For many of us, there’s nothing better than burying our head in a good book. Whether it’s a gripping crime story or a biography of someone’s amazing life, it’s good to read a book to switch off from the distractions of everyday life and help us relax. Maybe that’s why some of them are actually being prescribed as a remedy to sickness.
对我们许多人来说，没有什么比埋头读一本好书更好的了。无论是扣人心弦的犯罪故事，还是某人精彩人生的传记，读书是很好的，可以让我们远离日常生活的干扰，帮助我们放松。也许这就是为什么有些药物实际上被作为治疗疾病的药物。
It may seem obvious that reading is good for us. It can be educational, and, as some say, it can ‘broaden the mind’. A good novel can make us happy or sad, or make us cry as we empathise with characters. The power of books was recognised a few years ago by the British charity Reading Agency, who published a list of books that doctors could offer to patients, tackling topics from depression to dementia to chronic pain. It called this ‘bibliotherapy’ and it’s become so successful that it's about to be extended to children as well.
阅读对我们是有好处的，这似乎是显而易见的。它可以是有教育意义的，正如一些人所说，它可以“开阔思维”。一本好的小说可以让我们开心或悲伤，也可以让我们在对人物感同身受时流泪。几年前，英国慈善机构阅读机构(Reading Agency)就认识到书籍的力量。该机构发布了一份医生可以提供给患者的书籍清单，涉及的话题从抑郁症到痴呆症到慢性疼痛。它被称为“阅读疗法”，它非常成功，即将推广到儿童身上。
Professor Philip Davis studies the effects of literature at Liverpool University and is author of a book called Reading for Life. He studies people in reading groups and found that it’s reading literature – written work thought to have artistic merit, that has the best effect. He told the BBC that when reading something for pleasure, “…the brain begins to work from different parts, from a different hemisphere and it gets excited, it gets pre-emotional – and you can see the brain coming to life.”
菲利普·戴维斯教授在利物浦大学研究文学的影响，他是《为生活而阅读》一书的作者。他对阅读小组中的人进行了研究，发现阅读文学作品——被认为具有艺术价值的书面作品——效果最好。他告诉英国广播公司，当以阅读为乐趣时，“大脑开始从不同的部分，从不同的半球工作，它变得兴奋，它进入前情绪状态——你可以看到大脑变得活跃起来。”
Of course, it’s easy in our smartphone generation to ditch a good book and fiddle with our phones instead. But opening up a paperback could be a simple way to help boost or maintain our mental health. It's thought they can help you set targets and find focus. And they may allow you to see that awkward situation you've been anxious about for weeks from someone else's perspective.
当然，在智能手机时代，我们很容易放弃一本好书，转而摆弄我们的手机。但打开一本平装书可能是一种帮助促进或维持我们心理健康的简单方法。人们认为它们可以帮助你设定目标和找到重点。他们可能会让你从别人的角度看待你已经焦虑了几个星期的尴尬情况。
If you’re not an avid reader it can be hard to know where to begin. If the Reading Agency book list doesn’t appeal, you could to read book reviews, visit a library or bookshop or ask a friend. Once you’ve found the right text, you’ll be hooked! And if you still love your technology, you could always use an e-reader.
如果你不是一个狂热的读者，你可能很难知道从哪里开始。如果阅读机构列出的书单对你没有吸引力，你可以阅读书评，去图书馆、书店或向朋友求助。一旦你找到了正确的文本，你就会被吸引!如果你仍然热爱你的科技，你可以一直使用电子阅读器。
词汇表gripping 扣人心弦的，引人入胜的crime story 犯罪故事biography 传记educational 有教育意义的broaden the mind 拓宽思路novel 小说characters 人物，角色bibliotherapy 阅读疗法literature 文学，文学作品artistic merit 艺术价值ditch 丢弃paperback 平装书mental health 心里健康perspective （思考问题的）角度，观点avid reader 书迷book reviews 书评library 图书馆text 文字hooked 入迷的，上瘾的e-reader 电子阅读器
测验与练习1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. How might being prescribed a book to read help someone?
2. True or false? Bibliotherapy is only available for children.
3. According to Professor Philip Davis, reading what type of material is best for improving mental health?
4. Name one place where you could get advice on what book to read.
5. According to the article, how can reading a book help with anxiety?
2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1.The latest action movie is really _______, I’m going to see it again!
gripped gripping grippled griping
2. I like reading anything but especially _______ because I like to learn about other people’s lives.
paperbacks biographies literature novels
3. According to the _______, the new series of Doctor Who is going to be the best ever!
perspective text artistic merit reviews
4. I am an _______ sports fan so I’ll watch anything that gets shown on TV!
avid distracted novel focussed
5. My dad said that going to university would help me _______, but I’m not so sure!
broaden the mind broad the mind broad mind mind broaden
答案1. 阅读课文并回答问题。
1. How might being prescribed a book to read help someone?It helps remedy sickness and can improve your mental health.
2. True or false? Bibliotherapy is only available for children.False. Bibliotherapy has become so successful that it's about to be extended to children as well.
3. According to Professor Philip Davis, reading what type of material is best for improving mental health?Professor Philip Davis’s research found that it’s reading literature that has the best effect.
4. Name one place where you could get advice on what book to read.You could read book reviews, visit a library or bookshop, or ask a friend.
5. According to the article, how can reading a book help with anxiety?They may allow you to see the awkward situation you've been anxious about for weeks from someone else's perspective.
2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。
1. The latest action movie is really gripping, I’m going to see it again!
2. I like reading anything but especially biographies because I like to learn about other people’s lives.
3. According to the reviews, the new series of Doctor Who is going to be the best ever!
4. I am an avid sports fan so I’ll watch anything that gets shown on TV!
5. My dad said that going to university would help me broaden the mind, but I’m not so sure!
,
