As a child, the speaker dreamed of becoming a superhero but soon realized that fictional powers wouldn’t ____ ____ in real life. Instead, they decided to ____ ____ a journey into real science, beginning with a study at UC Berkeley. This research analyzed yearbook photos to see if smiles could predict life outcomes. It turned out that people with a ____ ____ had more ____, long-____ marriages and were often more inspiring to others. A separate study on Major League baseball players even found that those who smiled widely in photos lived longer than those who didn’t. Interestingly, humans are born with the ability to smile. Studies using 3D ultrasound technology show that babies appear to smile in the ____, and even blind babies smile at the sound of human voices. Across cultures, smiles are universally understood as an expression of joy. The ____ researcher Paul Ekman discovered that even an isolated tribe in Papua New Guinea could ____ smiles in the same way as people from Western cultures. Smiling is also deeply connected to human behavior. While most adults smile around 20 times per day, children, who seem to ____ a ____ ____ for happiness, smile ____ ____ 400 times daily. This is because smiling is ____ ____—when we see someone smile, our brain encourages us to ____ it. A Swedish study found that frowning while looking at a smiling face is almost impossible since smiles ____ our ability to control ____ muscles. Further research in France confirmed that ____ smiles helps us recognize ____ emotions. In an experiment, people could accurately judge real and fake smiles—unless their ability to mimic was blocked, which ____ their judgment. Charles Darwin supported this idea in his ____ theory of facial feedback, which suggests that smiling itself can induce happiness. A German study ____ this by using Botox to suppress smiles and measuring changes in the brain. The results showed that smiling positively ____ emotional processing. Smiling also ____ the ____ ____, making us feel as good as eating chocolate—possibly even better! British researchers found that one smile provides the same pleasure as 2,000 chocolate bars or receiving a financial ____ of 25 ____. However, unlike ____ chocolate, smiling has health benefits. It lowers stress hormones, increases ____ chemicals, and even reduces blood pressure. Beyond health, smiling improves how others ____ us. A Penn State study found that people who smile appear more likable, ____, and competent. So, whether you want to feel happier, reduce stress, improve relationships, or simply make a great impression, smiling is a powerful and accessible tool.

ESL Hidden power of smiling summary

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