally associated with bodily motion and visualization. But it was a study in Namibia that made Scott begin to realize laughter is one of our richest vocal tics. Previous research had shown that we can all recognize six universal emotions across cultures – fear, anger, surprise, disgust, sadness, and happiness – based on facial expressions. She now sees laughter as a “social emotion” that brings us together and helps us to bond, whether or not something is funny. “When you laugh with people, you show them that you like them, you agree with them, or that you are in the same group as them,” she says. 

Recent studies have shown that people who laugh together at funny videos are also more likely to open up about personal information – paving more common ground between people. Robin Dunbar at the University of Oxford has found that laughter correlates with an increased pain threshold, perhaps by encouraging the release of endorphins – chemicals that should also improve social bonding. Scott’s MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans, meanwhile, have looked at the way the brain responds to each kind of laughter. Posed giggles and involuntary laughs seem to tickle the brain’s mirror regions that tend to mimic others’ actions. To show the difference between involuntary and artificial laughs, Scott thinks the skill develops across the lifespan and may not peak until our late 30s. She points out that crying is an infant’s primary way of communicating, whereas laughter gains more importance the older we get. Besides examining the bonds in our closest relationships, Scott’s curiosity has also taken her to comedy clubs. “What’s interesting about laughter in the situation of stand-up is that it’s still an interaction,” she says.

Paradoxically, she says, comedians often find it easier to work in large venues, perhaps because the transmittable nature of laughter means that waves of fun can catch on more easily when there are more people. Scott understands just how powerful a tool laughter can be to express ourselves and get people to listen. “Laughter seems trivial, ephemeral, pointless,” she says. “But it is never neutral – there’s always a meaning to it.

Working with words

A.   The following words are synonyms and antonyms of the verb ‘laugh’. Group them into synonyms and antonyms.

Synonyms	Chuckle, chortle, crackle, snicker, smile, sniggle, grin, giggle, smirk
Antonyms	Grimace, frown, pout, scowl, cry, groan, moan, sob, whoop

B.    Match the following emotions with their definitions.

a.      fear - an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm

b.     anger - a strong feeling of displeasure

c.      surprise - an unexpected event, fact, etc.

d.     disgust - a feeling of strong disapproval aroused by something unpleasant

e.      sadness - affected by grief or unhappiness

f.       happiness - a pleasurable or satisfying experience

g.     relief - removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing

h.     triumph - a great victory or achievement

i.       contentment - the quality or state of being satisfied 

C.    The author writes, “. . . the contagious nature of laughter means that waves of mirth can catch on more easily when there are more people.” Find out the situations in which the following types of laughter are found.

a.     etiquette laughter – laughing or smiling with good manners even if the topic is not amusing which is a sign of respect for others, regardless of their age or status, or position

b.    snorting laughter – laughing involves exhaling or inhaling via the nose, depending on the person

c.      stress-relieving laughter – laughing from the heart

d.     silent laughter – uncontrollable laughs that make no sound

e.      nervous laughter – a kind of laughing that is not amusing which is produced as a result of embarrassment, discomfort, or perplexity

f.       cruel laughter – villainous laughter 

D.   A unit of pronunciation at least with one vowel is called a syllable. Listen to your teacher saying the words and say the number of syllables.

Charge /tʃɑːdʒ/ - one syllable

Duty /ˈdjuːti/ - two syllables

Laughter /ˈlɑːftə/ - two syllables

Commission /kəˈmɪʃn/- two syllables

Undertaking /ˌʌndəˈteɪkɪŋ/ - four syllables

responsibility /rɪspɒnsɪˈbɪlɪti/ - five syllables

hilarity /hɪˈlarɪti/ - four syllables

persistent /pəˈsɪst(ə)nt/ - three syllables

infectious /ɪnˈfekʃəs/ - three syllables

ephemeral /ɪˈfem(ə)rəl/ - four syllables

Click for Video of Syllable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu6UVwkUgzc&t=317s 

Comprehension

A.   Complete the following sentences with words/ phrases from the text.

a.   According to Sophie Scott, laughter is one of the important and misunderstood behaviours.

b.   After her study in Namibia, Scott came to the realization that laughter is one of our richest vocal tics.

c.    Studies have shown that there are six universal emotions across cultures based on facial expressions.

d.     Scott found out that most of the laughs have nothing to do with humour.

e.      The couples who laugh at each other are likely to stay together for longer.

f.       The primary way of communication of grown up people is laughing.

g.   Comedians usually find it easier to work in larger places due to the contagious nature of laughter.

B.    Answer the following questions. (Answers only)

a.  People giggle at someone’s pain or suffering because giggling is a way of convincing yourself that you’re alright.

b.  Scott’s study in Namibia came up with the realization that laughter is one of our richest vocal ties.

c.   Laughter is a social bonding because it is an emotion that brings us together and helps us to bond, whether or not something is funny.

d.     According to the author, laughter makes the husband-wife relationship stronger and long-lasting by making it easier to disperse tension after a stressful event.

e.      Laughter correlates with increased pain threshold, and by encouraging the release of endorphins, it works as a painkiller.

f.  The study about the relation between laughter and brain found that the brain responds to each kind of laughter and both seem to tickle the brain’s mirror regions – the areas that tend to mimic other’s actions.

g.     Crying and laughter are two emotions that the author associates with infants and adults.

h.     A stand-up comedian takes the audience’s laughter by interacting with them, taking the advantage of contagious nature of laughter.

i.     The relation between laughter and crowd is that laughter is contagious in crowd means that it can easily catch a wave when there are more people in crowd.

When author says “there is always a meaning to it” he means that laughter is never neutral and always have a meaning although it seems to be minor, transient and pointless. 

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Click for Critical Thinking: https://limbuchandrabahadur.blogspot.com/2025/06/class-12-english-unit-7-humor-critical.html