Can 13-year-olds do something to change the world? Cris Kesz Valdez, 13, from the Philippines believes so.

At the age of 7, Valdez set up an organization to give homeless kids things like slippers and toothbrushes. So far he has helped more than 10,000 children improve their lives in his hometown.

Valdez won the 2012 International Children’s Peace Prize on September 19, 2012.

“My motto is ‘we can change the world one heart at a time,’ ” Valdez said at the award ceremony.

In fact, Valdez is a homeless kid himself. He looked for food from trash, lived on the streets and slept in a public cemetery for most of his childhood. His parents didn’t care about him and often beat him. Valdez said he felt he was living in “darkness” at that time.

But this “darkness” didn’t turn him into a dark person. Valdez got help from community workers. On his first birthday party, at the age of 7, Valdez decided what he wanted most was to help other children who were still living on the streets.

“I didn’t have a lot of money, but I had a lot of love to give,” Valdez explained.

That day was the birth of the organization, Championing Community Children. Since then, Valdez and his friends visit homeless children and hand out bags with slippers, toys and even candy. They nurse their wounds, teach them about their rights and offer them hope.

“I want children on the streets to get the same chance as I have,” he said.

1.Cris Kesz Valdez helped homeless kids in        .

A．China            B．America           C．the Philippines     D．Japan

2.The prize Valdez won in September is called       .

A．the Laurens Prize                       B．the International Children’s Peace Prize

C．the Pulitzer Prize                        D．the Noble Prize

3.What does the underlined word “darkness” in the passage mean?

A．Without any fire.    B．Without any family.  C．Without any food.   D．Without any light.

4.It’s clear that       .

A．Valdez likes to sleep in public cemetery      B．Valdez has a lot of love and hope

C．Valdez still looks food from trash            D．Valdez’s parents love him very much

5.According to the passage, we can know that        .

A．Valdez teaches homeless kids about their rights

B．all the homeless kids have a better life now

C．Valdez made a lot of money from the organization

D．Championing Community Children was founded in 2000

完形填空

Once, in a small village, lived a family with eight children. Two of the children loved   1  very much, but the family was so poor that it was impossible to send   2   of them to study at the art college at the same time. After many discussions, the two boys finally   3   a plan. They would toss(抛) a coin. The loser would go  4 into the mines (煤矿) and, with his earnings(赚得的钱),   5  his brother studying at the college. Then, when the brother who won the toss finished his studies, after four years, he would support the other brother studying at the   6  
James won the toss and Jack went down into the mines. James worked with all his heart and his paintings were much   7  than those of most of his teachers, and by the time he   8  , he was beginning to make a lot of money for his paintings.
  9  James returned, the family held a big dinner for his great success. Soon after the meal began, James  10 up from his seat to drink a toast (举杯祝酒) to his dear   11    He said, "Jack, now you can go to the art college and your   12   will come true. I will take care of you. "
But Jack said   13  , "Brother, the four years in the mines has done too much to my hands, so it' s too   14   Now I can' t even hold a glass. "
To show his great love and respect, James drew his brother' s hands with   15  towards the sky.
He called his drawing "The Praying Hands", which became very famous years later.

It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly, my mother will push the conversation into World War III. She’ll talk about my lack of a bright future because I don’t plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don’t want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major(主修) in English and communications, she nearly had a heart attack.

“Why can’t you be like my co-worker’s son?” she bemoans all the time. Her co-worker’s son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don’t know what to answer except that I simply can’t be like Mr. Perfect as I’ve called the unnamed co-worker’s son. I can’t be like him. I’m the type of person who loves to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve a career because I love it, not because of fame (名声) or salary(薪水).

I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I’ve seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 a.m. and usually comes home around 5 p.m. or even 6 p.m. However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn’t mean I’ll be successful. I’d rather follow my dreams and create my own future.

1.Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother often talk about?

A．The writer’s studies.                    B．The writer’s future job

C．Dinner plans                           D．Wars around the world

2.We can infer from Paragraph 1 that the writer’s mother ____________.

A．doesn’t want the writer to major in English

B．doesn’t think the writer should be a doctor

C．gets along very well with the writer

D．doesn’t think working in the science field is a good idea

3.The underlined word “bemoans” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____________.

A．agrees            B．shouts            C．complains         D．smiles

4.Which of following statements is probably TRUE about the writer?

A．He wants to be like his mother’s co-worker’s son.

B．He wants to find a job in his community in the future.

C．He doesn’t think his mother’s co-worker’s son is perfect.

D．He wants to do something he really likes in the future.

1 

Many years ago, a rich man found that someone wan taking valuable things from his house. He locked all the doors and all the windows .Still the things went. It must be one of the servants! How could he catch the servant? He thought of a good plan.

Late one evening. When it was dark, he called all the servants together, “There is a thief in the house, but I know how to catch him.”He said.”In the next room there is a square box. In that box there is a chicken which is magic. Each of you must go into the room alone. It is quite dark in the room. You must feel your way to the table and press the first finger of your right hand on the top of the box. If you are not the thief, nothing will happen. If you are the thief, the chicken will make such a loud sound that everyone in the house will hear it.”Some of the servants said that they did not want to do this. They were frightened of the magic chicken. But the man said that they must do what he said. If they had done nothing wrong. They had nothing to fear.

So the servants went into the dark room one at a time, while the rest listened carefully. Soon everyone had been in the room. but the chicken made no sound.”Good “said the man.”Now I know who the thief is! The servants looked very surprised.“Show me your right hands! The chicken did not make a sound for a very good reason. There is no chicken in the box at all! But the top of the box was covered with paint. You all have paint on your fingers, except for one person. That person is the thief, and he was afraid to put his finger on the box.”He pointed to one of the servants.”Your finger is clean! You are the thief!”

1.Were the rich man call all the servants together?

A. Yes, they were.  B. No, they weren’t.   C.I don’t know.

2.When did the rich man call all the servants together?

A. In the morning B. In the afternoon C. In the evening

3.Did the rich man catch the thief at last?

A. Yes, he did B. No, he didn’t   C. He gave up the plan

4.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. There was paint on the box.

B. All of the servants touched the box.

C. All of the servants went into the dark room.

5.What do you think of the rich man?

A. Brave.   B. Clever   C. Friendly.