Online Class Notes (Vicki)

Recommend a book to me

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.

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.

Vocabulary

bury (v.) – 埋藏
i.e. She always buries herself in the books.

gripping (adj.) – makes people nervous and excited 扣人心弦的
i.e. I love to read gripping love stories.

biography (n.) – 人物传记
i.e. I am reading the biography of the president.

switch off (v.) – to change
i.e. When I go home everyday, I switch off to a more comfortable mood.

distraction (n.) – something that keeps us away from our focus 干扰
i.e. When I work from home, my cat is a distraction.

distract (v.) – pull away focus
i.e. I don’t mean to distract you but I need your help.

prescribe (v.) – when a doctor advise the patient with medicine 开处方
i.e. My doctor prescribed me with some medicine.

remedy (n.) – solution 方案
i.e. I am trying an at home remedy for headache.

broaden (v.) – to expand
i.e. I want to travel the world so I can broaden my views.

novel (n.) – 小说
i.e. I like to read novels instead of biography.

empathize (v.) – to feel the same emotion as others 共情
i.e. I always empathize with someone who has had a lot of trouble.

charity (n.) – 慈善

tackle (v.) – to focus on one problem and to solve it 针对解决
i.e. In my business plan, it will tackle the two most difficult problems.

depression (n.) – mental disease that makes you sad all the time 抑郁症
i.e. My friend has depression and she needs to go see a doctor.

dementia (n.) – old people don’t recognize their reality 老年痴呆
i.e. My grandma has dementia and she doesn’t recognize me anymore.

chronic (adj.) – the disease is slow and will last for a long time 慢性的
i.e. I have a chronic disease that needs a lot of attention.

acute (adj.) – 急性的
i.e. She has an acute heart attack.