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| Neb English Support Class 12 |
Unit 7 Humour Class 12 | Language Development | Why do We Laugh Inappropriately | Compulsory English by Suraj Bhatt
Unit: 7 Humour: Why do We Laugh Inappropriately?
BEFORE YOU READ
a. Have you ever laughed at a person who falls by slipping on a banana peel?
Answer:
Yes, I have laughed at a person who falls by slipping on a banana peel. It was just a week before, and I laughed a lot to see Gupta Ji slipping on a banana peel and falling.
b. Have you ever joined people in laughter without knowing the cause?
Answer:
Yes, I have. I met a group of people laughing at the park. I felt quite excited to find them laughing continuously, and I joined them without knowing the real cause.
c. Why do people sometimes regret for laughing?
Answer:
People sometimes regret laughing because they find their activities quite embarrassing later on.
WORKING WITH WORDS
A. The following words are synonyms and antonyms of the verb ‘laugh’. Group them into synonyms and antonyms.
chuckle chortle grimace crackle frown
pout snicker scowl smile cry
groan moan sniggle giggle grin
sob smirk whoop
Answer:
Synonymms
chuckle, chortle, giggle, snicker, smile, grin, smirk, crackle, sniggle, whoop
Antonyms
cry, grimace, scowl, frown, pout, groan, moan, sob
B. Match the following emotions with their definitions.
a. fear 》vi. an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm
b. anger 》v. a strong feeling of displeasure
c. surprise 》ix. an unexpected event, fact, etc.
d. disgust 》i. a feeling of strong disapproval aroused by something unpleasant
e. sadness 》ii. affected with grief or unhappiness
f. happiness 》iii. a pleasurable or satisfying experience
g. relief 》viii. removal or lightening of something oppressive, painful, or distressing
h. triumph 》iv. a great victory or achievement
i. contentment 》vii. 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:
to laugh or smile with good manners, no matter what fun, which is a sign of respect for others, their age or condition, or situation.
b. snorting laughter:
contains laughter depending on how you inhale or exhale through your nose.
c. stress-relieving laughter:
laughter that is revealed from heart.
d. silent laughter:
uncontrollable laughter which is made without sound.
e. nervous laughter:
nervous laughter is a the kind of laughter that is caused by embarrassment, discomfort or confusion.
f. cruel laughter:
a laughter that is full of cruel intentions.
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, duty, laughter, commission, undertaking, responsibility, hilarity, persistent, infectious, ephemeral
Answer:
charge 》/t͡ʃɑːd͡ʒ/ char-ge: two syllables
duty 》/ˈdjuːti/ du-ty: two syllables
laughter 》 /ˈlɑːftə/ laugh-ter: two syllables
commission 》/kəˈmɪʃən/ com-mis-sion: three syllables
undertaking 》 /ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌteɪkɪŋ/ un-der-tak-ing: four syllables
responsibility 》 /ɹɪˌspɑnsəˈbɪlɪɾi/ res-pon-si-bil-i-ty: six syllables
hilarity 》/hɪˈlæɹɪ.ti/ hi-lar-i-ty: four syllables
persistent 》/pɚˈsɪstənt/ per-sist-ent: three syllables
infectious 》/ɪnˈfɛkʃəs/ in-fec-tious: three syllables
ephemeral 》/ɛˈfɛ.mə.ɹəl/ e-phem-er-al: four syllables
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………..
Answer:
behaviour
b. After her study in Namibia, Scott came to the realization that…………….
Answer:
laughter is one of our richest vocal tics.
c. Studies have shown that there are …………..based on facial expressions.
Answer:
fear, anger, surprise, disgust, sadness, happiness (six universal emotions)
d. Scott found out that most of the laughs have nothing …………….
Answer:
to do with humour
e. The couples who laugh at each other are likely to ………………
Answer:
stay together for longer
f. The primary way of communication of grown up people is …………… .
Answer:
to express feelings and meet social expectations
g. Comedians usually find it easier to work in larger places due to .............. .
Answer:
the contagious nature of laughter
B. Answer the following questions.
a. Why do people giggle at someone’s pain or suffering?
Answer:
People giggle at someone's pain or suffering because laughing through someone's pain or suffering is a way of convincing ourselves or others that we or others are fine, or at least on the way to recovery. Laughter is our innate quality and is contagious in nature.
b. What did Scott’s study in Namibia come up with?
Answer:
Scott's study in Namibia led him to the realisation that laughter is one of our richest vocal tics. Her study showed that, in comparison to the six easily recognised universal emotions (fear, anger, surprise, disgust, sadness, and happiness based on facial expressions), as well as relief, triumph, and contentment, laughter is the most easily recognisable emotion.
c. How is laughter a social bonding?
Answer:
Laughter is social bonding, as it brings us together and helps us to bond, whether or not something is funny.
d. According to the author, what role does laughter play in husband-wife relationship?
Answer:
According to the author, laughter plays a very vital role in making the husband-wife relationship stronger and longer-lasting. It makes it easier to dissipate the tension between them after a stressful event.
e. How does laughter work as a painkiller?
Answer:
When we laugh, it helps our brain produce more endorphins. This chemical works as a medicine to relieve the feelings of pain and euphoria.
f. What did the study find about the relation between laughter and brain?
Answer:
About the relationship between laughter and the brain, the study 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 others' actions.
g. What are two emotions that the author associates with infants and adults?
Answer:
Crying and laughter are two emotions that the author associates with infants and adults.
h. How does a stand-up comedian take the audience’s laughter?
Answer:
A stand-up comedian uses the laughter of the audience as a conversation between himself and the audience. He or she feels that the audience is conversing with him or her.
i. Show the relation between laughter and crowd.
Answer:
Laughter is contagious in nature, and it makes you laugh when you see people close to you laughing. Laughter is contagious, and cheers spread quickly through the crowd.
j. What does the author mean when he says “there is always a meaning to it?”
Answer:
According to the author, laughter is a powerful medium for connecting people. Laughter, whatever it is, has meaning because it builds bonds, strengthens social ties, helps each other take sides, acts as a pain reliever, and relieves all kinds of stress.
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CRITICAL THINKING
a. Do you agree that ‘the couples, who laugh together, stay together?’ Is it important for married couples to have the same sense of humour? Why?
Answer:
Yes, I agree with this statement that 'the couples who laugh together stay together. Laughter is considered to be the best medicine because it decreases our stress hormones and provides us with mental relief. Laughter increases our stress-reducing chemicals, i.e., endorphins. Endorphins are natural feel-good chemicals that improve our mood in a stressful state.
Happiness and contentment are two important aspects that strongly bind the relationship between husband and wife. These aspects always bring humour between them. This fact has even been scientifically proven. Those couples who spend more time laughing together are more likely to enjoy a strong and positive relationship in their lives.
Yes, it is important for married couples to have the same sense of humour to live a healthy life with bonding in their relationship. The couple's sense of humour always helps them relieve the pain and maintains a healthy relationship between them. Humour always boosts their family relationship. If the couple seems unhappy and dissatisfied with each other, their relationship becomes weak. Dissatisfaction and unhappiness break couples' relationships apart, and married couples are more likely to divorce. Shared laughter attracts each other, which makes them more romantic, which is a key component of the lasting bond between them. Thus, I think it is important for married couples to have the same sense of humour. Laughing at jokes together is a sign of a happy relationship.
b. Some people believe that sometimes crying is good for health. Do you believe it? Give your reasons.
Answer:
Laughter is essential for our healthy lives. Laughing makes us relive our stressful state. In the same way, crying is also good for our health. Yes, I believe in it. Many kinds of research have shown that sometimes crying also reduces stress and emotional pain.
Crying is a natural response. Humans have a range of emotions, which include sadness, grief, joy, and frustration.
There are positive benefits to crying for our health. In the past classical era, thinkers as well as physicians postulated that the tears of humans work like healing power for both physical and mental states. Tears purify the human body.
In the present time, psychological thought largely agrees, emphasising the role of crying as a mechanism that allows us to release stress and emotional pain. Like laughter, crying also helps produce chemicals such as oxytocin and endorphins in our bodies. These chemicals make people feel good and ease both physical and emotional pain.
As there are varieties of laughter, there are three types of tears: basal tears, emotional tears, and reflex tears. Basal tears are always in our eyes, and they lubricate, nourish, and protect our cornea. They keep dirt and debris away. Reflex tears are caused by cold, wind, and smoke. They also protect and clear our eyes. The antibodies in them help fight bacteria. The tears gushed in response to strong emotions like sadness, grief, joy, or anger are emotional tears. They produce pain- and stress-reducing chemicals.
At the time of crying, the human body releases immense emotions. After the release of these emotions, the human body and mind get refreshed. During the time of grieving, crying is very essential as well. It can also help to process and acknowledge the loss of a loved one. People often feel better when they cry. This may be because crying forces us to focus on what is moving us and to work through our emotions and thoughts. Crying can also help us understand what is important to us, especially if we cry when we are unexpectedly sad.
WRITING
A. Write a paragraph narrating an event from your life when you were involved in contagious laughter.
Answer:
I do have an interesting event regarding my laughter. In this event, I was involved in contagious laughter. In my college's hostel, our group of boys always had enjoyment before sleeping. We used to share jokes and laugh a lot. One of my friends named Padam was quite brilliant at cracking jokes, especially non-vegetarian jokes. He had a unique ability to make others laugh through his normal way of talking. I can still remember that joke that he shared in our hostel before sleeping. He shared a joke called wild bitches. His gestures, as well as his way of telling jokes, were outstanding. We laughed at every punch line of his joke. He ended the final part of the joke in a very funny way, with a vulgar tone. We, all friends, burst into laughter. We couldn't help laughing till midnight. Every boy in their beds kept bursting into laughter. The next morning, when we woke up, we started laughing again.
B. Write a description of your favourite comedian explaining his/her personality, acting, performance and uniqueness.
Answer:
I have known many comedians and actors around the world. I have even watched their different comic roles, personalities, and uniqueness. Comedy actors are really very talented actors who try their best to bring smiles to their audiences' faces.
Among most comedian actors, I like Johnny Walker, an Indian comedian actor. His real name was Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi. He came from a very poor Indian family background. In Indian cinema history, Johnny Walker is still praised for his outstanding comic roles in different Indian movies. In his lifetime, he acted in around three hundred Indian movies.
The legendary actor of Bollywood, Balraj Sahni, found him as a bus conductor and offered him the role of a drunken man in the movie Hulchal. Guru Dutta provided him with the movie and his name, Johnny Walker.
Johnny Walker and his outstanding comedy acting made him so popular among Indian audiences. He gained popularity through his acting and became one of the most in-demand comedy actors in Bollywood history. In the theatre, audiences used to laugh at his every dialogue delivery. Audiences used to buy movies' tickets if there was the role of Johnny Walker. In the present time too, if we watch his old Hindi movies, we can't help laughing. I still feel so good to watch his comic song called "Sir Jo Tera Chakraye." He was a man with tremendous acting skills and qualities. Johnny Walker remains in the hearts and memories of millions of audiences in the Bollywood industry.
GRAMMAR
Adverbs
A. Study the following sentences from the text. The words in bold are called 'frequency adverbs'.
a. Belly laughs never come through the nose.
b. There is always a meaning to it.
c. She found that the less authentic tones are often more nasal.
d. Scott occasionally takes up the microphone herself at comedy nights in London.
e. She tells me about an acquaintance who had frequently irritated her with a persistent, fluting, laugh.
B. Put the frequency adverbs in appropriate place and rewrite the following sentences.
a. I forget to do my homework. (sometimes)
Answer:
I sometimes forget to do my homework.
b. My father has touched an alcoholic drink in his life. (never)
Answer:
My father has never touched an alcoholic drink in his life.
c. My father goes for a walk on Saturdays. (often)
Answer:
My father often goes for a walk on Saturdays.
d. We go to the movie theatre. (occasionally)
Answer:
We occasionally go to the movie theatre.
e. My brother is in America. He telephones us. (from time to time)
Answer:
My brother is in America. He telephones us from time to time.
f. My mother gets up at five o’clock. (always)
Answer:
My mother always gets up at five o’clock.
g. He does not like alcoholic drinks but takes some wine. (now and then)
Answer:
He does not like alcoholic drinks but takes some wine now and then.
h. I drink my tea with milk. (generally)
Answer:
I generally drink my tea with milk.
i. Have you been to Agra? (ever)
Answer:
Have you ever been to Agra?
j. The restaurant hours vary as it is booked for special events. (frequently)
Answer:
The restaurant hours frequently vary as it is booked for special events.
SPEAKING
Expressing feelings, emotions and attitudes
A. Find and say the adjectival forms of the following verbs.
impress 》impressive
excite 》exciting
irritate 》irritating
upset 》upsetting
interest 》interesting
surprise 》surprising
offend 》offensive
shock 》shocking
confuse 》confusing
amuse 》amusing
attract 》attractive
disgust 》disgusting
B. Work in groups. Study the following conversation and have similar conversations in the following situations.
A: What do you think of people who can't keep their promises?
B: I find people who can't keep their promises really disgusting.
C: Yes, people who can't keep their promises disgust me too.
D: Yes, I agree. I get terribly disgusted when people can't keep their promises.
a. social media
b. politics
c. tourists
d. slim people
e. comedy shows
f. people with colourful hair
g. people who smoke in public places
a. social media
A: What do you think of social media?
B: I find social media really amusing.
C: Yes, social media amuses me too.
D: Yes, I agree. I get terribly amused when people use social media.
b. politics
A: What do you think of politics?
B: I find politics really depressing.
C: Yes, politics depresses me, too.
D: Yes, I agree; I get terribly depressed when people talk about politics.
c. tourists
A: What do you think of tourists?
B: I find tourists really attractive.
C: Yes, tourists attract me too.
D: Yes, I agree; I get terribly attracted when I see tourists in my country.
d. slim people
A: What do you think of slim people?
B: I find slim people really attractive.
C: Yes, slim people attract me, too.
D: Yes, I agree. I get terribly attracted when people talk about slim people.
e. comedy shows
A: What do you think of comedy shows?
B: I find comedy shows interesting.
C: Yes, comedy shows interest me, too.
D: Yes, I agree. I get terribly interested when people talk about comedy shows.
f. people with colourful hair
A: What do you think of people with colourful hair?
B: I find people with colourful hair really disgusting.
C: Yes, people with colourful hair disgust me, too.
D: Yes, I agree; I get terribly disgusted when I see people with colourful hair.
g. people who smoke in public places
A: What do you think of people who smoke in public places?
B: I find people who smoke in public places really disgusting.
C: Yes, people who smoke in public places disgust me, too.
D: Yes, I agree; I get terribly disgusted when people smoke in public places.
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