When people think of a library, they usually imagine quiet rooms full of books. Libraries are indeed wonderful places to borrow books for free, but a modern public library is much more than that. Today, libraries have become busy centers of learning and community life that almost anyone can use.
Of course, books are still at the heart of the library. By lending books at no cost, libraries give everyone — rich or poor, young or old — the chance to read and learn. For many children, the library is the first place where they discover the joy of reading. For adults, it offers the chance to keep learning long after they have left school.
Modern libraries also offer many other services. Most provide computers and free Internet, which are very important for people who do not have them at home. Visitors can use these to look for jobs, to study, or to contact their families. Many libraries now also lend music, films, and even tools or musical instruments, so that people can try new things without having to buy them.
Libraries bring people together as well. They hold story times for small children, language classes for people who have just arrived in the country, and talks and clubs for older people. Because anyone can enter and stay for free, the library is one of the few public places where all members of a community are truly welcome.
In a world where so much information can be found online, some people once worried that libraries would no longer be needed. Instead, libraries have changed with the times and become more useful than ever. They remind us that knowledge and learning should be open to everyone, not only to those who are able to pay. In many towns, the library is also a safe and warm place where people can simply sit, read, and feel part of something larger than themselves. Visitor numbers at many libraries have actually risen in recent years, which shows how much people still value them. As long as people are curious and wish to learn, the public library will always have an important part to play.
（1） 正解 2. A modern library is much more than a place for books.
全体の主旨は「現代の図書館は本のための場所以上のもの」。選択肢2。
（2） 正解 2. They help people who do not have them at home.
第3段落に「家に持っていない人にとって重要」とある。選択肢2。
（3） 正解 2. Music, films, and even tools or instruments.
第3段落に「音楽・映画、さらには工具や楽器まで貸す」とある。選択肢2。
（4） 正解 1. By holding story times, classes, and clubs.
第4段落に「読み聞かせ・語学教室・クラブを開く」とある。選択肢1。
（5） 正解 2. They have changed and become more useful than ever.
第5段落に「消えるどころか、時代に合わせて変わり以前より役立つようになった」とある。選択肢2。
tool：道具
an object used to do a particular job（特定の作業をするために使う物）
crack：割る
to break something hard open（硬いものを割って開ける）
spread：広がる
to reach more and more places or people（より多くの場所や人に届く）
recycle：再生利用する
to treat used things so they can be used again（使った物を再び使えるようにする）
refund：返金
money that is given back to you（払い戻されるお金）
disturb：妨げる
to interrupt or trouble someone（じゃまをする、妨げる）
community：地域社会
the people who live in one area（一つの地域に住む人々）
welcome：歓迎される
gladly accepted or invited（喜んで受け入れられる）