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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.

如今我们中很少有人离开学校后还经常读书。这种倾向着实令人担忧。上图生动地显示，一本打开的书平放在草和美丽的花儿上面。几株向日葵被可爱的蝴蝶环绕，旁边的说明文字显示："读书"。

从读书中我们可以得到陪伴、丰富经历、受到教益。首先，好书是我们忠实的朋友。当我们高兴和幸福时，读书能增强我们的满足感;当我们伤心或孤独时，读书能减轻我们的痛苦。其次，我们中很少有人能到离家很远的地方去旅游，或能活过100岁，但我们所有人都能通过读书充分体味多种经历。我们可以和游客一起赞叹尼亚加拉大瀑布的惊人威力，可以漫步在巴黎的林荫大道上，还可以体会到不同历史时期、不同国土上的人民的酸甜苦辣。最后同样重要的是，读书能增进知识、提高技能、开阔眼界、使人睿智。

虽然随着电视、手机和电脑的普及，人们读的书没有以前多了，但什么也不能取代读书在我们生活中的作用。

道长点评

国内英语考试的写作题考过多次"读书"的话题，如1991年英语专业四级的My View on Reading Extensively(我对广泛阅读的看法)、1999年6月四级的Reading Selectively or Extensively(有选择阅读还是博览群书)等。2012年莫言成为首个获得诺贝尔文学奖的中国作家，掀起了全国范围的读书热，希望考生引起重视。

tendency 趋势

worrying 令人担忧的

vividly 生动地

sunflower 向日葵

surround 包围

incredible 难以置信的

force 自然力

Niagara Falls 尼亚加拉大瀑布

butterfly 蝴蝶

derive 获得

company 陪伴

experience 经历

instruction 知识，教导

stroll 散步

boulevard 林荫大道

bitterness 苦，辛酸

historical period 历史时期

faithful 忠实的

contentment 满足

cheerful 快乐的

lessen 减轻

marvel at 大为赞叹

last but not least 最后同样重要的是

wise 明智的

replace 代替

1　Reading can help people to relax and unwind.

读书可以帮助人们放松。

2　Whether you are reading a book in your native tongue or a foreign language, you can always enhance your language skills.

无论你正在看的书是母语写的还是外语写的，你总是能提高自己的语言技能。