The soothing power of books

6 Minute English

语言学习

2020-05-21

6 分钟
PDF

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  • Whoa, six-minute English.

  • From BBClearningenglish.com Hello, this is six-minute English from BBC Learning English.

  • I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Georgina.

  • What type of books do you like to read, Georgina?

  • I love reading crime fiction.

  • You know detective stories by authors like Ruth Rindell or Agatha Christie.

  • Really?

  • Do you find them relaxing?

  • I wouldn't say relaxing exactly, but I get really involved in the story,

  • trying to work out who the murderer is, then finding out on the last page.

  • That's interesting, because today we'll be looking at how books can help us relax and feel more alive during troubled times.

  • We'll be finding out how reading is one of the best ways to find relief from the pressures of modern life.

  • Neil, are you talking about bibliotherapy?

  • Ah, amazing detective skills, Georgina.

  • Bibliography is the prescription of books as a remedy to sickness.

  • It's been around since 2013 when the UK charity Reading Agency published a list of books that doctors could offer to patients tackling topics from depression to dementia to chronic pain.

  • Since then, 1.2 million readers have borrowed the scheme's books from libraries.