Having a Laugh – IELTS Academic Reading Answers

With consistent practice and solving a variety of passages, you can achieve your desired score in IELTS, and solve as many passages as you can to improve your reading skills. The ‘Having a Laugh’ passage will help those candidates who face issues finding out and understanding reading answers in the IELTS exam to prepare better.

There are 14 questions in ‘Having a Laugh’. Give a good read to the passage, then start solving it with us.

The question types found in the passage are:

• Multiple-Choice Questions ( Questions 1-5)
• Summary Completion (Questions 6-10)
• Yes/No/Not Given(Questions 11-14)

Reading Passage 

Having a Laugh
The findings of psychological scientists reveal the importance of humour.

Humans start developing a sense of humour as early as six weeks old, when babies begin to laugh and smile in response to stimuli. Laughter is universal across all human cultures and even exists in some form in rats, chimps, and bonobos. Like other human emotions and expressions, laughter and humour are psychological scientists with rich resources for studying human psychology, ranging from the development of language to the neuroscience of social perception.

Theories focusing on the evolution of laughter point to it as an important adaptation for social communication. Take, for example, the recorded laughter in TV comedy shows. Back in 1950, US sound engineer Charley Douglass hated dealing with the unpredictable laughter of live audiences, so started recording his own ‘laugh tracks’. These were intended to help people at home feel like they were in a social situation, such as a crowded theatre. Douglass even recorded various types of laughter, as well as mixtures of laugher from men, women, and children. In doing so, he picked up on a quality of laughter that is now interesting researchers: a simple ‘haha’ communicates a remarkable amount of socially relevant information.

In one study conducted in 2016, samples of laughter from pairs of English-speaking students were recorded at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A team made up of more than 30 psychological scientists, anthropologists, and biologists then played these recording to listeners from 24 diverse societies, from indigenous tribes in New Guinea to city-dwellers in India and Europe. Participants were asked whether they thought the people laughing were friends or strangers. On average, the results were remarkably consistent: worldwide, people’s guesses were correct approximately 60% of the time.

Researchers have also found that different types of laughter serve as codes to complex human social hierarchies. A team led by Christopher Oveis from the University of California, San Diego, found that high-status individuals had different laughs from low-status individuals, and that strangers’ judgements of an individual’s social status were influenced by the dominant or submissive quality of their laughter. In their study, 48 male college students were randomly assigned to groups of four, with each group composed of two low-status members, who had just joined their college fraternity group, and two high-status members, older student took a turn at being teased by the others, involving the use of mildly insulting nicknames. Analysis revealed that, as expected, high-status individuals produced more dominant laughs and fewer submissive laughs relative to the low-status individuals. Meanwhile, low-status individuals were more likely to change their laughter based on their position of power; that is, the newcomers produced more dominant laughs when they were in the ‘powerful’ role of teasers. Dominant laughter was higher in pitch, louder, and more variable in tone than submissive laughter.

A random group of volunteers then listened to an equal number of dominant and submissive laughs from both the high- and low-status individuals, and were asked to estimate the social status of the laughter. In line with predictions, laughers producing dominant laughs were perceived to be significantly higher in status than laughers producing submissive laughs. ‘This was particularly true for low-status individuals, who were rated as significantly higher in status when displaying a dominant versus submissive laugh,’ Oveis and colleagues note. ‘Thus, by strategically displaying more dominant laughter when the context allows, low-status individuals may achieve higher status in the eyes of others.’ However, high-status individuals were rated as high-status whether they produced their natural dominant laugh or tried to do a submissive one.

Another study, conducted by David Cheng and Lu Wang of Australian National University, was based on the hypothesis that humour might provide a respite from tedious situations in the workplace. This ‘mental break’ might facilitate the replenishment of mental resources. To test this theory, the researchers recruited 74 business students, ostensibly for an experiment on perception. First, the students performed a tedious task in which they had to cross out every instance of the letter ‘e’ over two pages of text. The students then were randomly assigned to watch a video clip eliciting either humour, contentment, or neutral feelings. Some watched a clip of the BBC comedy Mr. Bean, others a relaxing scene with dolphins swimming in the ocean, and others a factual video about the management profession.

Questions 1-5

1 When referring to laughter in the first paragraphs, the writer emphasises.

A its impact on language.
B its function in human culture.
C its value to scientific research.
D its universality in animal societies.

2 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.

3 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.

4 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.

5 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.

Question 6-10

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 6………………….. . When all participants were then given a deliberately frustrating task to do, it was found that those who had watched the 7…………………….. video persisted with the task for longer and tried harder to accomplish the task than either of the other two groups.

A second study in which participants were asked to perform a particularly 8……………………… task produced similar results. According to researchers David Cheng and Lu Wang, these findings suggest that humour not only reduces 9…………………… and helps build social connections but it may also have a 10……………………. Effect on the body and mind.

Question 11-14

11 Participants in the Santa Cruz study were more accurate at identifying the laughs of friends than those of strangers.

12 The researchers in the San Diego study were correct in their predictions regarding the behaviour of the high-status individuals

13 The participants in the Australian National University study were given a fixed amount of time to complete the task focusing on employee profiles.

14 Cheng and Wang’s conclusions were in line with established notions regarding task performance.

Answers for Having a Laugh Reading Answers with Location and Explanations

1 Answer: C
Question type: Multiple Choice Question
Answer location: First paragraph, lines 3-5
Answer explanation: Take a look at the lines, “Like other human emotions and expressions, laughter and humor provide psychological scientists with rich resources for studying human psychology, ranging from the development of language to the neuroscience of social perception.” The writer highlights the importance of science in understanding laughter. They see humor as a window into human behavior for psychologists. Hence, the answer is C (Its value to scientific research).

2 Answer: A
Question type: Multiple Choice Question
Answer location: Paragraph 2, Line 2-5
Answer explanation: The specified line of Paragraph 2 states, “Back in 1950, US sound engineer Charley Douglass hated dealing with the unpredictable laughter of live audiences, so started recording his own ‘laugh tracks’…” The writer credits Charley Douglass with recognizing the importance of shared laughter. Douglass addressed this by creating laugh tracks, aiming to enhance the enjoyment of humor even in large, impersonal settings like crowded theaters.

3 Answer: B
Question type: Multiple Choice Question
Answer location: Paragraph 3, Line 3-7
Answer explanation: In the specified line of Paragraph 3, it is communicated that “then played these recordings to listeners from 24 diverse societies. On average the results were remarkably consistent: worldwide, people’s guesses were correct approximately 60% of the time.” Here, 24 diverse societies refer to a wide range of cultures, results were remarkably consistent which means similar results. Hence, the answer is B ( the similar results produced by a wide range of cultures ). 

4 Answer: B
Question type: Multiple Choice Question
Answer location: Paragraph 4, Line 8-9
Answer explanation: In the specified line of Paragraph 4, it is communicated by the author that, ‘Laughter was recorded as each student took a turn at being by the others, involving the use of mildly insulting nicknames…’ Here, being by the others refers to exchanged roles. Hence, the answer is B ( Participants exchanged roles).

 5 Answer: D
Question type: Multiple Choice Question
Answer location: Paragraph 5, Line 5-9
Answer explanation: In the specified line of Paragraph 5, it is communicated that “Thus, by strategically displaying more dominant laughter when the context allows, low-status…to do a submissive one.”  Here, high-status individuals were rated as high-status whether they produced their natural laugh or tried to do a submissive one, which means that High-status individuals can always be identified by their way of laughing. Hence, the answer is D (High Status Individual ).

6 Answer: F
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 6, Line 6-8
Answer explanation: n Paragraph 6 it is communicated that “The students then were randomly assigned to watch a video clip eliciting either humor, contentment, or neutral feelings…management profession…”
In an experiment examining the influence of emotions on task performance, participants were randomly assigned to watch one of three video categories: a side-splitting Mr. Bean clip to induce humor, a serene scene of dolphins gliding through the ocean to evoke contentment or a neutral, informative video about the management profession. Here, it depicts emotions. Hence, the answer is F(Emotion) 

7 Answer: H
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 7
Answer explanation:In paragraph 7, it is communicated that “The students then completed a task requiring persistence in which they were asked to guess the potential …other two groups.
”When faced with a frustrating task, participants who watched a funny Mr. Bean video exhibited greater persistence. They spent significantly more time working on the task, making twice as many attempts as the other two groups. This suggests that humor can boost motivation and effort. Hence, the answer is H( amusing).

8 Answer: C
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 8,Line 3
Answer explanation: The author says here, “Cheng and Wang then replicated these results in a second study, during which they had participants complete long multiplication questions by hand…either of the other groups.”
Here, participants completed long multiplication questions by hand so participants were asked to perform a particularly boring task, participants who watched the humorous video, completed more questions correctly which means they produced similar results. Hence, the answer is C ( boring).

9 Answer: D
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Final Paragraph, Lines 1-2
Answer explanation: Take a look at lines 1-2 in the final paragraph, “ Although humor has been found to help relieve stress and facilitate social relationships.” In this line it explains that relief is reduced, stress is anxiety and it facilitates social relationship that refer to building social connections. Hence, the answer is D (Anxiety).

10 Answer: E
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Final Paragraph, Lines 1-2
Answer Explanation: In the final paragraph it is communicated that” we suggest that humor is not only enjoyable but more importantly, energizing.”
Here energizing means that it has a stimulating effect on the body and the mind. Hence, the answer is E ( Stimulating ).

11 Answers: Not Given
Question Type: YES/NO/ NOT GIVEN
Answer Location: N.A.
Answer Explanation: The information mentioned in the statement is not found in the passage.

12 Answers: YES
Question Type: YES/NO/ NOT GIVEN
Answer Location: Paragraph 4, Line 9-11
Answer Explanation: In paragraph 4, the author talks about the predicted results of the San Diego study, “ Analysis revealed that, as expected, high-status individuals produced more dominant laughs and fewer submissive laughs relative to the low-status individuals. . .. .”. Here, as expected, refers to as predicted. This means the researchers were correct in their predictions about high-status individuals.

13 Answers: NO
Question Type: YES/NO/NOT GIVEN
Answer Location: Paragraph 7, Line 4-5
Answer Explanation: In the specified line of Paragraph 7 it is communicated that “We find about the task focusing on employee profiles in the Australian National University study in paragraph no. 7. Take a look at lines 4-5 here, “ . .. Participants were allowed to quit the task at any point. .”This means that there was no fixed time to complete the task.

14 Answers: NO
Question Type: YES/NO/NOT GIVEN
Answer Location: Final Paragraph, Line 1-3
Answer Explanation: In the specified line of the final Paragraph it is communicated that “Although humor has been found to help relieve stress and facilitate social relationships….”
Cheng and Wang’s findings challenged the traditional view of task performance. While conventional wisdom suggests focusing solely on the task at hand and avoiding distractions like humor, their research found that humor can help relieve stress and build social connections.

Tips to Solve the Question Types in the Having a Laugh Reading Answers 

Since now you know the answers to the Having a Laugh Reading Answers with explanation, let us check out some quick tips to answer the three types of questions in the Reading of Having a laugh.

Multiple Choice Questions

You will be given a reading passage followed by several questions. Your task is to understand the question and to select the best solution from the available possibilities.

• Before reading the passage, read the question and select the keywords. Check the keyword possibilities if the question statement is short on information.
• Then, using the keywords, read the passage to find the relevant information.
• To select the correct option, carefully read the relevant words and match them with each option.
• You will find several options with keywords that do not correspond to the information.
• Try opting for the elimination method mostly.
• Find the best option by matching the meaning rather than just the keywords.

Summary Completion 

Some tips to answer the questions and obtain a high band in the IELTS examination are given below:

• Try predicting the answers even before you glance at the given options.This will assist you find the correct answer.
• Find out whether the gap has to be filled with an adverb, adjective, noun or verb. If your sentence is grammatically wrong, you would have selected the wrong answer.
• Find synonyms as well as paraphrases in the text instead of words that seem directly matching.
• Don’t spend a lot of time looking for an answer to just one question. If you are unable to find it, move on to the next. Focus more on the easy answers.
  Normally, the answers would come in the similar order as that of the questions.
• If you have received a list of words, try to think about those that cannot be correct as per their grammar or meaning. Then, you can remove these words.

Yes/No/Not Given:

Yes/No/Not Given questions are a type of IELTS Reading question that requires you to identify whether a statement is true, false, or not given in the passage.

To answer this type of question, you can use the following strategies:

• Before reading the material, have a look at your list of  Yes/No/Not Given questions.
• Scan the passage for synonyms or paraphrased words of the keywords. When you have highlighted the keywords, swiftly read the text to look for paraphrases or synonyms.
• Match the highlighted words in the questions with their synonyms in the text. Once you find both sets of keywords, cross-check them to find the answer.
•  If the facts match, the answer is correct so it would be yes, and in case it doesn’t match, it is No. If you are unable to find the answer or unsure of it, mark it NOT GIVEN.

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