‘Having a Laugh’answers with explanation CAM-15
Here are explanations of the Questions of passage named ‘Having a Laugh’ which is from the Cambridge 15 book. The Questions that have been asked are ‘MCQs’, ‘Summary Blanks’ and ‘Yes/No/Not Given. You will find the locations of the Reading Answers, Keywords(highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
| Question | Answer |
| 27 | C |
| 28 | A |
| 29 | B |
| 30 | B |
| 31 | D |
| 32 | F |
| 33 | H |
| 34 | C |
| 35 | D |
| 36 | E |
| 37 | NOT GIVEN |
| 38 | YES |
| 39 | NO |
| 40 | NO |
Questions 27-31
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.
27. When referring to laughter in the first paragraphs, the writer emphasizes
A its impact on language.
B its function in human culture.
C its value to scientific research.
D its universality in animal societies.
Location: 1st paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the last line of the paragraph. The writer says, ‘laughter and humour provide psychological scientists with rich resources…’Here this statement tells the value of
laughter in scientific research.
Answer: C
28. What does the writer suggest about Charley Douglass?
A He understood the importance of enjoying humour in a group setting.
B He believed that TV viewers at home needed to be told when to laugh.
C He wanted his shows to appeal to audiences across the social spectrum.
D He preferred shows where audiences were present in the recording studio.
Location: 2nd paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘Charley Doughglass’ is there in the third line of the paragraph. ‘These were
intended to help people at home…like they were in social situation…’Here ‘intended to help’ means understood the importance…’Moreover, ‘social situation’ refers to group.
Answer: A
29. What makes the Santa Cruz study particularly significant?
A the various different types of laughter that were studied
B the similar results produced by a wide range of cultures
C the number of different academic disciplines involved
D the many kinds of people whose laughter was recorded
Location: 3 rd paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘Santa Cruz’ helps to locate the answer in the last lines of the paragraph. ‘listeners from 24 diverse societies…on average, the results were remarkably consistent…’Here, ‘diverse societies’ means ‘wide range of culture’. Furthermore, ‘remarkably consistent’ and ‘similar’ are synonyms.
Answer: B
30. Which of the following happened in the San Diego study?
A Some participants became very upset.
B Participants exchanged roles.
C Participants who had not met before became friends.
D Some participants were unable to laugh.
Location: 4th paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the middle line of the paragraph. The line start, ‘Laughter was
recorded as each student…a turn at being teased by the others, involving’. Here, students were participants. This statement means they exchange roles. Thus, this makes an answer very clear.
Answer: B
31. In the fifth paragraph, what did the results of the San Diego study suggest?
A It is clear whether a dominant laugh is produced by a high- or low-status person.
B Low-status individuals in a position of power will still produce submissive laughs.
C The submissive laughs of low- and high-status individuals are surprisingly similar.
D High-status individuals can always be identified by their way of laughing.
Location: 5 th paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the last line of the paragraph. ‘High status individuals were rated as high-status whether they produced their natural dominant laugh or tried to do a submissive one’. Thus, high-status individuals can always be identified by their way of laughing.
Answer: D
‘Having a Laugh’answers with explanation CAM-15
Questions 32-36
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-H, below.
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet.
The benefits of humour
In one study at Australian National University, randomly chosen groups of participants were shown one of three videos, each designed to generate a different kind of 32…………………..
Location: 6 th paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘Australian National University’ has been written exactly in the last line of the
paragraph. ‘clip eliciting either humour, contentment, or neutral feelings…’Here, ‘feelings’ and ‘emotion’ are
synonyms.
Answer: F
When all participants were then given a deliberately frustrating task to do, it was found that those who had watched the 33…………………….. video persisted with the task for longer and tried harder to accomplish the task than either of the other two groups.
Location: 6th paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the last line of the paragraph. ‘Students who had watched the Mr. Bean video ended up spending significantly more time working…making twice as many predictions as the other two groups…’Here ‘Mr. Bean video refers to amusing video.
Answer: H
A second study in which participants were asked to perform a particularly 34……………………… task
produced similar results.
Location: 8th paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘second study’ helps to locate the answer in the first line of the paragraph.
‘participants complete long multiplication questions…participants who watched humorous video spent…working on the tedious task…’Here, ‘tedious’ and ‘boring’ are synonyms. Thus, the answer is ‘boring’
Answer: C
According to researchers David Cheng and Lu Wang, these findings suggest that humour not only
reduces 35……………………
Location: Last paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘David Cheng and Lu Wang’ helps to locate the answer in the first line of the
paragraph. ‘Although humour has been found to relieve stress…Here, ‘relieve’ means ‘reduces’. Moreover, ‘stress’ and ‘anxiety’ are synonyms.
Answer: D
and helps build social connections but it may also have a 36……………………. Effect on the body and
mind.
Location: Last paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘social connections’ is visible as ‘social relationships’ in the paragraph. In last
line, the writer says, ‘humour is not only enjoyable but more importantly energising…’Here, ‘energising’ means ‘stimulating effect’. Thus, this makes an answer very clear.
Answer: E
A laughter B relaxing C boring
D anxiety E stimulating F emotion
G enjoyment H amusing
‘Having a Laugh’answers with explanation CAM-15
Questions 37-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks
about this.
37. Participants in the Santa Cruz study were more accurate at identifying the laughs of friends than those of strangers.
Location: 3rd paragraph(Second last line)
Explanation: Though there is information about ‘whether they thought the people laughing were friends or
strangers…’But there is no information regarding accuracy at identifying. Thus, no information available.
Answer: Not Given
38. The researchers in the San Diego study were correct in their predictions regarding the behaviour of the high- status individuals.
Location: 4th paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second last line of the paragraph. ‘Analysis revealed that, as expected, high-status individuals produced more dominant…fewer submissive laughs…’Here ‘as expected’ and ‘predicted’ are synonyms. Moreover, this statement means researchers were correct.
Answer: Yes
39. The participants in the Australian National University study were given a fixed amount of time to complete the task focusing on employee profiles.
Location: 7th paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in second last line of the paragraph. The information in the question is opposite to the passage. ‘Participants were allowed to quit the task at any point…’Here ‘complete the task’ is opposite to ‘quit the task’.
Answer: No
40. Cheng and Wang’s conclusions were in line with established notions regarding task performance.
Location: Last paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the first line of the paragraph. ‘the traditional view of task
performance implies that individuals should avoid things such as humour…’ However, this is not the conclusion
of Cheng and Wang’s. Thus, thus makes an answer very clear.
Answer: No
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