Do you want to live a happier, less stressful(有压力的) life? Try laughing for no reason at all. That’s how millions of people start their day at Laughter(笑声) Clubs around the world and many doctors now think that having a good laugh might be one of the best ways to stay healthy.

The first Laughter Club was started in Mumbai, India, in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria.“Young children laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh between 7 and 15 times a day,” says Dr. Kataria. “Everyone is naturally good at laughing — it’s the common language. We want people to feel happy with their lives.” There are now more than 500 Laughter Clubs in India and over 1,300 in the world.

Many doctors are also interested in the effects(效果) of laughter on our health. According to a 5-year study at the UCLA School of Medicine in California, with laughing there is less stress in the body. Laughter improves our health against illness by about 40%.

So what happens at a Laughter Club? I went along to my nearest club in South London to find out. I was quite nervous at the beginning of the class, to be honest, I wasn’t interested in laughing with a group of strangers, and I was worried about looking silly. Our laughter teacher told us to clap our hands and say “ho ho ho, ha ha ha” while looking at each other. However, our bodies can’t tell the difference between real laughter and unreal laughter, so they still produce the same healthy effects.

Surprisingly, it works! After ten minutes everybody in the room was laughing for real and some people just couldn’t stop! At the end of the class I was surprised by how relaxed and comfortable I felt. So if you’re under stress, then start laughing. You might be very pleased with the results.

1.The first Laughter Club was started in __________.

A. India     B. America         C. Britain   D. China

2.How many Laughter Clubs are there in the world today?

A. Over 300.     B. Over 500.      C. Over 800.      D. Over 1,300.

3.How did the writer feel at the beginning of the class?

A. Surprised.     B. Pleased.         C. Nervous.        D. Tired.

4.When did the people in the club begin to laugh for real?

A. After ten minutes.        B. After ten hours.

C. After ten seconds.        D. After ten days.

5.The article mainly tells us __________.

A. young children laugh much more often than adults in a day

B. laughing is one of the best ways to stay healthy

C. many doctors are also interested in the effects of laughter on our health

D. real laughter and unreal laughter are both good for health

从方框中选用合适的词并用其适当形式填空。

1.How ___________ it was to hear that some pop stars would come to our town.

2.The micro letter is used ___________ in China. It has over 300 million users.

3.— Mary, could you tell me who invented ___________?

— A team of scientists, John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley.

4.Do you know what the ___________ of the tower is? About twenty metres.

5.We enjoyed ___________ trip to the Statue of Liberty very much. What great fun we had!

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People from all over the world make friends_____66____writing letters. One way to find a pen friend is to _____67____a club. International Pen Friends started in 1967 and has over 300,000members(成员) in different countries. Their____68___member is eight years old, and their oldest member is over 80. Some people write to find out about life in another country, ___69___want to practice their English, or enjoy their hobbies. Stamp collectors, for example, write to people in different countries ___70__that they can collect the stamps on the letters they receive. Most people just enjoy making friends, and they invite their pen friends to visit them.