【推荐1】You know you have to read "between the lines" to get the most out of anything. I want to tell you something important during your reading.

You shouldn’t mark a book which isn’t yours.           1    If you think it useful to mark books, you will have to buy them.

There are two ways in which one can own a book. The first is to get the right by paying for it, just as you pay for clothes and furniture. But full ownership comes only when you have made it a part of yourself.    2    

There are three kinds of book   owners. The first has all the best sellers -- unread and untouched. The second has a great many books.    3    The third has a few dog-eared (翻折的) books, which are marked from front to back.

Why is marking a book necessary? First, it keeps you awake. In the second place, reading is thinking.

    4    The marked book is usually the thought-through book. Finally, writing helps you remember the thoughts you had, or the thoughts the writer expressed.

If reading is to learn anything more than passing time, it must be active. The book you read for pleasure can be read in a state of relaxation and nothing is lost. But for a great book, rich in ideas, reading must be active.     5     You should come up with an understanding of what you have read.

【推荐2】Ask any readers who their favorite fictional character in a novel is and you’ll likely get a detailed explanation about the beloved character that they admire. It might even sound like they’re talking about a person they know.

In a study, researchers looked at the brains of a group of people over nine days. Half of the group read the novel Pompeii, and half didn’t. After examining, researchers found the readers’ brains showed heightened connectivity in some areas. This is likely because the brain imagines the movement and emotions of the character they read about in the book. Even though the participants were then asked not to read the novel, they kept this heightened connectivity. We call that a “shadow activity”, almost like a muscle memory. So even after you’ve finished a book, your brain keeps those benefits for some time afterwards.

It has been suggested that people who read a lot of fiction become more empathic (移情的), because fiction is a simulation (模拟) of social experiences, in which people practice and improve their interpersonal skills. The people who not only read fiction, but felt a high level of “emotional transportation” while reading—as compared to people who weren’t taken by the story or who read non-fiction—displayed higher levels of empathy when tested. Increase of empathy is important for people because empathy is positively related to creativity, performance at work and cooperative behaviors.

Besides, reading improves “Theory of Mind”. It is “the ability to understand that others have mental states that are different from one’s own.” Of various activities, reading novels has been found to improve this ability, while watching television programs or movies has been found to do just the opposite — a reduced understanding of others and weaker cognitive (认知的) development overall.

Maybe we should put more of a priority on novel-reading. And many readers believe that reading a novel is far better and more meaningful than watching any movie. As David Kidd of the New School study said, “Fiction is not just a simulator of a social experience; it is a social experience.”

Journalist, author and former foreign correspondent (通讯员)Jane Hutcheon knows a thing or two about conversations and in Rebel Talk she draws on her rich experience in the art of guided conversations to help us begin and foster conversations. Rebel Talk looks at ways to: transform poor conversation habits; speak up about problems; generate energy, passion and optimism: stop lecturing and giving uninvited advice; and most importantly, learn by humble listening.

The makings for simple skincare and medicinal home treatments can be found in your own garden or kitchen. From Earth’s recipes employ pure and natural ingredients such as lily and rose and will inspire you to enlarge your herb knowledge. Beautifully photographed, this step-by-step guide explains how to use carrier oils, butters and dried flowers and is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to find a more comprehensive way of life.

Fans of Margaret Atwood, the creator of The Handmaid’s Tale and more than 50 other works of fiction, poetry and essays, will be interested in her collection of essays and occasional pieces from 2004 — 21. Full of wit and wisdom, Atwood focuses on subjects such as the climate crisis, freedom, debt, tech,the rise of Trump and a pandemic. Other topics include: When to offer advice to the young?( only when asked); So what if beauty is only skin deep?

If you like your fiction left-of-center, then this book is for you. Angus Mooney struggles for most of his life, until he meets his wife, marriage celebrant Gracie (whose wedding ceremonies are anything but traditional). Just when things are starting to work out, an old guy with a terminal illness breaks into their house and asks to stay until he dies. When Angus does some research on their “guest”, he wakes up the next day in the “afterlife”.

【推荐1】Many people still remember the magic of Father Christmas from when they were children. As parents, they try to keep that magic alive for their children for as long as they can.

That is why Letters from Father Christmas could be the perfect book for those who regard Christmas as a special time of year. The man who wrote these letters is one of the most famous names in English literature — J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings. The letters were Tolkien’s way of keeping Father Christmas alive for his four children, over a period of more than twenty years.

Every Christmas, an envelope with a North Pole stamp arrived. It was addressed to Tolkien’s children. Who could it be from? The children must have been very excited as they opened it. Inside, they would find a handwritten letter from Father Christmas. The letters were also beautifully illustrated—each must have taken its true author, Tolkien, a long time to complete.

The letters told wonderful stories about Father Christmas’s life and adventures at the North Pole. A regular character in the letters was Polar Bear, who once climbed the North Pole (an actual pole in this case) and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house. In another letter, Father Christmas complained about how he could not stop his helpers playing games with the toys instead of wrapping them up. Interestingly, the letters did not contain the usual warnings to children that they might not receive their presents if they were not good. The letters did, however, change as Tolkien’s children got older：

...but if you find that not many of the things you asked for have come, and not perhaps quite as many as sometimes, remember that this Christmas all over the world here are a terrible number of poor and starving people.

Letters from Father Christmas tells us that as well as enjoying the adventures of Father Christmas, Polar Bear and other characters at the North Pole, we can all share the true spirit of giving at Christmas time. By expressing love for his children in such a special way, Tolkien may indeed have been the real Father Christmas.

【推荐1】Vincent Van Gogh

Born in the Netherlands in 1853, van Gogh led a simple life in a small town until the age of 16. He then left school and joined a company of art business in the larger city. During the next seven years, van Gogh bought and sold paintings in the Netherlands, London, and Paris. He eventually realized that dealing with others’ artwork was not his dream. He soon discovered that his dream was to become an artist himself.

He spent much of his time in learning the basic skills of drawing. He believed that to become a great painter, one must first master the ability to draw. It was only after he was comfortable in this area that he began to use oil paints. That is when van Gogh developed a style for color that made him one of the most respected artists of all time.

Van Gogh’s paintings are amazing representations (代表) of his view of the world. He used his brush and oils to make layers that built the painting until it was almost three-dimensional (三维). This quality makes people want to reach out and touch the painting.

Perhaps one of the most memorable examples of van Gogh’s use of color and brush style is his painting The Starry Night. The sky swirls across the canvas (画布), while the stars glow with unearthly brightness. Each brushstroke (笔画) creates the movement and lights. Under the sky rests a village painted with smaller strokes and finer detail, giving the impression of peace. A large tree in the foreground suggests that the view is enjoyed from the top of a hill, which offers a glimpse of the majesty (庄严) of the night sky. The Starry Night displays the gift of van Gogh’s ability to create a powerful image with simple brush and oils.

Van Gogh spent only the last ten years of his life painting. Yet van Gogh today is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. His influence is strong; many painters mimic his style and use of color. His artwork can be found in museums all over the world.

【推荐2】Martha Graham, born in 1894, was one of the most famous dancers and creators of dance, whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on the modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture. She created almost two hundred dance pieces. She is often called the Mother of Modem Dance.

Earlier in her life, however, Martha did not know that she would become a dancer. At that time, the dancers were looked down on. So Martha’s parents didn’t approve of her desire to dance at the beginning. Until 1916, she began her studies at the newly created Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, where Graham worked very hard to improve her ability to dance because she was considered too old to begin dancing.

In 1936, Graham made her defining work, “Chronicle”, which signaled the beginning of a new era in modern dance. The dance brought serious issues to the stage for the general public in a dramatic manner. Influenced by the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Great Depression that followed, and the Spanish Civil War, it focused on depression and isolation, reflected in the dark nature of both the set and costumes. Graham continued to dance past the age of seventy. Once again, she was met with criticism from people who came to watch her shows. But she didn’t give up. Her last completed ballet was 1990’s Maple Leaf Rag. “A Dancer’s World” is an introduction to Graham and her work. She tells about her dances and her dance group shows some of their methods.

Martha Graham received many awards during her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in nineteen seventy- six. She was the first dancer to receive the country’s highest civilian honor. She died in 1991 at the age of ninety- six. In 1998, Time magazine listed her as the “Dancer of the Century” and as one of the most important people of the twentieth century.

【推荐3】Samuel Osmond is a 19-year-old law student from Cornwall, England. He never studied the piano. However, he can play very difficult musical pieces by musicians such as Chopin and Beethoven just a few minutes after he hears them. He learns a piece of music by listening to it in parts. Then he thinks about the notes in his head. Two years ago, he played his first piece Moonlight Sonata (奏鸣曲) by Beethoven. He surprised everyone around him.

Amazed that he remembered this long and difficult piece of music and played it perfectly, his teachers say Samuel is unbelievable. They say his ability is very rare, but Samuel doesn't even realize that what he can do is special. Samuel wanted to become a lawyer as it was the wish of his parents, but music teachers told him he should study music instead. Now, he studies law and music.

Samuel can't understand why everyone is so surprised. "I grew up with music. My mother played the piano and my father played the guitar. About two years ago, I suddenly decided to start playing the piano, without being able to read music and without having any lessons. It comes easily to me—I hear the notes and can bear them in mind—each and every note," says Samuel.

Recently, Samuel performed a piece during a special event at his college. The piece had more than a thousand notes. The audience was impressed by his amazing performance. He is now learning a piece that is so difficult that many professional pianists can't play it. Samuel says confidently, "It's all about super memory—I guess I have that gift."

However, Samuel's ability to remember things doesn't stop with music. His family says that even when he was a young boy, Samuel heard someone read a story, and then he could retell the story word for word.

Samuel is still only a teenager. He doesn't know what he wants to do in the future. For now, he is just happy to play beautiful music and continue his studies.