Reading Material No. 2 - Laughter is the Best Medicine

When was the last time you saw a comedy flick? Sitting through a funny movie seems to be as good for your heart as running through the park, a small study suggests. In a research with healthy young adults, it was found that the participants’ blood flow improved when they watched a movie that made them laugh. In fact, the circulation boost was similar to what has been seen with aerobic exercise, according to findings.

It’s possible that laughing counters the effects that stress hormones can have on blood vessel function. It may also spur the body’s production of a chemical that helps dilate blood vessels. On average, the researchers found, participants’ blood vessel dilation was more than 50 percent better after the comedy than after the depressing film. A number of studies have linked negative emotions, such as major depression and chronic hostility, to poorer heart health. If you want to have a healthy heart, watch funny movies and laugh a lot!

Vocabulary:
1. (movie) flick: n. Slang.  A movie
2. counter: v.   To move or act in opposition to; oppose
3. dilate (dilation):  v.  To become wider or larger; expand (enlargement; expansion)
4. chronic: adj.   Of long duration; continuing; Lasting for a long period of time
5. hostility: n.   A feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action

Questions for talk

1. What caused the blood flow improvement of the healthy young adults who took part in the research?

2. What does laughing fight off?

3. Are you a happy person? Why do you think so?

4. Are you a happy person? Why do you think so?

5. What are the things that make you laugh? Why?

6. Do you agree that staying happy can do a lot of good effects to our health?

7. When was the happiest moment in your life? Why? What happened?

8. Do you often watch movies? What kind of movies do you like to watch? Why?

9. What is your favorite movie? Why?

10. Is there any movie that has affected your life so much? If so, what movie is it? How has it affected you?

11. What makes you sad?

12. What do you think about those people who always feel sad?

13. Have you ever felt depressed?

Reading Material No. 1 - Jobs

Most people in modern society spend more than eight hours a day working, as in Europe a normal working day is eight hours a day. Some are successful in their jobs, but many more are under stress.

Workers are classified into two groups--self-employed and employees. An interesting fact is that self-employed envy the employees, and vice versa. The reason? People tend to exaggerate the other's benefits that they don’t have. Businessmen seem to have greater satisfaction from their jobs than ordinary workers do. They have the power to decide how they would pay themselves. That’s why ordinary workers envy them. But businessmen must take responsibilities for their decisions, and if something goes wrong they may go bankrupt. Every employee has a certain job responsibility, but if he does what is expected from him, then he is usually exempted from bad consequences. He has a stable position too unlike businessmen. 


Who is happier is not the question. The important thing is that people must decide which category they should belong in by evaluating them self honestly.

Questions for talk: 

1. What advantages do businessmen have?

2. What is expected from a worker?

3. What is important when it comes to choosing your category?

4. What is the most important for you when it comes to choosing your job?

5. If you have a job, are you satisfied with the job you have at the moment?

6. For students, what job would you like to have in the future why that kind of job?

7. When do you feel like giving up your job?

8. If you had lots of money would you still work your same job or work in the future?

9. Which job is considered the best job to have in Japan? Why?