Healthy Humour

A1. Discuss Discuss with your partner the following questions: What kind of situation evoked laugher? Narrate an incident to the class that made you laugh so much that you like to recollect it again and again. Can you think of any good joke that can trigger laughter? Share a few with your partner. A2. Characters Look at the following characters from cartoons: Three pictures of cartons: Their very appearance makes us laugh. Can you name some more famous cartoon characters/movie comedians, who have given you real belly laugh? Discuss what made you laugh. A3. Title Look at the title; discuss with your partner what the text could be about? Can you elaborate on what is healthy humour and unhealthy humour? Read and find out from Part I. A4. Complete Quickly go through Part I of the text and complete the following: 1. Laughter is an invigorating tonic because it _______ 2. Laughter draws us together into a common state of well-being by _______ 3. We humans are not like animals when we are confronted with a threatening situation because _______

Part I
When was the last time you laughed really hard a hearty, side splitting belly laugh that suddenly grabbed you and sent you reeling out of control? Modern science is beginning to confirm that this kind of laugher is not only enjoyable but

also health promoting. Laughter is an invigorating tonic that heightens and brightens the mood, gently releasing us from tensions and social constrains. Best antidote - Laughter is an affirmation of you humaneness, a face saving way to express our anxieties, fears and other hidden emotions to others. It breaks the ice, builds trust and draws us together into a common state of well-being. Humour may be one of our best antidotes to stressful situations. When confronted with a threatening situation, animals have two situations either they flee or they fight. We humans have a second alternative to laugh. By seeing the humour in stressful situations we may be able to change our responses to the threat. When we laugh, we simply cannot be worrying deeply at the same time. Glossary: Invigorating Constrains Humaneness Antidotes

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making somebody feel healthy and full of energy things that limit or restrict quality of showing kindness towards people and animals by reducing the suffering. substances that controls the effects of a poison or disease

A5. Now read Part I again and after discussing write answers to the following questions: 1. What has modern science confirmed? 2. What is laughter according to this text? 3. Elaborate on laughter the best antidote. 4. What is the best alternative when we humans have to face stressful situations? Does it work all the time? 5. Why does laughter promote health? 6. Do you enjoy being in the company of people who always laugh if so, why? A6. Match: Match the words that collocate meaningfully: A B 1. hearty a. emotions 2. side b. tonic

3. invigorating 4. hidden

c. splitting d. laugh

A7. What do you say? Laughter is the best medicine There are many sayings regarding laughter. Prepare your own expressing your ideas on the importance of laughter. Share your reasons for why you say so. Laughter is . A8. Draw funny faces. Draw funny faces using number 1 to 10. Discuss with your friend the following points: Features that make you laugh. Unique quality of faces drawn. The reason why it is drawn like that. Five pictures showing persons laughing A9. True or False Read Part II and state whether the statements are true or false. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Usually babies start to laugh when they are twelve months old. Having a good sense of humour means we should be able to tell many jokes. Humour reduces anxiety. In times of adversity also one should learn to put on a happy face. We should learn to express good humour.

Part II
What research shows? You hate to do a regular workout; laughter may be the exercise programme youve been looking for! Laughter is called inner jogging. A robust l augh gives the muscles of your face, shoulders, diaphragm and abdomen a good worked out.

Heart rate and blood pressure temporarily rise, breathing becomes faster and deeper and oxygen surges through your bloodstream. Sometimes your muscles go limp and your blood pressure temporarily may fall, leaving you in a mellow euphoria. A good laugh can burn up as many calories per hour as brisk walking. How to use Humour Babies start to laugh when they are 10 weeks old; six weeks later they are laughing about once every hour, four-year-olds laugh once every four minutes. The average grown-up is said to laugh only about 15 times per day; sadly, our culture seems to inhibit humour. We learn to associate growing up with getting serious and being serious is somehow associated with being solemn and humourless. Sometimes we repress our good humour, because we are afraid that others will think we are frivolous or foolish. Here are some suggestions for repairing your sense of humour and regaining healthy laughter. Expose yourself to humour: There is a lot funny material around. Actively seek out things that make you laugh. Keep humour journal: Get into the habit of listening to the unintentionally amusing remark. Watch for what the wonderfully funny young children spontaneously say or write. Listen for the amusing slips of language or the amusing error or the clever pun. Tell a joke: Having a good sense of humour doesnt mean you have to have a store of jokes or tell them perfectly. Do not worry about how well you are telling it. Sometimes screwing up the delivery can create something thats even funnier than the original joke. Laugh at yourself: Focus on yourself rather than others. If you expect to do everything right all of the time, then you cant afford to have a sense of humour. But if you can allow yourself the inevitable mistakes and stupidities then you can laugh at yourself. Those who can laugh at themselves have a much stronger sense of self worth and higher esteem than those who cant. The real test of seeing whether or not you can laugh at yourself is if you can take a bit of teasing. We all

need a few things that we are willing to be teased about by our nearest and dearest. But they really do have to be things you can see the funny side of too. Try humour instead of anxiety or anger: A stressful situation can sometimes by transformed into a bit of fun if you can see the humour in it. Next time you are livid about something try to make your point with humour instead of anger. Humour can also help reduce anxiety. If you are terrified of speaking in public or of making a presentation, for example imagine your audience wearing funny hats. Practise by imagining stressful situation. Then invent humorous response to it and rehearse it. Hang out with happy people: Make sure that people around you are fun to be with. Certain people make you feel relaxed and happy. Others are too depressing, or relentlessly serious. Try to avoid getting bogged down by them. Spend more time with people who boost your mood. Put on a happy face: Research has shown that just changing your facial muscles can set off different physiological changes. It can also trigger different thoughts that affect moods of sadness, happiness and anger. So when we put on a happy face in times of adversity, we are actually changing our neurohormone levels and they change our moods. So if you cant laugh, smile. And if you cant smile, fake it. Glossary: Diaphragm Mellow Euphoria Solemn Bogged

layer of muscles between the lungs and the stomach relaxed calm and happy extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement looking very serious prevent somebody from making progress in an activity

A10. Read Part II again after discussing with your partner, answer the following questions: 1. What is inner jogging? 2. What does robust laughter give us? 3. How many times does an average human being laugh per day?

4. Why do we tend to repress good humour? 5. Why should we learn to laugh at ourselves first? How can we test this? 6. When should we try humour? 7. Why should we hang out with happy people? 8. What according to you is the advantage of hanging out with happy people? 9. Do you think it is good to put on a happy face? 10.Can you tell the difference between laughter and smile? A11. Title Following are the titles to paragraphs in the text. paragraphs best suited to these captions: 1. Dont be serious 2. Listen to funny remarks 3. Willing to be teased 4. People matter a lot 5. Change facial expressions

Glance and find out the

A12. Synonyms Find words from Part II and fill in the web given below. The words should be related to the word at the centre. Web Smile A13. Glance through Part II and complete the following flow chart on how to use humour: Start: Put on a happy face A14. Antonyms Match the antonyms A 1. Inhibit 2. anxiety 3. repress 4. boost

B a. authentic b. solemn c. forcibly d. avoidable

5. fake 6. frivolous 7. spontaneously 8. adverse 9. robust 10. inevitable

e. feeble f. extrovert g. favourable h. hinder i. encourage j. calmness

A15. Gerund Look at the following sentences. Observe the underlined part and discuss with your partner the questions given below. Note your observations and points. a. Breathing becomes faster and deeper. b. Here are some suggestions for repairing your sense of humour. Discuss: What is the root word form of the underlined word? What is added to the word? Do the underlined words function as verbs? What is their use in the sentence? Go through the text and find out the examples where such words are used differently. Look at the following sentences and the words given in the brackets and use the ing form. 1. Humour can also help ______ anxiety. (to reduce) 2. We learn ____ growing up with getting serious (to associate) 3. If you hate _____ a regular workout laughter may be the exercise programme for you. (to do) 4. ________ a good sense of humour doesnt mean you have a store of jokes. (to have) 5. Next time you are livid about something try _____ your point with humour. (to make)

A16. Speech As the president of a laughter club you are asked to render a speech on the advantages of laughing. Prepare a speech in a written form. You can follow these steps. 1. Introduction /salutation 2. Describe the advantage of laughing 3. Give day to day examples 4. Give some scientific reasons 5. Find a clear conclusion to your speech 6. Edit the text in order to improve Language support While writing: Make use of questions Use small and clear sentences Advise your friends Use proper tense language support while delivering a speech: * Make proper use of body language * Pay attention to pronunciation and intonation. * Take proper pauses * Maintain proper speed

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