Passage Three

　　Libraries form a vital part of the world’s systems of communication and education. They make available knowledge accumulated through the ages. People in all walks of life use library resources in their work. People also turn to libraries to satisfy a desire for knowledge or to obtain material for leisure-time activity. In addition, many people enjoy book discussions, concerts, film programs, lectures, story hours, and a variety of other activities provided by libraries. Libraries also play an important role in preserving a society’s cultural heritage(遺產(chǎn)). The library ranks as one of society’s most useful service institutions.

　　The contents of libraries have changed so much through the years that the word library itself is, in a sense, inaccurate. The word comes from the Latin word liber, which means book. Today’s libraries house many books, of course. However, they also have a wide variety of other materials that communicate, educate, and entertain. These materials include magazines, manuscripts(手稿), newspapers, and computer documents. Audio and visual materials include CDs, audiocassette tapes, videotapes, films, maps, paintings, and photographs.

　　In addition to regular books, a library may have large-type books, books for the blind, and tape recordings of books, called talking books. Librarians keep pace with the changing contents of libraries to serve as many people as possible. Their efforts have turned libraries into multimedia resource centers.

　　The expansion of library contents greatly increases the library’s ability to communicate and educate. For example, people interested in classical music can listen to CDs and read books on the topics. Students of agriculture can read magazines and watch videotapes on farming methods. Many people use magazines and newspapers to find the most up-to-date material on current events.

　　In addition to expanding contents, librarians have developed many kinds of libraries to serve the needs of different people. The materials of each kind of library are selected to meet the needs of a specific group of patrons. School libraries have collections that provide the information needed by elementary and high school students. Public libraries tailor their collections to the general public. Government library collections are geared chiefly toward serving the needs of government officials. Thousands of special libraries provide information for professional people, such as advertising specialists, bankers, editors, engineers, lawyers, physicians, and scientists.

　　41.The word library originally meant ______

　　A.freedom from ignorance

　　B.collections of books

　　C.means of communication

　　D.storage of knowledge

　　42.Which of the following statements shows libraries nowadays serve as multimedia resource centers?

　　A.People can visit them at their convenient time.

　　B.People can learn about different cultures in them.

　　C.They house educational and recreational materials in a variety of forms.

　　D.They provide information for professional people in different fields.

　　43.Including talking books in their collections is a good example of ______

　　A.the expansion of the contents of libraries

　　B.the development of special libraries

　　C.the entertaining function of libraries

　　D.the recording service in libraries

　　44.In the last paragraph, the word “patrons” probably means _______

　　A.professional people B.academic researchers

　　C.librarians D.readers

　　45.The information provided in this passage may help us ______

　　A.make better use of the library as a useful service institution

　　B.pay more attention to up-to-date news provided in libraries

　　C.better understand librarians and appreciate their hard work

　　D.save more time for entertainment in library activities