The power of books 書籍的力量

在困難時期，書籍如何幫助我們放松，讓我們感覺更有活力？閱讀是緩解現代生活壓力的最好方式之一嗎？本文討論 “閱讀療法”，即通過閱讀改善心理健康。

詞匯：reading 閱讀

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 AYYBLOG 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.

詞匯表

gripping 扣人心弦的，引人入勝的
crime story 犯罪故事
biography 傳記
educational 有教育意義的

broaden the mind 拓寬思路
novel 小說
characters 人物，角色
bibliotherapy 閱讀療法
literature 文學，文學作品
artistic merit 藝術價值
ditch 丟棄
paperback 平裝書
mental health 心裡健康

perspective （思考問題的）角度，觀點
avid reader 書迷
book reviews 書評
library 圖書館
text 文字
hooked 入迷的，上癮的
e-reader 電子閱讀器

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

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. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

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. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

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. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。