Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle viewed laughter as "a bodily exercise precious to heal
【B6】______, instead of straining muscles to build them, as exercise does, laughter apparently accomplishes the【B7】______. Studies dating back to the 1930's indicate that laughter【B8】______muscles, decreasing muscle tone for up to 45 minutes after the laugh dies down.
Such bodily reaction might conceivably help【B9】______the effects of psychological stress. Anyway, the act of laughing probably does produce other types of【B10】______feedback that improve an individual's emotional state.【B11】______one classical theory of emotion, our feelings are partially rooted【B12】______physical reactions. It was argued at the end of the 19th century that humans do not cry【B13】______they are sad but that they become sad when the tears begin to flow.
Although sadness also【B14】______tears, evidence suggests that emotions can flow【B15】______muscular responses. In an experiment published in 1988, social psychologist Fritz Strack of the University of Würzburg in Germany asked volunteers to【B16】______a pen either with their teeththereby creating an artificial smileor with their lips, which would produce a(n)【B17】______expression. Those forced to exercise their smiling muscles【B18】______more enthusiastically to funny cartoons than did those whose mouths were contracted in a frown,【B19】______that expressions may influence emotions rather than just the other way a-round.【B20】______, the physical act of laughter could improve mood.
【B1】
A.among
B.except
C.despite
D.like