If you are reading this article in class, you are probably trying to read it quickly. You have been taught to skim and scan, to look for key words so as to understand the main idea and the important points in the article. Skimming and scanning is a good way when you are taking an exam. But, today, many people skim and scan everything and they have lost the ability to enjoy reading.
Now something called the "slow reading movement" has become popular. The idea is that people should shut off their computers and mobile phones for half an hour or forty-five minutes each day and enjoy the pleasures of reading a good book—slowly! In many cities there are even slow reading clubs where members go to a cafe, sit quietly, drink coffee and just read.
Researchers have found that reading slowly helps people concentrate (专心) and relax. Reading, of course, isn't easy. You have to sit still, for one thing. And it can seem boring when compared to the excitement of playing video games. But, for me, reading has been an enduring (持久的) pleasure in my life. From the age often, when I got my first library card, I've enjoyed thousands of interesting people I would have never met in real life. Reading helped me to understand the world around me. It was an education (教育) in a classroom that had no walls.
In your classroom, you have learned to read "fast". Outside the classroom, you should try to learn to read "slow". You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
