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Nowadays few of us read very much after we leave school or university. This tendency is rather worrying. As is vividly shown in the drawing above, a book is lying open above grass and beautiful flowers. Beside some sunflowers which are surrounded by lovely butterflies, there is a caption which says: "Reading".
From reading we can derive company, experiences and instruction. First and foremost, a good book is our faithful friend. Reading can increase our contentment when we are cheerful and happy, and can lessen our pain when we are sad or lonely. Furthermore, few of us can travel far from home or live over 100, but all of us can savor a wide range of experiences through reading. We may join tourists in marveling at the incredible forces of Niagara Falls, take a stroll along the boulevards in Paris and experience the bitterness or joy of people in different lands and in different historical periods. Last but not least, reading can increase our knowledge and skills, broaden our horizons and make us wise.
Though with the popularity of television, cell phones and computers, books are no longer read as they once were, nothing can replace the role that reading plays in our lives.
如今我們中很少有人離開學(xué)校后還經(jīng)常讀書。這種傾向著實(shí)令人擔(dān)憂。上圖生動地顯示,一本打開的書平放在草和美麗的花兒上面。幾株向日葵被可愛的蝴蝶環(huán)繞,旁邊的說明文字顯示:"讀書"。
從讀書中我們可以得到陪伴、豐富經(jīng)歷、受到教益。首先,好書是我們忠實(shí)的朋友。當(dāng)我們高興和幸福時(shí),讀書能增強(qiáng)我們的滿足感;當(dāng)我們傷心或孤獨(dú)時(shí),讀書能減輕我們的痛苦。其次,我們中很少有人能到離家很遠(yuǎn)的地方去旅游,或能活過100歲,但我們所有人都能通過讀書充分體味多種經(jīng)歷。我們可以和游客一起贊嘆尼亞加拉大瀑布的驚人威力,可以漫步在巴黎的林蔭大道上,還可以體會到不同歷史時(shí)期、不同國土上的人民的酸甜苦辣。最后同樣重要的是,讀書能增進(jìn)知識、提高技能、開闊眼界、使人睿智。
雖然隨著電視、手機(jī)和電腦的普及,人們讀的書沒有以前多了,但什么也不能取代讀書在我們生活中的作用。
道長點(diǎn)評
國內(nèi)英語考試的寫作題考過多次"讀書"的話題,如1991年英語專業(yè)四級的My View on Reading Extensively(我對廣泛閱讀的看法)、1999年6月四級的Reading Selectively or Extensively(有選擇閱讀還是博覽群書)等。2012年莫言成為首個(gè)獲得諾貝爾文學(xué)獎的中國作家,掀起了全國范圍的讀書熱,希望考生引起重視。
tendency 趨勢
worrying 令人擔(dān)憂的
vividly 生動地
sunflower 向日葵
surround 包圍
incredible 難以置信的
force 自然力
Niagara Falls 尼亞加拉大瀑布
butterfly 蝴蝶
derive 獲得
company 陪伴
experience 經(jīng)歷
instruction 知識,教導(dǎo)
stroll 散步
boulevard 林蔭大道
bitterness 苦,辛酸
historical period 歷史時(shí)期
faithful 忠實(shí)的
contentment 滿足
cheerful 快樂的
lessen 減輕
marvel at 大為贊嘆
last but not least 最后同樣重要的是
wise 明智的
replace 代替
1 Reading can help people to relax and unwind.
讀書可以幫助人們放松。
2 Whether you are reading a book in your native tongue or a foreign language, you can always enhance your language skills.
無論你正在看的書是母語寫的還是外語寫的,你總是能提高自己的語言技能。