lift raisebland tickled ridiculeddeliver least stop pause overdoexaggerate offends receiver hogA joke can cause great amusement and 1)________the mood of the gathering. A speaker who puts some relevant and well-told jokes into his or her speech will be appreciated by the audience who are often bored with 2)________presentations and are crying out for a little entertainment.Here are some tips on how to tell a good joke:1. Select. Choose three or four jokes that really 3)________you from the internet or a joke book. If you are giving a talk or presentation, look for ones that have some relevance so that you can work them into talk. Have one or two generic or topical ones that you can use on any occasion.2. Practise. Practise them aloud in front of a mirror if possible. 4)________them with style, confidence and panache. Focus on the punch line and ensure that you can deliver it perfect.3. Choose your moment. If there is a convenient hook in the conversation for one of your jokes you can introduce it then. Otherwise wait for a pause. Sometimes the most amusing jokes occur when people 5)________expect the teller to tell a joke. So, if appropriate, be serious as you introduce the story and then catch your audience out with the punch line.4. Deliver slowly and with confidence. Many people ruin jokes by rushing them. Slow down a little. Try to 6)________for effect before you deliver the punch line. That can add enormously to the impact.5. Match the joke to the audience. Jokes often challenge taboos so it is OK to risk a tiny amount of offence to one or two people. But if your jokes seriously 7)________people then you were guilty of misjudgment. Choose wisely.6. Reciprocate. Never finish anyone else’s joke. Always laugh or smile even if you have heard it before. Be a good joke teller and 8)________.7. Develop. As you build experience and confidence, try more and different jokes. But don't 9)________it. Don't hogthe conversation with one joke after another. A few really good jokes that you can tell with perfect confidence is the aim.Finally, have some one-liners to throw in from time to time. Here are a couple to get you going:* Velcro—what a rip-off!* 'Shut up!' my father explained.Funny jokes make the world a more interesting place. Enjoy your joke telling!