《2025年人教金学典同步解析与测评八年级英语上册人教版重庆专版》

Ⅴ. 任务型阅读
The world’s heaviest pumpkin, weighing 1,247 kg, was grown by an American called Travis Gienger. It weighs more than four polar bears. It can be used to make at least 687 pumpkin pies.
But do you really know pumpkins? Here are five things you may not know about pumpkins.
Pumpkins are not vegetables. They may not be juicy like an apple, but since pumpkins grow from a flowering plant, they are actually a kind of fruit from the squash or gourd(葫芦)family.
Pumpkins aren’t always yellow or orange. While known for their deep orange or yellow colour, they can also be green, red, white and blue. The reason why many pumpkins are orange is that they have carotenoids(类胡萝卜素), the same thing that gives carrots their orange colour.
There are many kinds of pumpkins. You may only see two or three different kinds of pumpkins in the supermarket, but there are about 45 kinds of pumpkins grown all over the world.
Pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants(驯化植物). People have been growing pumpkins for thousands of years. So far the oldest pumpkin seeds(种子)have been discovered in Mexico and they date back to around 7000 BC. It is thought that pumpkins came from North America and Central America.
It takes a long time to grow a pumpkin. If you want to grow pumpkins at home, you need lots of patience(耐心)for this slow growing fruit. Once you have planted the seeds, it could take up to four months before the pumpkins are ready to be picked.
1. Which country grows the heaviest pumpkin in the world?The US./America.
2. How many colours are there in pumpkins according to the passage?Six./6.
3. Why are carrots orange?Because they have carotenoids.
4. How many kinds of pumpkins are there in the world?About 45.
5. If you plant some pumpkin seeds on 1 May, when can you pick your pumpkins?After 1 September./In September.

答案： 1. The US./America. 2. Six./6. 3. Because they have carotenoids. 4. About 45. 5. After 1 September./In September.