正文
Reading is good for more than just entertainment.
閱讀的好處不僅在於娛樂消遣。
Committing part of everyday to reading books can make you a smarter, kinder, more relaxed individual.
每天花一些時間來讀書可以使你成爲一個更聰明、更友善、更放鬆的人。
And the positive effects can be felt at any age:
這樣積極的效果不論是哪個年齡段的人都能感受到：
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.
即使是孩子們在充分開發自己的閱讀技巧之前，仍然可以通過接觸閱讀材料和經常聽大人給他們讀故事書而獲得益處。
Exposing kids to books, magazines, and more at an early age is a great way to encourage them to be life-long readers,
讓孩子們從小就接觸書籍、雜誌等閱讀材料，是一個鼓勵他們成爲終身閱讀者的好方法，
which means they'll reap these benefits for years to come.
這意味着他們在將來的日子裏會一直收穫這些益處。
1. Reading Can Boost Intelligence
1. 閱讀能促進智力發展
People who exhibit strong reading skills early in life grow up to be more intelligent.
在童年時期展現出很強閱讀技能的人，長大之後會更加聰明。
That was the finding of a study published in 2014 that measured the cognitive development of 1,890 sets of identical twins.
這是2014年發表的一項研究的發現，該研究比較了1890對同卵雙胞胎的認知發展。
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).
當一對雙胞胎享有相同基因和家庭環境時，早期閱讀技巧似乎是決定雙胞胎中哪一個在語言測試（如詞彙）和非語言測試（如推理）中會表現更好的因素。
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.
因爲閱讀能力是可以習得的，所以研究的作者總結道，培養孩子們強大的閱讀能力應該得到更多重視。
2. Reading Helps Increase Empathy
2. 閱讀能幫助提升同理心
Reading books doesn't just make you smarter — it can make you a kinder person as well.
閱讀不僅僅使你變得更聰明——它也可以讓你成爲一個更善良的人。
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年發表的一項研究表明，閱讀文學小說的人更容易在情感上感知他人，併產生認同。
This effect likely has something to do with the way such books are written:
這種現象可能與這種書籍的寫作方式有關：
Great literature forces readers to step outside themselves and empathize with the characters they're reading about.
優秀的文學作品迫使讀者走出自我，並與自己閱讀的人物產生共鳴。
3. Reading Can Lower Stress
3. 閱讀可以降低壓力
Feel stressed at the end of a long day? Cracking open a book is a good way to wind down.
在漫長的一天之後感到壓力很大？打開一本書是讓你放鬆下來的好辦法。
A 2009 study found that reading for just 30 minutes has similar stress-reducing effects to doing 30 minutes of yoga.
2009年的一項研究發現，閱讀30分鐘與做30分鐘瑜伽有同樣的減壓效果。
4. Reading May Change Your Brain
4. 閱讀可能會改變你的頭腦
Even after you put down a book, the effects of reading it are still present in your brain.
即使是在你放下書籍之後，閱讀的影響也仍會展現在你的大腦中。
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年的一項研究發現，當人們閱讀具有強烈敘事與激烈情節的小說時，他們的大腦會在接下來的幾個小時甚至幾天裏持續表現異常。
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.
讀者的左腦顳葉展現出連通性——這一區域負責語言接受能力——即使是他們停止閱讀幾個小時之後。
This suggests that reading can train the mind and boost neural function through a process that's similar to muscle memory.
這說明閱讀可以鍛鍊大腦，並且通過與肌肉記憶相類似的過程促進神經功能的發展。
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