Nie Feng, 15, is from Hebei. She doesn't like reading the classics ( 名 著 ) although her parents bought many of them for her. She likes reading network ( 网 络 )novels."It's easier and more interesting to read them than the classics, Nie said.
Like Nie, many students now read few classic books. It seems that the classics are becoming less and less important to them. In a middle school of Wuhan, network novels are the top choices of 80% of the students, according to a recent report.
Mr. Li, a teacher there, shook his head when he learned of the result."The classics are important. They can open our minds and develop our values,"he said."I really hope our students can try their best to read and understand the classics."
Of course, there are still many students who welcome classic books. Shen Dong is one of them. He became obsessed with classic books when he was little."I have read The Romance of the Three Kingdoms many times. I really like the book because I can learn what true heroes are like from it,"Shen said. He also believes reading classic books is good for teenagers."Classic books can teach us many things and bring out the best in us,"Shen added.
