It’s 2024 now. Recycling is good for the environment. It can also benefit a community in surprising ways. Mateo Lange, 15, knows this well. On weekends, you’ll find him sorting through glass and plastic bottles and cans in his hometown, where he leads a community recycling program.

Mateo launched the program in 2020. He was in the sixth grade, playing baseball with a baseball team. The team was new and needed money to travel to tournaments (锦标赛). Mateo thought of a plan.

“There were cans and bottles always thrown around the road,” he tells TIME for Kids. These can be collected and exchanged for cash. With his dad’s help, Mateo started a bottle and can drive. It raised $7,500. “We built up so much money in just a few weeks,” he says. “So I said, ‘Why don’t we keep this going as long as we can?’”

Since then, Mateo says, his recycling effort has raised $350,000 and helped at least 50 local youth groups. It has also prevented more than 2 million bottles and cans from littering the roadside and polluting lakes and rivers. “It’s kept our community a lot cleaner,” he says.

In 2023, Mateo was awarded a Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The award honors kids and teens who are working to help others and protect Planet Earth. “It feels humbling,” Mateo says, when asked about all he’s accomplished with his cleanup effort. “I am happy knowing that all these teams and clubs and kids around the community are benefitting.” Mateo believes everyone can — and should — be of service. “Just do a little bit to help make the world a little bit of a better place,” he says. “Be creative,” he adds. “Have an idea and build on it.”

1.Mateo started the program when __________.

A he was playing basketball

B he was in the fifth grade

C he left his hometown

D he was 11 years old

解析：选D。D数字计算题。根据第一段中的“Mateo Lange, 15, knows this well.”可知马特奥今年（2024年）15岁，根据第二段中的“Mateo launched a program in 2020.”可知马特奥于2020年开始该项目，由此可知，他开始该项目的时候11岁。故选D。

2.What was Mateo’s original purpose of recycling?

A To protect the environment.

B To support his baseball team.

C To start a project with high profit.

D To win a national award.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第二段内容可知，2020年，马特奥启动了该回收项目，当时他在一个棒球队，该球队需要资金参加锦标赛，于是，他想到了回收废品卖钱这个主意，即他的最初目的是为了帮助棒球队。故选B。

3.Mateo’s recycling _________.

A has raised more than $35,000

B helped young local adults

C reduced water pollution

D ensured children’s security

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据倒数第二段内容可知，马特奥的回收工作已经筹集了35万美元，帮助了至少50个当地青年团体，避免了200万个瓶瓶罐罐污染湖泊和河流（即减少了水污染），未提及保卫孩子安全。故选C。

4.What might Mateo most probably agree on?

A A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B Actions speak louder than words.

C Small actions make big impacts.

D All roads lead to Rome.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“Mateo believes everyone can — and should — be of service.”和马特奥说的话“Just do a little bit to help make the world a little bit of a better place”可知，他认为每个人都可以做出一点努力，让世界变得更美好。故选C。