Laughter 40 is the best medicine, so why not give yourself a treat?
答案：(D) really
語意「笑真的是最好的良藥」，really（真的）加強語氣；hardly（幾乎不，語意相反）、kindly（親切地）、rarely（很少，語意相反）都不合。
本題大考中心未公布逐題答對率，以下不談數據，只談觀念。
四個選項都是 -ly 結尾的副詞，長得很像，而 hardly 與 hard、rarely 與 rare 又容易讓人以為只是「程度」的差別。這一格有一招可以不必細想就砍掉一半。
四個選項都是副詞，可見這一格考的是語氣。先用一招快速排除：hardly（幾乎不）與 rarely（很少）意思幾乎相同，四選一只能有一個答案，意思相同的兩個選項不可能同時對，看到就可以一起砍掉，不必回頭讀句子（同一招：95 年第 29 題、91 年第 27 題、90 年第 23 題、88 年第 36 題）。剩下 kindly（親切地）與 really（真的）：整篇從頭到尾都在講笑對健康的好處，最後一句 Laughter ___ is the best medicine（笑……是最好的良藥）是總結，要的是肯定與加強的語氣，所以填 really。順帶提醒：hardly 是否定副詞，填進去會變成「笑幾乎不是最好的良藥」，把整篇的論點推翻，方向完全相反。
hardly（幾乎不）、rarely（很少）：兩者都是否定副詞，與整段正面的論述矛盾；而且意思相近，依上面那一招可以一起排除。kindly（親切地）：形容態度和善，與「是不是最好的良藥」無關。
Laughter is the best medicine.（笑是最好的良藥）、really（真的、確實）、hardly（幾乎不）、rarely（很少）、give oneself a treat（犒賞自己）、have a good laugh（好好笑一場）。
Perhaps most of us are familiar with the saying "Laugh and the world 31 with you, weep and you weep alone."32 did you know that according to recent research, people are losing the art of laughter and it could have a 33 effect on our health? In 1930 we laughed on average for 19 minutes each day, but by 1980 it 34 to six minutes. Children, 35 , can see the funny side of things more often and may laugh up to 400 times a day.
By exhaling air from the lungs in short 36 of laughter, breathing is quickened and heartbeats increased, which achieves 37 good as ten minutes on an exercise bike. Laughter, too, has a beneficial effect on our immune system, 38 the production of white blood cells and increasing our resistance to infection.39 makes a difference to our appearance, too, when we relax our facial muscles!
Laughter 40 is the best medicine, so why not give yourself a treat? Have a good laugh today--and feel better for it.