正文
Reading is good for more than just entertainment.
阅读的好处不仅在于娱乐消遣。
Committing part of everyday to reading books can make you a smarter, kinder, more relaxed individual.
每天花一些时间来读书可以使你成为一个更聪明、更友善、更放松的人。
And the positive effects can be felt at any age:
这样积极的效果不论是哪个年龄段的人都能感受到：
Even before they've fully developed their reading skills, kids can benefit from having access to materials and being read to on a regular basis.
即使是孩子们在充分开发自己的阅读技巧之前，仍然可以通过接触阅读材料和经常听大人给他们读故事书而获得益处。
Exposing kids to books, magazines, and more at an early age is a great way to encourage them to be life-long readers,
让孩子们从小就接触书籍、杂志等阅读材料，是一个鼓励他们成为终身阅读者的好方法，
which means they'll reap these benefits for years to come.
这意味着他们在将来的日子里会一直收获这些益处。
1. Reading Can Boost Intelligence
1. 阅读能促进智力发展
People who exhibit strong reading skills early in life grow up to be more intelligent.
在童年时期展现出很强阅读技能的人，长大之后会更加聪明。
That was the finding of a study published in 2014 that measured the cognitive development of 1,890 sets of identical twins.
这是2014年发表的一项研究的发现，该研究比较了1890对同卵双胞胎的认知发展。
When two twins shared the same genes and home environments, early reading skills appeared to be the factor that decided which twin would be better at both verbal tests (like vocabulary) and non-verbal tests (like reasoning tests).
当一对双胞胎享有相同基因和家庭环境时，早期阅读技巧似乎是决定双胞胎中哪一个在语言测试（如词汇）和非语言测试（如推理）中会表现更好的因素。
Because reading ability is something that's learned, the study authors concluded that more emphasis should be placed on teaching strong reading skills to young children.
因为阅读能力是可以习得的，所以研究的作者总结道，培养孩子们强大的阅读能力应该得到更多重视。
2. Reading Helps Increase Empathy
2. 阅读能帮助提升同理心
Reading books doesn't just make you smarter — it can make you a kinder person as well.
阅读不仅仅使你变得更聪明——它也可以让你成为一个更善良的人。
According to a study published in 2013, people who consume literary fiction have an easier time sensing and relating to emotions in other people.
2013年发表的一项研究表明，阅读文学小说的人更容易在情感上感知他人，并产生认同。
This effect likely has something to do with the way such books are written:
这种现象可能与这种书籍的写作方式有关：
Great literature forces readers to step outside themselves and empathize with the characters they're reading about.
优秀的文学作品迫使读者走出自我，并与自己阅读的人物产生共鸣。
3. Reading Can Lower Stress
3. 阅读可以降低压力
Feel stressed at the end of a long day? Cracking open a book is a good way to wind down.
在漫长的一天之后感到压力很大？打开一本书是让你放松下来的好办法。
A 2009 study found that reading for just 30 minutes has similar stress-reducing effects to doing 30 minutes of yoga.
2009年的一项研究发现，阅读30分钟与做30分钟瑜伽有同样的减压效果。
4. Reading May Change Your Brain
4. 阅读可能会改变你的头脑
Even after you put down a book, the effects of reading it are still present in your brain.
即使是在你放下书籍之后，阅读的影响也仍会展现在你的大脑中。
A 2013 study discovered that when people read fiction with a strong narrative and plot, their brains continue to behave differently hours and even days later.
2013年的一项研究发现，当人们阅读具有强烈叙事与激烈情节的小说时，他们的大脑会在接下来的几个小时甚至几天里持续表现异常。
The brains of readers show increased connectivity in the left temporal cortex — the region responsible for language receptivity — even hours after they've stopped reading.
读者的左脑颞叶展现出连通性——这一区域负责语言接受能力——即使是他们停止阅读几个小时之后。
This suggests that reading can train the mind and boost neural function through a process that's similar to muscle memory.
这说明阅读可以锻炼大脑，并且通过与肌肉记忆相类似的过程促进神经功能的发展。
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