Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions. Public libraries are accessible to the general public and usually funded by public sources. There are some features that all public libraries have in common. Firstly, they are usually financed by taxes. Secondly, they are managed by a board to ensure they serve the public interest. Thirdly, they are open to all people and provide basic services free of charge. ...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Public libraries are accessible to the general public and usually funded by public sources. There are some features that all public libraries have in common. Firstly, they are usually financed by taxes. Secondly, they are managed by a board to ensure they serve the public interest. Thirdly, they are open to all people and provide basic services free of charge. Public libraries play an integral part in modern society as they help to promote literacy, provide a great variety of books for readers of all ages, and serve as hubs for community information.

Public libraries differ from research or school libraries in that they cater to the general public’s reading needs rather than focus on the needs of one specific school or academic community. Free services offered by public libraries include quiet study spaces for children, students, and adults, access to computers and the internet, and book clubs to promote appreciation of literature among the public. Generally, public library users are allowed to borrow books and materials for a short time. However, public libraries can also have non-circulating reference collections that can only be read on the premises and not borrowed.

The word “appreciation” is CLOSEST in meaning to ______________ .