A recent study conducted at a university in the United States showed that laughing helps blood vessels work more
efficiently in the same way that exercise does. Doctors don’t suggest that people stop exercising, but instead encourage
everyone to try laughing for fifteen minutes a day. The scientists still don’t know why laughing is so healthy, however. Is
it because beneficial chemicals are released from your brain when you laugh? Or is it because laughing exercises your
abdominal muscles and lungs and increases the amount of oxygen in your blood?
Another benefit of laughing is that it boosts the immune system by increasing the body’s ability to fight off colds and
the flu, so people who laugh more often get sick less often. Laughing can also lower blood pressure and can reduce stress
hormones. Laughter causes the release of the body’s natural painkillers, so people with headaches and other pain feel
better after laughing. In another study, nurses told jokes to some patients after medical treatment. The patients who were
told jokes reported less pain than those who were not told jokes.
Most hospitals have laughter departments these days. For sick children, some hospitals have clown doctors. These are
not real doctors, but are actors dressed as clowns with white faces, bright red noses, col orful costumes, and very big shoes.
They have funny names and sometimes sing songs or do magic tricks. It’s frightening for children to be sick in hospital
because they are away from their home and family, and often they don’t understand their illness. Clown doctors help them
to laugh and feel happier while they receive their treatment. Adult patients love them, too! 【題組】79. According to the passage, which of the following statements about clown doctors is true?
(A) They are dressed as real doctors.
(B) They make the children in the hospital feel happier and less frightened.
(C) They are real doctors dressed as clowns.
(D) They are popular among children but are not welcomed by adults.
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