Laughter is good for you Welcome to the unit

Brainstorming 1. Do you like laughing? Do you think laughter is good for us? 2. Usually what kind of things can make you laugh?

interesting and amusing TV programmes

comedians

crosstalk

funny pictures / books

circus

Picture talking Look at the posters on page 1, read the instructions and answer the following questions.

1. Which of the events do you think will be the funniest? Why? 2. Who is your favorite comedian? Why do you like him/her? 3. Why do people like funny things? Do you think it’s hard to make other people laugh? Why or why not?

The health benefits of humor and laughter: reduce stress ； lower blood pressure ； protect the heart ； improve brain functioning ； make you feel good …

How to make other people laugh: talking about funny things ， telling jokes, making faces…

Read the article on page 104 and answer. The British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. Another key to understanding British humor is to know that the British often use understatement. 1. What are the keys to understanding British humour? means saying less than you think or feel

2.What kind of people do the British like to make fun of ? People from different classes of society. 3.What jokes do they make about these people? They make jokes about people’s accents, the way they dress and the way they behave.

4. What does Rowan Atkinson use to make people laugh? Body movements and facial expressions. 5.Why do people find Mr. Bean funny? Because he does things that adults in the real world cannot do.

6. Why is Mr. Bean popular in many countries round the world? Because you don’t have to speak English to understand the humor.

Homework 1. Read the article in Part B at page Prepare a funny story for us. 3. Preview Reading.