Reading books can exercise your brain. Kids who started reading at an earlier age go on to perform better on certain intelligence tests, such as analyses of their vocabulary size. As one gets older, it might help slow down or even cease cognitive decline. 【小题1】 Many Americans don't read frequently. It's time to reverse this trend to give your brain gray matter a good workout.

【小题2】When you have some down time—you're waiting for a friend, sleeping lightly on the way from or to work, or doing a task that doesn't require your full attention—you can open your text instead of pulling up your favorite smartphone game. 【小题3】 While paper is still the clear winner in the court of public opinion, science hasn't proven that physical books are better than digital ones.

Academic research has mostly focused on the ability to remember. A study took place in a laboratory setting： Students all read the same text, but some looked at the words on paper and others viewed an on-screen PDF. It turned out that no meaningful difference between the two media existed. As for audiobooks, they affected the brain gray matter somewhat differently. 【小题4】

Ultimately, if you hope to get a reading habit going, you shouldn't dismiss paper digital, or audio—【小题5】 Don't be afraid to change things up depending on the occasion.