Peanut, a chicken from a no-kill farm in Michigan, is the current Guinness Record holder for the “world’s oldest chicken”, at 21 years, 156 days, and counting.

Chickens have an average life expectancy (期望) of five to eight years. On January 28, 2023, she was officially crowned the world’s oldest chicken by Guinness World Records, at the age of 20 years and 272 days. She has since turned 21 and is chasing the title of oldest chicken in recorded history.

21 years ago, her owner was getting ready to throw some bad eggs when she heard a faint chirp (鸣叫声) from one of them. “I heard a second chirp, and I realized that the chick was    △    but didn’t seem to have an egg tooth to get out of its shell,” Marsi Parker Darwin said. “I gently peeled her out of the egg, and there was this wet little mess, sitting in my hand.”

This little chick was tiny to begin with, but it never grew past one pound, about one-third of the size of the other chickens on the farm, so Marsi named her “Peanut”. The Michigan native never imagined that the chick would be with her and her husband for over two decades. They celebrated Peanut’s birthday in May, and she’s apparently as healthy and energetic as ever.

Darwin said that she was encouraged to apply for a Guinness Record by a friend who is also a chicken lover. He knew about a chicken named Matilda who had previously held the record at age 14, only to die a couple of years later. Peanut had already beaten her record by several years, so he convinced Darwin to apply.

Peanut is now well on her way to challenging the title of oldest chicken in recorded history. At about 21 years and a half, she is pretty close to beating the record set by Muffy, who was 23 years and 152 days old when she died back in 2011.

1.Which is the best word to be put in “ △ ” ?

A mild

B hungry

C alive

D passive

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据前面的“bad eggs”“a faint chirp”和“a second chirp”可知，21年前，她的主人正准备把一批看起来腐烂的鸡蛋扔了，这时她听到其中一只鸡蛋里面发出微弱的鸣叫声，因此她意识到里面的小鸡还活着。故选C。

2.Why did Marsi name the little chick “Peanut”?

A Because it liked eating peanuts.

B Because it weighed over a pound.

C Because its feathers were colorful.

D Because it was small in size.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第四段第一句的“This little chick was tiny to begin with, but it never grew past one pound, about one-third of the size of the other chickens on the farm, so Marsi named her ‘Peanut’”可知，这只小鸡一开始很小，大约是农场里其他鸡的三分之一大，所以Marsi给它取名为“花生”。故选D。

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A A friend helped take care of Peanut.

B Matilda died at age of 14.

C Muffy was born in 1988.

D Peanut has beat the record set by Muffy.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据最后一段最后一句“Muffy, who was 23 years and 152 days old when she died back in 2011.”可知Muffy死于2011年，23岁，由此可知Muffy出生于1988年。故选C。

4.Where can the text be found?

A In a history book.

B In a novel.

C In a biography.

D In a life magazine.

解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据全文内容可知，本文主要讲了密歇根州的花生打破吉尼斯世界纪录，成为世界上最老的鸡，我们可以在分享日常生活的杂志上读到本文。故选D。