2.3 Laughter The Effective Medicine A1. View on laughter Discus with your friend on the following: 1.

. Why do people laugh? 2. Why do people enjoy laughing? 3. Why does everybody dislike crying? 4. What is the effect of laughter? A2. Characters: Look at the following characters that have made our life enjoyable. Discuss with your partner about what makes the interesting when it is full of laughter. Pictures of laughing people A.3. Guess Look at the title. Discuss with your partner what you might expect to find in the passage. Think of any ten words you are likely to read in the passage. Now read the passage and check how many words that you predicted appear in the text. A.4. Read and find out Glance through Part 1 of the text quickly and complete the following choosing the most appropriate alternatives from those given below: 1. The text gives information about: a. Laughter an effective medicine b. Laughter a supplement for good health c. Laugher the only medicine to remove stress 2. A real belly laugh, Dr. Fry revealsa. Exercises not only the heart and lungs but also the shoulder muscles b. It works only on lungs c. It works only on freeing endorphins into the bloodstream. Laughter The Effective Medicine

Part I
As American humorist Josh Billings (1818-85) said: There aint much fun in medicine, but theres a heck of a lot of medicine in fun! Billings may have made this statement in jest, but the fact remains that laughter does have a heck of a lot of medicine. Since the 1980s, research conducted worldwide shows that laughter positively impacts various Systems of the body. The benefits include reduction,

control or prevention of high blood pressure, heart disease, peptic ulcers, depression, anxiety, insomnia, allergies and even cancer. Patients suffering from terminal diseases such as cancer and AIDS are also said to respond better and live longer if regular therapy is supplemented with laughter and a positive outlook. Researchers at the University of Californias Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine have found that laughter can increase the bodys ability to stave off infection by boosting levels of key immune system components and by also decreasing levels of stress hormones associated with poor immune function. The latest research at the Centre, however, shows that merely anticipating a funny event improved peoples mood. Glossary heck In jest Peptic ulcer Stave off anticipating

exclamation used to show that you are surprised as a joke ulcers in the stomach prevent something bad from affecting you for a period of time, to delay think with pleasure and excitement about something that is going to happen.

A5. Now read part 1 again and after discussing with your partner write answers to the following questions: 1. 1. What does American humorist Josh Billings say about laughter? 2. What does the research conducted worldwide show? 3. What is the latest research at the Centre? 2. 1. How can patients suffering from terminal diseases be cured? 2. How does laughter increase the bodys ability to stave off infection? 3. 1. Do you agree with the American humorist Josh Billings opinion about laughter? 3. Why do you think laughter is the most effective medicine for good health? A.6. Match A Therapy Immune Hormones Insomnia A7. Synonyms

B condition of being unable to sleep chemical substances cannot be affected by any particular disease. treatment of a physical problem

Look at the following words. They are synonyms. Find out the shade of differences in their meanings. Chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, snigger, smile Thesaurus is a book of synonyms and antonyms. It gives you words with different shades of meanings. You may take help of a dictionary or a thesaurus. A.8. Complete Glance through Part 1 and complete the following sentences: 1. Billings statement shows that ___ ____ 2. The research conducted in 1980 shows that _____________ 3. The latest research at the University of California has shown that _________ 4. Laughter positively reduces ____________ A.9. work in pairs, Read Part II and state whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements. 1. According to American cardiologist Dr. William Fry, one minute of laughter is worth 60 minutes of deep relaxation. 2. Anticipating an event can change the bodys responses. 3. Watching a funny video can stimulate the bodys ability to manage only diseases. 4. 100 laughs a day are equal to 10 minute jog. 5. Laughing pumps pain-relieving, stress freeing endorphins into the lungs. FIgure Part II Says Lee Berk, lead researcher for the study at the UC Irvine College of Medicine: Weve demonstrated that watching a funny video can stimulate the bodys ability to manage stress and fight disease. But this is the first time weve seen that just anticipating such an event can change the bodys responses. There are other practitioners who concur. According to American cardiologist Dr. William Fry, one minute of laughter is worth 40 minutes of deep relaxation and 100 laughs a day are equal to a 10-minute jog. A real belly laugh, Dr. Fry reveals exercises not only the heart and lungs, but also the shoulder muscles, arms, abdomen, diaphragm and legs. And this is only the start, he says. In his book Make Em Laugh, Dr. Fry says studies have shown that laughing pumps pain-relieving, stress freeing endorphins into the bloodstream.

Glossary Concur Belly laugh Endorphin

agree hearty laugh any of several peptides secreted in the brain that have a pain relieving effect like that of morphine.

A.10. Now read Part II and after discussing with your partner answer the following questions: I. 1. What has Lee Berk demonstrated? 2.What does American cardiologist Dr. William Fry, tell us about laughter? 3. What does Dr. Fry say in his book Make Em laugh? II. 1. How does watching funny video stimulate the bodys ability? 2. How does a real belly laugh help in improving health? III. 1. Do you think we can make people laugh even though they have a certain problem? 2. 100 laughs a day are equal to a 10 minute jog. Explain this statement narrating an imaginary incident. A.11. Evidence: Glance through Part II and find the evidences for the following statements. 1. One can manage stress and fight disease. 2. Jogging and relaxation are connected with laughter. 3. A real belly laugh is a good exercise for the whole body. 4. Even the blood stream is improved due to laughter. 5. By laughing body learns to sustain pains, stress and suffering. A12. Antonyms Choose the correct antonyms from the following alternatives: 1. Funny a. Abuse b. sad c. hilarious d. serious 2. Stress a. Worry b. tension c. relaxation d. distress 3. Concur a. Agree b. disagree c. tally d. coincide 4. Stimulate a. Motivate b. to become more active c. arouse d. benumb A13. Glance through Part 1 and Part II again and match the names of the scientists and their findings:

Scientists Lee Berk

Josh Billings Dr. William Fry

Findings / comments One minute laughter is worth 40 minutes of deep relaxation and 100 laughs a day are equal to a 10-minute jog. Watching a funny video can stimulate the bodys ability to manage stress and fight disease. There aint much fun in medicine, but theres a heck of a lot of medicine in fun!

A14. Tree diagram. Glance through Part III and complete the following: How laughter affects the following: Tree diagram and other figures 1. Figure 5. Figure 2. Hormones 3. Immune system 6. blood pressure 7. Respiration etc. 4. arthritis

Part III Heres how laughter works on specific body parts; Muscle Relaxation Belly laughter results in muscle relaxation. While you laugh, the muscles that do not participate in the belly laugh relax. After you finish laughing, muscles involved in the laughter start to relax. So, the action takes place in two stages. Reduction of Stress Hormones Laughter reduces at least four neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress response. These are epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, and growth hormone. Immune System Enhancement Clinical studies indicate that humour strengthens the immune system. Pain Reduction. Humour allows a person to forget about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc. Cardiac Exercises A belly laugh is equivalent to Internal jogging. Laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises. Blood pressure Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing hypertension. Respiration Frequent belly laughter empties your lungs of more air than it takes in, resulting in a cleansing effect similar to deep breathing. Especially beneficial for patients suffering from emphysema and other respiratory ailments.

Now that you know about the therapeutic aspects of laughter, dont hold back. Go and laugh your guts out! Glossary: Emphysema: Therapeutic:

condition that affect the lungs, making it difficult to breathe designed to help treat an illness.

A15. Now read Part III and after discussing with your partner answer the following questions: I. 1. How does the action of laughter take place at two stages? 2. What are the four hormones associated with stress response? 3. How does laughter help the people who are unable to perform physical exercises? II. 1. How does frequent belly laughter help your lungs? 2. How does laughter work on specific body parts? III. 1. Why do you think that laughter has a curing effect? 2. What according to you, does laughter teach us? A16. Summary Following are the titles to paragraphs in the text. Glance through text and identify the paragraphs best suited to these captions: Laughter as a Medicine A real belly laugh Humour strengthens the immune system Laughter for pain- reduction A17 True or False: Read Part III again and state whether the following statements are true or false: 1. Belly laughter results in Cardiac arrest. 2. After one finishes laughing, muscles involved in the laughter relax. 3. Both women and men benefit in the same way in preventing hypertension. 4. Humour allows a person to forget pain. A.18 Present Participle Look at the following sentences and the underlined part. Discuss with your partner the questions and note your observations and responses. Women seem to benefit more than men in preventing hypertension. After you finish laughing, muscles involved in the laughter start to relax.

Discuss: What is a root word? What is added to it? Do these words act as verbs or something else? What are the underlined words used as? When do we use such forms? Use the-ing form of the words given in the brackets. Due to old age, many forget _____ (take) medicine on time. Sunny keeps himself strong and fit by ____ (practice) physical exercise. The doctors could not save ____ (starve) people. ____ (smile) face creates confidence and relationship. The government provides medicines to ____ (suffer) victims of the disease.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

A19. Simple Present Tense: Look at the following sentences and the underlined words. Discuss with your partner the following questions and note your observations and responses. a. Belly laughter results in muscle relaxation. b. Humour allows a person to forget about pains such as aches, arthritis, etc. Discuss: What action is indicated in both the sentences? What is the time of action? What is common between both the sentences? Does the form of the verb remain same with different subjects? When do we use this kind of tense? Select proper verb form from the alternatives given. 1. Humour helps/is helping/are helps to keep your stress level down. 2. My classmate is/are/am good at cutting jokes. 3. He is/are/am always sparking with laughter. 4. Laughter possess/possesses/is possessing all ingredients of medicine. 5. Cackling of students always disturbs/disturbing/disturb the silence of the class. A20. We come across many kinds of doctors, who are expert in different fields. Complete the following table by working with your partner: Specialist Specialises in

Ophthalmologist Diabetologist

dealing with eye problems Treating gastrointestinal problem Sin disease and their treatment

Cosmetologist treating anemia Cardiologist A21. Laughter Club Prepare an appeal for a laughter club that you want to start in your locality. Discuss with your partner your plans Objectives of the laughing club Activities to be done Place : Where to meet Time: When to meet Participation Think of Alternative slogan Appeal Presenting a problem and suggesting a solution Prepare a jingle to attract Introduce a joke to make readers laugh ********