It was 1912, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. Francie Nolan and her younger brother, Neeley, spent Saturday collecting and selling paper, metal, rubber and other junk for money. They spent half of the money and brought half home to their parents. Francie’s home was in a third-floor walk-up flat in the shadow of the hardy ailanthus tree, the “only tree that grew out of cement (水泥),” a tree “that liked poor people.”

...

It was two o’clock. Francie walked towards the library.

The library was a little old place. Francie thought that all the books in the world were in that library and she planned to read all the books in the world. She was reading a book a day in alphabetical (按字母表顺序的) order, even the boring ones. She had been reading a book a day for a long time now and she was still in the B’s.

On the librarian’s desk stood a neat row of freshly sharpened pencils and the returned books waiting to be put back. “When I have my own home, I’ll have a desk like this, with pencils, ‘always ready for writing,’ and books...books...books...”

Saturdays were different. She treated herself by reading a book not in the alphabetical order. On that day, she asked the librarian to recommend a book.

“Could you recommend a good book for a girl?”

“How old?” The librarian did not even look up.

“She is eleven.”

The librarian never knew the little girl who took a book out every day and two on Saturday.

Francie hurried home, holding the books close. The story of Francois Villon was more wonderful each time she read it. Sometimes she worried the book would be lost in the library. She had once started copying the book in a two-cent notebook. “When I grow up, I’ll work hard, save money and buy every single book I like.”

Now it was her weekly fire-escape-sitting time. She put glass, candy and book on the windowsill and climbed out on the fire-escape (安全梯). Once out there, she was living in a tree.

Francie breathed the warm air, watched the dancing leaf shadows, ate the candy and drank the cooled water in-between reading. The afternoon passed.

1.1. What can you learn from the first paragraph?

A How old Francie Nolan was.

B What Francie’s parents did for a living.

C What kind of family Francie came from.

D How much Francie and her brother made.

解析：选C。C推理判断题 第一段写姐弟捡废品补贴家用，住在破旧公寓，用水泥里长出的树象征穷人生活。介绍她出身的家庭类型（贫困家庭）。A：第一段没有给出她的年龄；B：没有写父母谋生的工作；D：没有写一共赚多少钱。

2.2. What is Francie’s favorite thing to do?

A Collecting materials for recycling.

B Chatting with the librarian.

C Reading books.

D Watching leaves.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题 全文大量描写她痴迷图书馆、坚持每日读书、憧憬拥有很多书，阅读是她最爱做的事。A 捡废品是赚钱手段；B 很少和管理员聊天；D 看树叶只是读书时的消遣。

3.3. Which of the following is true about Francie’s reading habits?

A Copying each book she finished reading.

B Collecting her favorite books in her study.

C Reading every book in the library from Z through A.

D Reading a book not in the order of the letters on Saturday.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题 原文：Saturdays were different. She treated herself by reading a book not in the alphabetical order. 周六她不按字母顺序读书。A：她曾经抄过一本书，不是读完每本都抄；B 文中没有书房收藏书籍；C：顺序 A→Z，不是 Z 到 A。

4.4. Which of the following can best describe Francie Nolan?

A Strong-willed and hopeful.

B Brave and fashionable.

C Hard-working and humorous.

D Curious and creative.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题 家境贫寒，但她坚持读书，立下读完所有书、长大后买书的梦想，意志坚定、心怀希望。B fashionable 时髦，文中没有；C humorous 幽默，原文无体现；D curious and creative 好奇且有创造力，不是人物核心特点。