How to become a better reader

The benefits of reading are well known to everyone everywhere and always. An old Chinese proverb says, "Through reading, you get everything you can dream of, from wealth to a wife." Frances Bacon has described the various benefits of reading different books in different manners. In the fast-changing modern world, everyone has to learn throughout his life to keep up with the development in the fields that are important for his survival and prosperity. Reading is the most economical and accessible means of study, compared to attending lectures, enrolling in courses, attending a formal school, hiring a trainer, etc. The question of how to become a better reader seems crucial.
Before we find the million-dollar answer, we need to understand that there are two types of books: Fiction and nonfiction. The former is for pleasure or entertainment; the latter is for knowledge or know-how. Certainly, reading fiction, poetry or literature broadens one's horizons, strengthens one's character and enriches one's soul by making one a more fulfilled and better person on an esthetic journey. It can be read with pleasure, even while eating a snack, which doubles the pleasure of reading for fun.

This article is about how to read nonfiction because nonfiction books are practically introductions, guides, or manuals about everything: skills, lessons, and knowledge about this world. Authors of nonfiction books compress their lifelong wisdom or long accumulated experience and tactics into some books to enlighten others. To become a practical, learned and wise person in a certain field quickly at a low budget, one needs to read non-fiction books frequently.

So how can you become a better reader of non-fiction books?

The most important thing is to apply what you have learned in the book. Read, think, and practice. That's the sure path to mastery. Reading without practising is a waste of money, time, energy and life. In other words, read only the useful books and apply what you learn immediately. This is the golden rule for reading non-fiction books.

Secondly, read flexibly. In real life, there are many different things to read, from books, brochures, menus and manuals to advertisements, magazines, online articles and cell phone messages. We use different methods to read different things for different purposes. It's critical to be flexible. Even when reading books, you soon find that you do not have to read every book word for word from beginning to end. As Bacon's words suggest, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them bothers".

Third, read efficiently, that is, we must read faster and with high comprehension. To ensure this, a reader must give his full attention to the reading material with a laser-like focus. His eyes must move along the lines as quickly as possible. If a person has a very short attention span and is easily distracted, it is not a bad idea to trace the words being read to keep the eyes focused. The prerequisite for efficient reading is, of course, reading with a clear purpose. If the information is irrelevant, just skip it until you find useful information. When reading in a foreign language, good comprehension is based on adequate vocabulary and a solid command of grammar. Some background knowledge is also important.

Last but not least, keep reading whenever possible and necessary. Make reading a part of your lifestyle. Not only will you become a better reader, but you will also become a better person who lives a better life. 

机器翻译+人工调整：

如何成为一个更好的读者

阅读的好处众所周知，无处不在，无时不有。一句古老的中国谚语说："书中自有黄金屋，书中自有颜如玉。" 弗朗西斯-培根以不同的方式描述了阅读不同书籍的各种好处。在瞬息万变的现代社会，每个人都必须终生学习，以跟上对其生存有重要意义领域的发展。与听讲座、报课程、上正规学校、聘请教练等相比，阅读是最便宜、最容易的学习手段。如何成为一个更好的读者，这个问题似乎至关重要。
在我们找到宝贵答案之前，我们需要了解图书主要分为两大类：小说和非小说。前者是为了愉悦或娱乐；后者是为了知识或诀窍。当然，阅读小说、诗歌或文学作品可以开阔人的视野，增强人的性格，丰富人的灵魂，使人在审美的道路上变得更加充实和美好。文学类作品可以愉快地阅读，甚至在吃零食的时候也可以，这使阅读的乐趣翻倍。

本文聚焦于如何阅读非虚构作品，因为非虚构书籍实际上是关于一切的介绍、指南或手册：关于这个世界的技能、经验和知识。非虚构类书籍的作者将他们一生的智慧或长期积累的经验和策略压缩到一些书中传授于人。要想以较低的预算迅速成为某一领域的践行者、博学者和智者，需要经常阅读非小说类书籍。

那么，如何才能成为一个更好的实用类书籍的读者呢？

最重要的是应用你在书中所学到的知识。阅读，思考，和实践。这是掌握知识的必经之路。没有实践的阅读是对金钱、时间、精力和生命的浪费。换句话说，只读有用的书，并立即应用你学到的东西。这是阅读非小说类书籍的黄金法则。
第二，灵活地阅读。在现实生活中，有许多不同的东西需要阅读，从书籍、小册子、菜单和手册到广告、杂志、网上文章和手机信息。我们出于不同的目的，使用不同的方法来阅读不同的东西。灵活运用至关重要。即使在阅读书籍时，你很快就会发现，不必从头到尾逐字逐句地阅读每本书。正如培根所言："有些书只需浅尝，有些书可以狼吞，有些书要细嚼慢咽，漫漫消化。也就是说，有的书只需选读，有的书只需浏览，有的书却必须全部精读。有些书不必去读原本，读读它们的节本就够了"。

第三，高效阅读，也就是说，我们必须加快阅读速度，提高理解力。为了确保这一点，读者必须全神贯注于阅读材料，像激光一样专注。他的眼睛必须尽可能地快速移动。如果一个人的注意力很短，容易分心，那么用手指或笔头指着正在阅读的文字以，引领目光和注意力也不失为一个好办法。当然，高效阅读的先决条件是阅读时要有明确的目的。如果信息不相关，就跳过它，直到找到有用的信息。在阅读外语时，良好的理解力是建立在充足的词汇量和扎实的语法基础之上。一些相关背景知识也很重要。

最后值得一提的是，只要有可能和有必要，就阅读吧。让阅读成为你生活的一部分。由此，你不仅会成为一个更好的读者，而且也会成为一个活得更好的人。

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