Several recent studies have suggested that women experience laughter more than men. According to medical experts, laughter isn't just about having fun—it actually has many health benefits. Studies have shown that the act of laughing can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and improve immune function(免疫功能).
Not only that, but laughter can also provide benefits similar to that of an anti-depressant. When you laugh, your body releases endorphins(内啡肽)which results in a general feeling of health and well-being. Regular laughter can play a role in helping you to avoid many health problems. Thus, not only do women tend to laugh more than men, they are also more likely to "have the last laugh".
According to a study conducted at the Stanford University of Medicine, gender( 性别)can affect the way that a person's brain responds to humor. The study, which involved the monitoring of 10 men and 10 women watching cartoons, shows that women are more likely than their male peers to use the part of the brain that processes rewards. It seemed that women had lower expectations in regard to a reward (in this case, the reward being the punch-line of the joke or cartoon), which resulted in them enjoying the experience more than the men. Men, on the other hand, seemed to expect that they would find the cartoons humorous, and were therefore more likely to be disappointed and find them less amusing.
Women are more likely to respond to men whom they find humorous and men seem to recognize this and do their best to make women laugh. It has been shown that women are more likely to laugh in the presence of men whom they have an attraction towards and men are more likely to be attracted to women who laugh in their presence because it makes them feel more desirable. Obviously, it is more important to men that a woman appreciates their humor.
【小题1】The studies show that regular laughter can ______.| A．raise blood pressure | B．keep us nervous |
| C．make immune function worse | D．keep us healthy and happy |
| A．Because they like telling humorous stories. | B．Because they like watching cartoons. |
| C．Because they expect little of a reward. | D．Because they seldom respond to humor. |
| A．women dislike humorous men | B．men dislike humorous women |
| C．laughter makes women humorous | D．humorous men make women happy |
| A．Women enjoy humor more than men |
| B．Laughter has many health benefits |
| C．Women laugh more than men |
| D．Humorous men are popular with women |
