When parchment, which was extraordinarily costly, was
replaced by papyrus, it became feasible to establish libraries. The
onset, they became as archives for record keeping and document
storage. According to second-hand reports, the most renowned
papyrus library
was the Alexandrian, founded by Alexander the Great around 330
B.C. in Alexandria, Egypt. His successors as rulers of Egypt
Ptolemy one and Ptolemy two, expanded the library into the greatest
collections of scrolls in the ancient world. To acquire this collection
the rulers borrowed scrolls and manuscripts from libraries in Athens,
Rome, and other localities and ordered them duplicated. At times,
the library employed more than 100 scribes and illustrators. Some
historians claim that the Alexandrian library purchased entire lesser
libraries to
contribute to enhance the quality of its possessions.
The library owned a copy of every contemporary scroll
known to the library’s administrators and contained more than
400,000 items, all of which were classified and organized. The
contents of the papyrus scrolls were edited, and bibliography of
Greek literature was compiled and cross-referenced, reflecting the
emergence and dissemination of a highly developed Greek culture.
Overtime, a succession of leading scholars directed this library,
which was acclaimed for the scholarly undertakings it supported as
well as for the size of its collection. At one time, 72 scholars were
engaged to translate religious testaments, historical annals,
mercantile accounts. Although the library flourished, it was
accessible to only a
minority of the population because in ancient times the vast majority
of urban dwellers were illiterate. Because papyrus was extremely
perishable, not a trace of the Alexandrian library remains today, and
archaeologists have several hypotheses as to what became of it.
12. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The use of papyrus in ancient scroll collections
B. The origin and history of a library
C. The cultural initiatives pf Alexander the Great
D. The expansion of libraries in ancient times
13. In line 2, the word “feasible’ is closest in meaning to
A. practicable
B. easy
C. prestigious
D. ebullient
14. It can be inferred from the passage that report of the Alexandrian library
A. were highly exaggerated
B. could not be verified
C. were secondary in importance
D. could not be made known
15. The author of the passage implies that the rulers of Egypt
A. Oversaw the expansion of the library directly
B. Devoted funds and other resources to the library collections
C. Sought to make the library self-contained
D. Marshaled worldwide support for the library collections
16. According to the passage, the main goal of the library in Alexandria was
A. collecting scrolls loaned by other libraries
B. gradually replacing papyrus with parchment
C. translating scrolls in ancient Egypt and Greece
D. accumulating translations and originals of texts
17. In the second paragraph, the author implies that
A. parchment was more durable than books
B. libraries were necessary to conduct research
C. the library collection cannot be examined
D. the library was historically relevant
18. With which of the following statements about Greek literature is the
author of the passage most likely to agree?
A. It was nurtured in libraries in Athens and Rome.
B. It was integral to Greek culture.
C. It was compiled and cross-referenced in the library.
D. It was beginning to emerge when the library was expanded.
19. In line 15, the word “succession” is closest in meaning to
A. Eries
B. Success
C. Sundry
D. Substitution
20. It can be inferred from the passage that in ancient times
A. books and scrolls were updated regularly
B. libraries benefited upper social classes
C. maintaining collection was fruitless
D. the population should have been educated
21. In the last sentence, the phrase “not a trace” most probably means
A. absolutely no one
B. absolutely nothing
C. not a penny
D. not a soul