Underline the word with a prefix in each sentence and write the definition of the word.

Using prefixes: un- / in- / im- / ir-A prefix is a group of letters that you can add to the beginning of a word to make a new word. Prefixes such as un-, in-, im- and ir- all mean not. They are used to change a word to its negative meaning.

un + tidy = untidy (not tidy)

im + personal = impersonal (not personal)

1 It is an informal event so don’t wear a tie tonight.

2 We are unfamiliar with this new TV show.

3 The actor spoke so fast that it was impossible to understand him.

4 It was very irresponsible of you to leave trash on the floor.

not formal

What things make you laugh? Discuss your answers.

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The Best Medicine

2

Read the passage.

Find words from the passage to match the definitions.

Word BoosterGo to page 5 and learn the words. Then do the activities on page 6.

1 not happy

2 not the same as

3 not good for your body

4 not thinking of other people’s feelings

Most people love to laugh. It is natural for humans to laugh when something amuses them. And do you know laughing is also good for your health? That’s right, it’s good for your body! When people are unhappy or under stress, their bodies suffer. Many doctors believe there is a link between heart attacks and high levels of stress. Also some studies prove that laughing can reduce stress levels. So the old saying that “laughter is the best medicine” is true!

What should you do with this information? First, think about how often you laugh. Unlike doing exercise, people usually don’t decide when to laugh. We laugh whenever we are amused by something funny. We might not even notice if we have not laughed for a while, especially during exams or other times of stress. It is an unhealthy situation! So thinking about how often you laugh is a good measure of your stress levels.

Second, try to laugh more. Laughing will lift your spirits when you are feeling down. And if you can laugh when things are difficult, you will develop a positive attitude toward problems. This will help you solve problems without feeling stressed.

But of course there are times when it is impolite to laugh. You should never laugh when it will hurt other people’s feelings. This kind of laughter could harm your social life.

Go to page 5 and learn the words.

Word Booster

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Match each prefix to the correct word and sentence.

Complete the tables using the words given. Write new words on page 7 of your Word Booster.

Polite

annoy apologize appreciate bother bow discuss interrupt irritate patient push request respect rude shout swear thank

Impolite

1 friendly

patient

correct

regular

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Sally can’t wait any longer. She is very .

My dad has to work hours in his job.

I think Jack is . He never says hello to us.

If your answer is , you can try again.

•

•

•

•

im-

ir-

un-

in-

•

•

•

•

4

3

2

patient shout

Not all words that start with un-, in-, im and ir- carry the meaning of not. For example, uncle, inform, important and irritate.

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3

Listen and complete the passage.

Work with a classmate. Discuss what Daniel and Sally find funny and how their families are similar and different.

Hi, my name is Daniel. Everyone in my family loves

(1) . None of us are serious people.

We love watching movies that (2)

us. We also enjoy hearing (3) . My

brother is a (4) joke teller. He knows many jokes and it’s not an

effort for him to make people laugh. He wants to be an actor one day. I’m not good at

telling jokes, but I’m good at pulling faces! I want to work in a (5)

as a clown. I’ll pull funny faces and do (6) things like pretending to

be an animal or a robot. I think it’s great to make people happy.

I’m Sally and I love laughing. But not everyone in my family

has the same sense of (1) . My brother is

a serious person. He is studying to be a doctor. When he isn’t

studying, he likes to relax by watching (2) movies. My parents, on the

other hand, do not find funny movies (3) . Instead, they think telling

jokes can really (4) their spirits. I like both funny movies and jokes,

but the thing that really makes me (5) a lot is reading comic books.

One day I want to (6) my own comic book! The main character will

be a cat named Indy who thinks he’s a mouse!

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Complete the passage using the words given. Then listen and check your answers.

lift publish amusing humor laugh funny

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