VIP Class Notes (Vicki)

Homework

Recommend a book to me

Reading

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.

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.

Vocabulary

hooked – addicted
i.e. I am hooked on chocolate.

avid reader – book worm, someone who loves to read books
i.e. He is a very avid reader.

ditch (v.) – to get rid of 扔掉/放鸽子
i.e. My sister ditched me today.

fiddle (v.) – to play
i.e. I like to fiddle with my iPad.

paperback – paper cover
i.e. Paperbacks are much cheaper than hardcovers.

perspective (n.) – angle; aspect
i.e. From my perspective, I think he is wrong.

literature – 文学
i.e. I studied art and literature in college.

author – the writer of a book
i.e. He is the author of the book.

merit – value
i.e. I deserve some merit for doing nice things.

hemisphere – sides of the brain
i.e. Our right brain hemisphere controls our creativity.

therapy – special kind of treatment for mental conditions
i.e. She needs to go to therapy for her depression.

bibliography – 参考文献
i.e. I have written my paper but have not yet finished my bibliography.

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

empathize (v.) – to feel the same emotions as others
i.e. I really empathize that person who lost his father.

tackle (v.) – focus on one thing and to attack or to solve
i.e. In our plan, we want to tackle the two most difficult problems.

depression (n.) – 抑郁症

dementia (n.) – when old people don’t recognize their reality

chronic (adj.) – 慢性的
i.e. I have a chronic disease that will last forever.

acute (adj.) – 急性的
i.e. I have an acute headache.

gripping (adj.) – makes people nervous and excited
i.e. That was such a gripping story.

crime (n.) – 犯罪
i.e. We need to reduce the crime in the city.

bury (v.) – put under 埋
i.e. I like to bury seashells.

distraction (n.) – something that keeps you away from your focus
i.e. I can’t work in the coffee shop because there are so many distractions.

biography – 人物传记
i.e. I just finished reading the biography of the president.

prescribe (v.) – to order medicine for a patient 处方
i.e. My doctor prescribed me with some drugs.

prescription (n.) – the document that approves the usage of the medicine 处方
i.e. I need a prescription for the special medicine.

remedy (n.) – cure or solution 治疗方案
i.e. There are many at home remedies for headaches.

cure – 根治的方法
i.e. They are looking for a cure of cancer.

motivational/inspirational speech – 鸡汤

impulse – 冲动
i.e. I really controlled the impulse of buying all the books.

insomnia – 失眠
i.e. Reading books is a good remedy for insomnia.