Cambridge 15 | Test 2 | Passage 3

Having a laugh

Humans start developing a sense of humor 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 humor provide psychological scientists with rich resources for studying human psychology, ranging from the development of language to the neuroscience of social perception.

sense of humor (noun phrase)

a personality that gives someone the ability to say funny things and see the funny side of things

e.g., Having a similar sense of humor is one of the pillars of friendship.

universal (adjective)

/ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsl/

involving everyone in the world or in a particular group

e.g., These stories have universal appeal.

perception (noun) [uncountable]

/pərˈsepʃn/

the way you notice things, especially with the senses

e.g., Everyone's perception of reality is slightly different.