It’s 2022 now and here’s something you don’t see at the fair—a man using two hands to lift a goldfish nearly as big as he is. Andy Hackett from the United Kingdom loves catching fish. He got the orange beast while on a trip to France.

The goldfish, known as The Carrot, was introduced to Bluewater Lakes there 20 years ago. It had been hard to find since then. But then came along Mr Hackett. He explained that it took him about twenty five minutes, then it was all over.

“You’re going to need a bigger bowl” was everyone’s first thought. The following thought was whether there were scales(称) large enough to weigh The Carrot. A weigh-in was achieved later. This beautiful fish weighed about 30kg (67 pounds). The goldfish are commonly kept as pets. They do not achieve more than a few inches(英寸) in length. But this kind is part of the carp(鲤鱼) family, which can grow very long.

Mr Hackett first met the special fish during a visit to France. He said The Carrot was often seen because of its bright color, but it’s harder to catch. “For normal fish,” Mr Hackett explained, “it’s very difficult to see them if they are just under the surface. But The Carrot is bright orange so you can’t miss it. It’s a very welcomed fish, not many people have caught it.”

1.The underlined part “the orange beast” refers to_________.

A the fair

B the hand

C the man

D the goldfish

解析：选D。D词意指代题。根据上文“a man using two hands to lift a goldfish”可知Andy Hackett抓到了一条巨大的鱼，像金鱼一样呈橘黄色，因此“the orange beast”指的就是这条鱼。故选D。

2.When was The Carrot brought to the lake?

A In 2000.

B In 2020.

C In 2002.

D In 2012.

解析：选C。C数字计算题。根据第二段第一句的“was introduced to Bluewater Lakes there 20 years ago”可知，这种鱼是在二十年前(2022-20=2002)被引进蓝水湖的。故选C。

3.How much time did it take Mr Hackett to catch the fish?

A About 15 minutes.

B Nearly half an hour.

C Only 25 seconds.

D One day and a half.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句“He explained that it took him about twenty five minutes, then it was all over.”可知，抓这条鱼花了Andy Hackett大约25分钟，即接近半小时。故选B。

4.What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A The fish’s price.

B The fish’s color.

C The fish’s size.

D The fish’s age.

解析：选C。C段落大意题。通读第三段可知，本段主要在描述这条鱼的巨大体形。故选C。

5.What can we know about The Carrot from the passage?

A It’s easy to feed it.

B It’s very hard to see it.

C It’s difficult to catch it.

D It’s interesting to play with it.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据最后一段的“but it’s harder to catch”可知这条鱼很难被抓到。故选C。