Flaubert had it that "one way of tolerating existence is to lose oneself in literature as in an unending party"．It turns out that reading doesn't only help us to tolerate existence，but actually lengthens it.

　　A recent study by Yale University researchers，published online in the journal Social Science & Medicine，concluded that "book readers experienced a 20 percent reduction in the risk of death over the 12 years of followup compared to non­readers"．

　　The data was obtained from the study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging.The study looked at 3，635 subjects，all older than 50，whom the researchers divided into three groups: those who didn't read books，those who read up to 3.5 hours a week and those who read more than 3.5 hours a week.

　　The findings were remarkable: on average，book readers survived almost two years longer than those who didn't crack open a book.The more the subjects read，the longer they lived，but as little as 30 minutes a day was still beneficial in terms of survival.

　　Accounting for factors such as education level，income and health status，the study found that those who read more than 3.5 hours weekly were 23 percent less likely to die during that 12­year period.Those who read up to 3.5 hours-an average of a half hour a day-were 17 percent less likely.

　　"In other words，just like a healthy diet and exercise，books appear to promote a significant survival advantage ，"the authors concluded.

　　Why or how that's the case remains unclear; the research showed only an association between book reading and longevity，not a causal relationship.But the findings are not so surprising.Other recent research showed that reading novels appears to increase both brain connectivity and sympathy.

　　【语篇解读】　研究发现，阅读和长寿有一定的联系，阅读者的平均寿命比不读书的人长将近两岁。

　　1．Why does the author mention Flaubert's words in the first paragraph?

　　A．To stress the value of reading.

　　B．To compare reading with a party.

C．To introduce the study on reading.