Cambridge 14 (General Training) | Test 1 | Section 3

Papyrus

Libraries and archives are cultural crossroads of knowledge exchange, where the past transmits information to the present, and where the present has the opportunity to inform the future. Bureaucracies have become the backbone of civilizations, as governments try to keep track of populations, business transactions and taxes. At a personal level, our lives are governed by the documents we possess; we are certified on paper literally from birth to death. And written documentation carries enormous cultural importance: consider the consequences of signing the Foundation Document of the United Nations or the Convention on Biological Diversity.

crossroads (noun) [countable]

/ˈkrɑːs.roʊdz/

an important or central place

e.g., With funding coming up for review, the program is at a crossroads (= has reached an important but uncertain stage).

backbone (noun) [uncountable]

/ˈbæk.boʊn/

the part of something that provides strength and support

e.g., She is the backbone of the family.

keep track (of someone/something)

to continue to be informed or know about someone or something

e.g., My sister’s had so many jobs, I can’t keep track anymore.