A Croatian man named Vitomir Maričić has set a new world record by holding his breath underwater for 29 minutes and 3 seconds. This amazing event took place on June 14 in a hotel pool in Opatija, Croatia. Five judges and about 100 people watched as he lay at the bottom of the three-meter-deep pool. He broke the earlier record by more than four minutes.

Before going underwater, Maričić breathed pure oxygen for some time. This is a method allowed by Guinness World Records to prepare the body. By doing this, his lungs were filled with more oxygen than usual. This extra oxygen helped him stay underwater much longer than normally possible. He remained lying calmly at the bottom with his hands behind his head.

Maričić shared that after 20 minutes, things became mentally easier, but his body felt increasingly uncomfortable. His diaphragm experienced strong contractions, making it physically challenging. Still, he was determined not to give up. He thanked his team, family, and friends for supporting him throughout the effort.

This record is for holding breath with pure oxygen preparation. Without using pure oxygen, the world record is shorter—about 11 minutes. Most people can only hold their breath for half a minute to a minute and a half. Maričić himself can hold his breath for more than 10 minutes without breathing pure oxygen first.

The technique of pre-breathing oxygen is sometimes used in movie underwater scenes. It helps increase the amount of oxygen in the blood and reduces carbon dioxide buildup. This delays the body’s natural urge to breathe. Achieving such a record requires excellent breathing control, deep relaxation, and strong mental focus. Maričić also hopes his achievement will draw more attention to ocean protection.

1.1. What might be the time of the earlier record?

A About 25 minutes.

B About 29 minutes.

C About 33 minutes.

D About 11 minutes.

解析：选A。A 数字计算题。文章第一段指出新纪录是29分3秒，并且“比之前的纪录多了四分多钟（broke the earlier record by more than four minutes）”。因此，之前的纪录大约是大约25分钟。故选A。

2.2. What does the underlined word “contractions” probably mean?

A Muscle movements.

B Breath control.

C Physical discomfort.

D Nervous responses.

解析：选C。C 词义猜测题。根据上下文“his body felt increasingly uncomfortable”“making it physically challenging”，可知“contractions”指的是身体不适。故选C。

3.3. What was the main reason Maričić could hold his breath for so long?

A He has very large and strong lungs.

B He used a special preparation method.

C He stayed completely still underwater.

D He practised for many years before.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。文章第二段和第五段说明，他成功的关键是在挑战开始前呼了纯氧，大幅提升了血液中的氧气含量，从而延长了憋气时间。故选B。

4.4. What kind of person is Maričić according to the passage?

A Strong-willed and caring.

B Funny and proud.

C Strict and serious.

D Shy and quiet.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。第三段提到他“Still, he was determined not to give up.”可知他是strong-willed（意志坚强的）；最后提到他希望借此引起人们对海洋保护的关注，体现其caring（有关怀的、有社会责任感的）。故选A。