Hooked on books 1

TEXT 1-TASK 1

For questions 1-7 choose which of the extracts A-H match the numberedgaps in the text. There is one additional extract which does not belong in any of the gaps.

Hooked on Books

Many people think that libraries are dreary places where everyone has to creep round in a solemn, almost ashamed sort of silence. But those who hołd such views have probably not been inside a library for years - or even decades. Nowadays, libraries are brighter, far morę inviting places than ever before. Sometimes you could even cali them lively, verging perhaps on the vulgar and rowdy._

1    i

There may be ^uno talking” notices; and the books are normally “reference only”, which means that if one takes your fancy you’11 have to stay in the reference department and read it there. But let’s face facts: here among these dusty tomes there are very few books that you’11 want to read for pleasure, relaxation or to escape from life’s troubles.__

2    |

In place of the all-pervasive silence you’re likely to find young children scurrying, chattering and even playing hide and seek round the walls of books; old folk, too, are likely to be enjoying themselves -completely at ease as they gossip or simply lounge in the chairs.__

3    1

Fm not quite surę why this is so; they can’t be worried about litter; there’s plenty of that on the floor and no one bothers to elear it up. Perhaps books still matter just a little and it’s thought undesirable to get the pages glued together with chewing gum or a sticky sweet. Or perhaps they want you to patronise the library cafe. One day Pil ask the reason for the strange prohibition on eating and drinking.

_4__

Maybe you’d like a happy medium - something between theaustere prohibitions of libraries past and the permissiveness of libraries today. But if you’re set on finding a particular book - perhaps a novel or an old-style romance - you can probably manage to cope with the noise and the hurly-burly.

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Gone are the days of leafing through a set of cards and risking the calamity 1 had as a child of spilling the lot all over the floor. Nowadays - barring fiised electrics - the information you want will leap to the screen at the touch of one or two buttons. There they are - directions to that book you’ve been meaning to read for years. So off you go, picking your way among sprawling legs and finally reaching the appropriate shelf- only to find that the book you reguire is stolen, lost or out on loan._

6    1

They’ve been stealing, losing and borrowing books for donkey’s years. And yes, they’ve been neglecting them too- scribbling in them and using the leaves of choice editions as cigarette papers.

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There are far, far morę facilities than Pve time to mention. What about the ^usound and vision” department, where you can borrow records and videos? What about the archive where you can investigate your family history? And don’t forget the lunchtime concerts at many public libraries. These are just examples, so go again - and again and again.

A Libraries have so much to offer and you’ve only yourself to blame if you’ve not been using your local library service to the fuli.

B Most libraries do have a reference department for serious study, and here, if anywhere, you can still find a little of the old, rather staid formality.

C You may perhaps feel that there’s too much noise, especially if decades have passed sińce you last went book-hunting.

D These days your search for a given book will be aided or hindered - dependirfg on your keyboard skills - by the presence of a computerised index.

Elfa librarian intervenes she will do so to stop someone smoking or eating - still regarded as serious offences.

F Don’t be too upset. On reflection, you’ll probably agree that the library’s regular users deserve priority.

G Of course, playing loud musie would be going too far in any department of any library.

H For recreational books you’11 need to go to the lending department or “popular library”. And here you’11 find just how enormously libraries have changed.

SCORE:    /7