When we talk about a library, we may think of shelves and shelves lined with books. But a new library set to open this fall in Texas won’t have any books ---- at least not the kind you can leaf through..
There will be 10,000 digital books available for loan（借出）in the BiblioTech library in Bexar County, Texas. About 1.7 million county residents will be able to check out the books online without leaving their homes. The library will also provide 100 e-readers for people to borrow. In the library, people can work, study and access the Internet using dozens of computer stations.
“We wanted to find a cheap, effective way to bring reading and learning to the county and also focus on the change in the world of technology,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, the man who started the project, told reporters.
Digital-only academic libraries already exist in the US. The University of Texas at San Antonio opened the first in 2010, and officials say it’s been a success. Many public libraries even offer digital books in addition to paper copies. But Biblio Tech will be the country’s first completely paperless public library system. Tucson, Arizona, and Newport Beach, California, attempted to open bookless public libraries in 2002 and 2011, respectively, but both ended up offering paper books after public outcry.
However, Residents of Tucson and Newport Beach lived close to libraries and could easily get to them. Many areas of Bexar County, on the other hand, lack public libraries, so residents don’t have easy access to books. Wolff hopes Biblio Tech will solve that problem.
Critics argue against digital-only libraries, saying many people prefer to see and hold actual books. Some say books with pictures, such as children’s books and how-to books, work better than digital books. Others say people who aren’t comfortable with technology won’t be able to use the paperless libraries. They also point out that many digital books are not available for libraries to purchase for their collections.
But supporters of digital libraries say these institutions will make books available to more people, like the residents of Bexar County. Wolff himself, who collects print books, says he doesn’t intend paperless libraries to replace traditional ones, but to exist alongside them. “People are always going to want books,” he says. “But the world is changing.”
71. Wolff hopes to open more paperless libraries across the country, if Biblio Tech succeeds .What do we know about the Biblio Tech library?
A. The first 10,000 people can read the digital books for free.
B. It will provide about 1.7 million digital books for the readers.
C. People can read the digital books at the library or at home.
D. It won’t provide the loan service for people out of Texas
72. From Paragraph 4, we can infer that __________.
A. Officials in the US helped build the digital-only academic libraries.
B. The first digital-only academic library opened in 2002 in the US
C. Other attempts at opening digital-only public libraries have failed.
D. The University of Texas once tried to open a bookless public library.
73. What does the underlined part “that problem” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A. People in Bexar County can’t read books easily.
B. Tucson and Newport Beach lack public libraries.
C. There aren’t digital libraries in Bexar County.
D. Residents aren’t comfortable with technology.
74. What are the reasons why critics are opposed to digital-only libraries?
a. Some people enjoy seeing and possessing printed books.
b. Books with pictures work better than digital ones.
c. Some people aren’t good at using the Internet. d. The prices of some digital books are too high.
A. abd B. abc C. acd D. bcd
75. From what Wolff said in Paragraph 7, we learn that __________ .
A. The future of print books is controlled by readers
B. Digital books will take the place of print ones soon
C. People will lose their interest in reading books in the future
D. Paperless libraries and the traditional ones should coexist