Editor's Note:

"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.

Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn

Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.

Photo:VCG

I'm a teenager, and teenagers are at a stage when they are full of curiosity about the world. We want to open the door to the world, and books are the best key to opening this door. 

I love reading, including an unpredictable science fiction books, profound and exciting history books, interesting and mysterious popular science books, and so on... All of them are like magnets, deeply attracting me and making me fall in love with books. While I enjoy books, they also bring me infinite help, taking me to explore the world.   

Firstly, reading allows me to gain more knowledge and expand my horizon. For example, in Chinese class, I read the chapter called "Cicadas" in Fabre's Book of Insects. It was a nonfiction book that was inspired by French naturalist Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre. Fabre was a remarkable botanist. He has inspired another iconic figure Charles Darwin. It was said that Darwin called Fabre "an inimitable observer" of nature. 

I admire Fabre's observations about insects just as much as Darwin did. I want to learn more about cicadas' stories such as why they leave their holes, their body structures, and other insects that are also introduced in books. To satisfy my growing curiosity, I decided to read another book titled the Encyclopedia of Insects. I hope my questions can be answered after reading the book. 

I clearly realized that I was learning about literature and biology through these enjoyable reading experiences. Books come in a wide variety of forms and sizes. They are created in numerous historical periods and nations, and they present the world in a variety of ways. Thus, reading allows us to comprehend this huge world.

Another virtue of reading that I have realized is that it helps me get better scores at school. In order to comprehend a book with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of words, I must gather my thoughts and concentrate on reading. My learning skills have greatly improved through reading. In my opinion, reading becomes unproductive if we are not focused and end up missing parts of a book.

As a result, reading has consistently helped me become more proficient in learning. I can understand a text's meaning more accurately. Reading is also involved in answering exam questions. Our everyday reading practice helps us develop the reading comprehension abilities necessary to answer questions accurately and quickly, which raise our scores.

Ultimately, what matters most is that reading gives me a sense of spiritual contentment. I truly enjoyed the book The Miracles of the Namiya General Store. A grocery store that can fix people's problems is portrayed in the book. To fix problems, people write notes to the grandfather of the business owner, put notes in milk cartons, and talk to each other about their inner struggles.

By reading this book, I understand that we should take care of everyone around us, and believe that there is always sincerity, goodness, and beauty in the world. In addition to novels, other types of books can also provide us with spiritual help. 

History books often tell us that we should learn from history, while science fiction books often help us understand the principle of respecting nature and life. 

Reading allows us to resonate with the content of books and learn about the wisdom of life.

The author is a student at Beijing National Day School