A professor of philosophy at the University of Nottingham once argued that we ought not to claim that literature improves us as people, because there is no “compelling evidence that suggests people are morally or socially better for reading Tolstoy” or other great books.Actually, there is such evidence. Two scholars, one being a psychologist at York University in Canada and the other being a professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto, reported their latest studies showing that individuals who often read fiction appear to be better able to understand other people, empathize (产生共鸣) with them and view the world from their perspective. This link persisted even after the researchers factored in the possibility that more empathetic individuals might choose to read more novels. A separate study conducted by the York University psychologist found a similar result in young children: the more stories they had read to them, the more empathetic they became.What do the latest studies of the two scholars mentioned in Para. 2 show?A. Reading fiction encourages people to be more persistent.B. Reading fiction helps people understand others better.C. Empathetic people have a better perspective on life.D. Empathetic people are more likely to read novels.

A professor of philosophy at the University of Nottingham once argued that we ought not to claim that literature improves us as people, because there is no “compelling evidence that suggests people are morally or socially better for reading Tolstoy” or other great books. Actually, there is such evidence. Two scholars, one being a psychologist at York University in Canada and the other being a professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto, reported their latest studies showing that individuals who often read fiction appear to be better able to understand other people, empathize (产生共鸣) with them and view the world from their perspective. This link persisted even after the researchers factored in the possibility that more empathetic individuals might choose to read more novels. A separate study conducted by the York University psychologist found a similar result in young children: the more stories they had read to them, the more empathetic they became. What do the latest studies of the two scholars mentioned in Para. 2 show? A. Reading fiction encourages people to be more persistent. B. Reading fiction helps people understand others better. C. Empathetic people have a better perspective on life. D. Empathetic people are more likely to read novels.