In 2009 in a small town, Todd Bol came up with an idea to share his mother’s love of reading with others. Bol’s mother had been a teacher who had loved reading. He decided to build a wooden box and fill it with books. Bol placed the box of books on a post in his front yard with a sign that read “Free Books”. Soon his neighbours noticed this tiny model of a “schoolhouse”. They began taking the books and replacing them with books of their own. The tiny library allowed people the opportunity to “check out” books day or night.
Bol’s friends and neighbours wanted little libraries of their own. Bol built several and gave them away. One of his friends, Rick, believed that Bol’s little libraries could benefit more than just local friends and neighbours. With these ideas in mind, Bol and Rick came up with a plan to build over 2,500 Little Free Libraries around the world. They believed that books should be available to all people, no matter where they live or what their background is. To help achieve their goal, Bol and Rick created a website that provides information about the Little Free Libraries and how people can establish little libraries of their own.
Thanks to Bol and Rick, the Little Free Libraries are encouraging people to read more. They didn’t just provide books. They also helped build friendships and a sense of belonging among community members. As more and more people visited Bol’s little library, they began talking with one another. They shared thoughts, ideas, and stories. They got to know one another. Everyone loved the little library. After all, as Bol says, “It’s a magic box with books. People tell us all the time that they’ve met more people in a week than they have in a lifetime.”
Today there are more than 25,000 Little Free Libraries around the world, and they can be found on almost every continent.
【小题1】From whom did Todd Bol get the idea of Little Free Libraries?| A．His mother. | B．His teacher. | C．His neighbours. | D．His friends. |
| A．make more money | B．establish online libraries |
| C．replace paper books with e-books | D．provide information and guidance |
| A．New buildings. | B．More visitors. |
| C．Friendly relationships. | D．Green environment. |
| A．Well begun, half done. | B．Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D．Little people can make a big difference. |
