1 . Reading is not just an important professional skill. It is also a way to enjoy informative, creative, and inspiring works of literature that enrich our life experiences. Like any skill worth mastering, a reading habit requires time to develop.     1    

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When you read, read for the main idea of each paragraph, along with its supporting reasons. When you are building up reading skills, it can be helpful to read with a pencil in hand to take notes or underline the key idea of each paragraph.

Look up unfamiliar words

It is quite normal to meet with some unfamiliar words when reading. Merriam Webster online is a wonderful and thorough resource for defining unfamiliar words.     3     When you reach a good stopping point, return to each word and look it up, re-reading the sentence it appeared in. This helps understand the word and its usage in case there are different meanings.

Become familiar with literary devices

Particularly if you are a fan of novels and short stories, becoming familiar with common literary tools like metaphor, simile, parallel structure and personification is an important part being a better reader.     4    

Don’t rush

Reading for learning and enjoyment is never a sprint (冲刺). Instead, take your time, advance your skills and their development at your own pace.     5     Each day, as you read, your mind will take the reading skills it learned before and apply them again, often with greater efficiency.