随身英语 Why do we laugh? 为什么我们会笑？

Play audio file 当我们听到有趣的笑话时定会忍俊不禁。然而，这并不是最常见的“发笑因素”，最能引人开怀大笑的究竟是什么呢？答案其实很简单：与人共处。研究显示，和他人在一起时发笑的频率是独处时的三十倍，而且人类并不是唯一能被逗乐的物种。

课文内容 词汇:  笑声

What makes you laugh the most?

While rib-tickling jokes and hilarious videos certainly do make us giggle, most of the time we laugh because of something much simpler: being with other people.

So much so that we are 30 times more likely to laugh when we're with others, according to a study by neuroscientist Robert Provine from the University of Maryland. "When you're alone, laughter basically disappears," he told Smithsonian Magazine.

So, what is it about other people that makes us split our sides? The answer lies deep within our brains, and in how we form communities.

Laughter is a social emotion that we use to "make and maintain social bonds," says Professor Sophie Smith from University College London in an article for the BBC. It reassures people that situations are non-threatening. Those who laugh frequently are also often more popular. Even in a normal conversation we laugh seven times every 10 minutes, she says.

Professor Smith also explains that laughter is very different to speech. It is non-verbal: the wheezing and snorting sounds are produced by air being pushed out quickly at high pressure, without involving the teeth or lips. These sounds are the kind we make when in a state of heightened emotion.

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