Origins of World Book Day 世界读书日起源

孙启禄

世界读书日又称世界图书日，该节日设立的目的是推动更多的人去阅读和写作，希望所有人都能尊重和感谢为人类文明做出过巨大贡献的文学、文化、科学、思想大师们，保护知识产权。

We love books， and our friends at UNESCO agree. The United Nations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization proposed World Book Day as a day of celebrating the joy of reading for enjoyment.

Children who regularly read for enjoyment have higher test scores， develop a broader vocabulary， increase general knowledge and gain a better understanding of other cultures than their non-reading counterparts. Whether you read traditional paper books or turn to your Kindle， reading’s a passport to many other worlds.

The enjoyment of reading books is celebrated on World Book Day on April 23. It’s a day to celebrate the privilege （榮幸） of being able to read， so head to the library or curl up on the couch and just be a bookworm！

Reading is a form of entertainment and it requires that you use your imagination rather than simply watching visuals on a screen. There is also something so therapeutic （治疗的） about the actual feel of a book， with its scent of printed pages and glossy （光滑的） covers. Books are a valuable aspect of society but this wasn’t always the case.

When vocabulary and writing were developed thousands of years ago， clay tablets were used. The first form of a book was achieved by the Chinese in the 3rd century， although their books consisted of thick pages， made out of bamboo， which were stitched（缝合） together. By the mid-15th century， the printing press revolutionized books to make them become what they are today and readily accessible （易接近的） to everyone. Thanks to this invention， we are able to enjoy the works of countless authors and poets.

World Book Day was established by the United Nations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization on April 23， 1995. This date is chosen because it is the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Spanish chronicler （年代记编者） Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Around the world， there are many other dates on which World Book Day takes place. The UK， Sweden， and Ireland all celebrate World Book Day on different dates.

Reading Check

1. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about？

A. Different ways of reading.

B. Benefits of reading.

C. The importance of education.

D. The necessity of broadening vocabulary.

2. Which of the following matters a lot when you’re reading？

A. Memory. B. Taking notes.

C. Imagination. D. Watching screens.

3. In which place did the first form of a book appear？

A. China. B. The UK.

C. Sweden. D. Ireland.

4. What can we know about World Book Day？

A. It was set thousands of years ago.

B. It is related to some famous writers.

C. It was established by a well-known poet.

D. It takes place on the same day around the globe.

Language  Study

Complete the following sentences using the proper forms of the given words in brackets（括号）.

1. We meet   _________ （regular） to discuss the progress of the project.

2. There will be a   _________ （celebrate） if our team wins.

3. Taking care of patients _________ （require） a lot of care and attention.

4. It was a remarkable  _________   （achieve） for such a young player.

5. Earlier reports suggested that a meeting would  _________ （take） place on next Sunday.