VIP Class Notes (Vicki)

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.

Vocabulary

bury – 埋
i.e. I want to bury this book.

gripping (adj.) – excited and nervous
i.e I like to read gripping detective story.

biography – 人物传记
i.e. I just read a biography of Chairman Mao.

distraction – 干扰
i.e. Our phones are big distractions for us.

prescribe (v.)- 处方
i.e. My doctor prescribed a medicine that I don’t want to take.

prescription (n.) – 处方
i.e. This medicine needs a prescription.

remedy (n.)- solution
i.e. There are many at home remedies we can try.

broaden (v.) – expand
i.e. I want to broaden my views.

empathize (v.) – feel the same emotions with others
i.e. You empathize with me about my face.

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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.”

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.

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.