A man whose name is Duane Hansen celebrated his 60th birthday by paddling(用桨划) down the Missouri river in a giant pumpkin named SS Berta.

Hansen enjoys growing large pumpkins and other vegetables as a hobby. This pumpkin operation over 10 years has cost him thousands of dollars. His goal was to set a new Guinness World Record. He got the inspiration for the record attempt by a chance meeting with a lady that had the record.

“On Thursday morning right after 8 am, Hansen stopped in to the Mayor’s office and asked if a couple of people from Bellevue City Hall would serve as official witnesses for his effort to be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records,” a spokesperson for the City of Bellevue, Nebraska wrote in a social media post. “I agreed to take on this task which I was originally thought was to float an 800-pound pumpkin for over 30 miles down the river. It wasn’t until later in the conversation that we realized that Mr. Hansen would actually be riding in the pumpkin on this journey,” she added.

Hansen set out in the SS Berta at around 7:30 a.m. It was estimated that the trip would take about six hours. “Once you’re on the river, you’re using your balance the whole time. It was unbelievable,” Hansen said. “You just could tip over at any second. I’ve never paid so much attention to any one thing in my entire life.” Hansen claimed the record at the 577-mile marker at 25.5 miles, and continued going to Nebraska City for a total of 38 miles. The trip took Hansen about 11 hours to complete. Friends were worried, and they said to have travelled alongside him for the entire journey, ensuring there were no mishaps along the way. 

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1.What CAN’T we know about Hansen from Paragraph 2?

A What Hansen likes to do in his free time.

B How old he was when he met the lady.

C Who inspired Hansen to set a world record.

D How much he spent on the pumpkin operation.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。根据第二段第一句的“enjoys growing large pumpkins and other vegetables”；第二句的“cost him thousands of dollars”和第四句的“He got the inspiration for the record attempt by a chance meeting with a lady”可知，他平时喜欢种植大南瓜和其他蔬菜；种这个“南瓜船”花了他好几千美元；他之所以想出这个点子，是因为他之前遇到了一位当时保持世界纪录的女性。文中并没提到他遇到这位女性的时候多少岁。故选B。

2.What is the purpose of Hansen’s going to the Mayor’s office?

A To ask someone for record witnesses.

B To ask permission to swim in the Missouri river.

C To invite someone to plant pumpkins with him.

D To apply for a world record for his pumpkin.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第三段第一句“asked if a couple of people from Bellevue City Hall would serve as official witnesses for his effort to be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records”可知，汉森前往市长办公室，要求工作人员帮忙做见证人，以便获得吉尼斯世界纪录的认可。故选A。

3.What does the underlined word “mishaps” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A Bacteria.

B Accidents.

C Celebrities.

D Amusement.

解析：选B。B词义猜测题。根据划线部分前面的“Friends were worried”可知，他朋友们很担心他，因此他们乘船跟着他，以防任何意外(accident)发生。可以故选B。

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A Man Sets a New Guinness World Record In Six Hours.

B Man Celebrated His 60th Birthday By Eating a Giant Pumpkin.

C Man Breaks a World Record By Riding a Pumpkin Down a River.

D Man Grows An 800-Pound Pumpkin At Home For Over Ten Years.

解析：选C。C主旨大意题。通读全文可知，本文主要讲了一男子乘着巨型南瓜漂流六十多公里，打破了吉尼斯纪录。故选C。