Here's a simple question—answer it honestly, because your response could promote the level of pleasure in your daily life, put off dementia (痴呆), and even help you live longer. How many hours did you spend reading last week?
Recently, when researcher Mathew P. White and his workmates at the Yale School of Public Health dug into 12 years of information about the reading habits and health of more than 3,600 men and women, a hopeful pattern became known. Book readers who report more than three hours of weekly reading are 23 percent less likely to die than those who read only newspapers or magazines.
To understand why and what each of us can do to get the most out of our words, start by asking the same question the Yale team did. What is it about reading books that increases our brain power while reading newspapers doesn't?
For one, the researchers suggest that chapter books encourage "deep reading". Unlike，say, going through a page of headlines, reading a book forces your brain to think creatively and make connections from one chapter to another, and to the outside world. When you make connections, so does your brain. Over time, these neural (神经的) networks can promote quicker thinking, which provides greater protection against dementia.
Secondly, reading books, especially novels, has been confirmed to increase empathy (共鸣) and emotional intelligence. Developing social tools such as empathy and emotional intelligence can lead to more and more positive human interaction, which in turn can lower stress levels—both of which are proven to help you live longer and healthier.
That's not to say that magazines, newspapers, and online articles are of no benefit. Reading anything that fills your mind seems to bring about mental benefits. When it comes to words, addiction is encouraged. Because it pays to increase your word power—today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life.
