the-benefits-of-reading.doc

B09711 陈雪萌 NO.22
The Benefits of Reading
As Francis Bacon said, “Histories make men wise, poets witty, the mathematics subtle, natural philosophy deep, moral grave, logic and rhetoric able to contend.” That is to say, we get a variety of benefits from different kinds of books. In my opinion, reading mainly brings us benefits in the following three aspects.
First, reading can expand our knowledge and broaden our horizons. Except the knowledge we learn from our text books, we can also learn some extra knowledge from reading novels, poems, plays, addresses and so on. From reading different kinds of books, we can experience different kinds of life that we will never live in literal life. We’ll experience the excitement and shock that Shylock Holmes brings us in the detective stories. We’ll feel the deep true love that Yeats gave to the lover in his poem When You Are Old. Also we’ll appreciate the appealing plots and actor’s lines in Shakespeare’s plays. We will hear Lincoln’s great words in The Gettysburg Address that the government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish form the world.
Second, you can get mental encouragement from reading and improve yourself in all aspects. For instance, the stories of well-known people in books help turn an aimless person into an ambitious one。We can learn the lofty characters from the authors of the protagonists. If the daily troubles make you feel desperate, then you will be mentally stroke and encouraged by reading how famous people such as Beethoven made miracles in the face of insurmountable difficulties. Books are a great source of mental encouragement, which gives you motives to move forward.
Finally, reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our joy when we are in high spirits, and lessens our sorrow when we are discouraged. Reading will always bring us enjoyment and satisfaction. Good books also serve as gentle companions or faithful friends that will never betray us. While reading, we don’t feel lonely. Books are ready to give us whatever we need such as knowledge, friendship and encouragement.
As Descartes said, “the reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest men of past centuries.” Reading can undoubtedly make us become gracious. It eliminates the evil ideas that exist in our mind. It purifies our mind and guides our way. And reading something new can constantly enrich and refresh our knowledge.