Why Do We Laugh?, TED-Ed: SAT-type Questions

Isn’t it odd that, when something’s funny, you might show your teeth, change your breathing, become weak and achy in some __________ maybe even cry?

• places

• places and

• places, and

• places - and

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This alters your breathing patterns, increasing the pressure in your chest cavity, and pushing air out, __________.

• might audibly emerge as a snort, wheeze, or vocalization.

• it might audibly emerge as a snort, wheeze, or vocalization.

• which might audibly emerge as a snort, wheeze, or vocalization.

• and might audibly emerge as a snort, wheeze, or vocalization.

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__________ you’re exerting your abdominal muscles much more than you usually would while talking, they may start to hurt.

• Because

• While

• Given

• Considering

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Scientists have since compiled evidence of at least 65 species — mostly mammals, but also some birds — that vocalize during social play.

• collected

• developed

• researched

• written

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Scientists have since compiled evidence of at least 65 species — mostly mammals, but also some __________ vocalize during social play.

• birds that

• birds, that

• birds: that

• birds — that

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And, because other apes make laughter-like sounds during rough-and-tumble play, they think laughter may have originally developed to clearly signal friendly, non-aggressive intent.

• desire

• foresight

• purpose

• wish

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But of course, humans don’t just laugh when we’re wrestling, but also when we’re amused, __________ surprised, confused, or nervous.

• and even

• as if

• namely

• whenever

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Some scientists think laughter took on expanded functions after humans split from other great apes and developed large social groups and more complex language abilities.

• broke away from

• isolated from

• separated from

• took off from

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They hypothesize that laughter gradually became something we could use not just during play but within speech to convey subtle meanings and a range of contexts to show our emotions.

• dishonest

• insignificant

• nuanced

• superior

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This is thought to be one of the reasons that laughter is __________ like an invitation to share in someone’s emotional state.

• contagious,

• contagious, it’s

• contagious; it’s

• contagious - it’s

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