走到世界任何一个国家，不论是在办公室还是在教室里，幽默总能使大家轻松愉快的工作、学习，开心地度过每一天。研究人员调查了快乐的工作环境给人带来的益处有哪些。一起来看看分享幽默的“功效”。
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article
Everybody likes to laugh sometimes, whether at a funny joke, an amusing incident or a hilarious photograph or sound. Comedians who parody well known people always tickle my funny bone! The great thing is that once we've had a good laugh, we feel happier. It would seem therefore, that bringing a bit of humour into more serious situations might be good for us.
Places like a humourless office or a tense classroom could sometimes do with a good dose of laughter. I know that in my workplace, a bit of hilarity can go a long way towards making it a more enjoyable place to spend eight or so hours a day. Seeing the funny side of things can certainly lift our spirits and that in turn can make us feel better about what we're doing.
Maybe we should get inspiration from Steve Carlisle, president of General Motors of Canada. When he walks around the firm's Ontario headquarters he shares his sense of humour to bond with his staff. He says "It can help people feel more relaxed, more comfortable and thus be more effective at what they do." Humour can be used by teachers in the classroom too. It's a good way to break the ice with students and create a more relaxed atmosphere which is good for learning, as long as everyone doesn't spend all their time in hysterics!
But we have to be careful; not everyone laughs at the same things. While some of us may admire a work colleague or fellow student for their clever and well-told joke, others may consider them sarcastic, offensive or just an idiot! According to Professor Schweitzer, from the University of Philadelphia's Wharton School, a worker or boss who successfully uses humour is seen as both confident and competent, which in turn increases his or her status. He says "Being funny is taking a risk, and being risky shows confidence." His study 'Risky Business: When Humour Increases and Decreases Status' also found that someone who tells inappropriate jokes is also seen as confident but they're also regarded as incompetent.
So telling the right jokes in the office or classroom can spread some happiness but if you still think working and studying is no laughing matter, take note of a study published in The Journal of Behavioural and Applied Management in 2006, that found for healthcare workers, emotional exhaustion was significantly lower among those who experienced greater levels of fun at work. And other research has discovered that teams who share more jokes gave more supportive and constructive statements to each other – and that's no joke!
vocabulary
amusing 引人发笑的，好笑的
hilarious [hɪˈleəriəs] （adj.）非常滑稽的
hilarity （n.）欢乐，欢闹
parody 滑稽地模仿
tickle someone’s funny bone 令某人发笑
humourless 缺乏幽默感的
a dose of 一剂...
the funny side （事物）有趣的一面
lift somebody’s spirits 提高某人的兴致
get inspiration from 从...得到灵感
sense of humour 幽默感
bond with 与...亲近，团结
break the ice 打破沉默、冷场
hysterics 狂笑，歇斯底里
sarcastic 讽刺的，挖苦的
offensive 令人不愉快的，讨厌的
competent 有能力的
inappropriate 不恰当的，不合适的
no laughing matter 严肃的事情，不是开玩笑的事
supportive 鼓励的，支持的
constructive 积极的，有用的
taking a risk 冒险
take note of 记下...
exhaustion 精疲力竭
sense of humour 幽默感
lift spirits 提高兴致
in turn 反过来...
make sentences
Everyone was laughing at the comedian, but I didn't find his type of humour very amusing.
The famous actor was arrested at midnight in his underpants – but has since said he sees the funny side of the case of mistaken identity.
I think my boyfriend was being sarcastic when he said I've put on weight; he knows I'm pregnant!
When you want to make new friends, it's a good idea to invite them for coffee to break the ice.
The unfortunate radio presenter was reduced to hysterics by an unfortunate rude slip of the tongue while trying to read the news!
question
True or false: A study found health workers got greater levels of emotional exhaustion when they had fun at work.
answer
False: A study published in The Journal of Behavioural and Applied Management in 2006, that found for healthcare workers, emotional exhaustion was significantly lower among those who experienced greater levels of fun at work.