The value of books
Deep in the heart of every good book lies the distilled wisdom of centuries. To read it is to become wiser.
Books are written for the benefit and pleasure of all those who like to read them. But they are of various types. There are books for children, as well as for adults. Some books are written for the specialists, some are written for students in the schools and universities, and many are written just for the pleasures of the mind. Indeed, the variety of books is infinite.
One of the reasons for the existence of such a wide variety of books is that the field of knowledge is very extensive. Even to grasp a small part of it one has to read several books for many years. Another reason is that different people have different likes and dislikes. The book that one likes to read, the other may not like. To meet these broad and varying needs of people for information, knowledge, recreation and aesthetic enjoyment, more and more books are being written every year.
Those who aim to specialize in a certain branch of knowledge concentrate more on the books that provide information on their particular field of study. In the libraries and book shops they look mainly for such books. But those who have no particular interest in any subject read and buy all types of books. Sometimes they buy books intended for the specialist, sometimes they buy those written for children. and sometimes if they are preparing for some examination, they buy books which give some information on their examination subjects.
Almost every book extends the knowledge of the reader and develops his intellect as well. Even if the reader does not learn any new facts from the book, he may at least learn a few new words, expressions or ideas. In fact, certain books are written mainly to acquaint the reader with the beauty of language and ideas. They do not deal with facts or actual human experiences. Books of this type provide great pleasure to the mind, and almost everyone who loves reading buys a few of such books. Books have also helped to promote better understanding among the peoples of the world. By reading books. The people of one country have come to know about the achievements of those in other countries.
Thus, books could be regarded as one of the channels of communication among men. Indeed, without books man would not have made so much progress as he has made today. By applying the knowledge that he has gained from books to practical purposes, he has made the world a pleasant place to live in. Civilization therefore owes a great debt to these inanimate things called books.
NEW WORDS:
1. distil (v): đúc kết, chưng cất
2. specialist (n): chuyên gia, chuyên viên
3. varying (adj): hay thay đổi, hay biến đổi, không ổn định
4. aesthetic (adj): (thuộc) mỹ học, thẩm mỹ
5. field (n): lĩnh vực, phạm vi
6. intellect (n): trí tuệ
7. at least : ít nhất, tối thiểu
8. promote (v): thúc đẩy, khích 1ệ, xúc tiến
9. achievement (n): thành tích, thành tựu
10. channel (n): kênh, nguồn (thông tin, tin tức…)
11. inanimate (adj): vô tri, vô giác
