Luis國際資訊事務所

　

　　Most people want to feel safe and secure inside an aircraft. For them, it seems a little crazy that there are some who like to jump out of planes. However, there is a good reason to try skydiving—it is one of the most exciting and extreme adventures out there. Skydiving, also known as parachuting, involves leaping from an airplane in flight and using a parachute to float down to the ground. The first skydiver was Andr-Jacques Garnerin, who bravely jumped from a hot air balloon in 1797.

　　Since then, skydiving has grown by leaps and bounds, and now, there are all sorts of skydiving activities. Most people think of skydiving as just jumping out of an airplane. The jump usually takes place when the plane is about 4,000 meters up in the clouds. Yikes! When the skydivers jump, they don't open their parachutes for a minute or so. This part is called free-falling. Yikes again!

　　Skysurfing is like normal skydiving but with one big difference. For this kind of skydiving, the skydiver's feet are fastened onto a board. Skysurfers use the board to perform all kinds of acrobatic tricks in the air, twisting and turning as they fall to the ground. It really does look like they are surfing, just like the people on water. However, skysurfing is a bit more dangerous than normal skydiving because the skysurfers' feet are fastened in, which makes landing more challenging.

多數人在飛機上都想要有既安全又安心的感覺。對他們來說，有些人喜歡從飛機上往外跳的行徑似乎有點瘋狂。然而高空跳傘卻有個相當值得一試的好理由，因為它 是最刺激也最極端的冒險活動之一。高空跳傘又名跳傘運動，其活動內容包括從航行中的飛機往下跳，然後再用降落傘來飄落到地面。史上第一位高空跳傘者是安德 列雅克‧迦納林，他在1797年時便從熱氣球上勇敢地縱身一躍。

　　高空跳傘自當時便開始蓬勃發展，而且現在已出現了各式各樣的高空跳傘活動。多數人認為高空跳傘就只是從飛機上往外跳。跳下去的時機通常是飛機飛到離地 表約四千公尺的高空時。真是嚇人！跳傘者在跳下去大約一分鐘之內並不會打開他們的降落傘。這個過程稱為自由落下。可怕喔！

　　空中衝浪則像是一般的高空跳傘，但兩者之間有著一項極大的差異。進行這類的高空跳傘時，跳傘者會把雙腳綁在一塊板子上。空中衝浪者會用這塊板子在高空 中表演各種特技，在往地面墜落之際也同時不斷翻轉。他們看起來真的很像是一群在水上衝浪的人。然而，空中衝浪比一般的高空跳傘還要來得危險一點，因為空中 衝浪者的雙腳是被綁在板子上的，這會使得降落更具挑戰性。

1. secure　a. 安心的，感到安全的
I feel secure when I have friends around.
有朋友陪在我身邊時，我會感到很安心。
2. leap　vi. & n. 跳躍
Are you able to leap across this creek?
你能跳過這條小溪嗎？
3. float　vi. 飄浮；漂浮
There is a red balloon floating in the sky.
空中飄著一顆紅色的氣球。

1. in flight　　飛行中地
Those birds usually form a V in flight.
那些鳥兒在空中飛行時通常會排成V字形。
2. by leaps and bounds　　突飛猛進地；迅速地
Doris' French improved by leaps and bounds after she got a French boyfriend.
在交了一個法籍男友之後，桃樂絲的法語進步神速。
3. all sorts of...　　各式各樣的……
Paul can do all sorts of magic tricks.
保羅會表演各式各樣的魔術戲法。
4. think of A as B　　認為 A 是 B，視 A 為 B
Jill thought of Joe as her Prince Charming.
吉兒視阿喬為她的白馬王子。
5. or so　　大約，左右
Lucy spent an hour or so doing the laundry.
露西花了一個小時左右來洗衣服。

1. skydiving　n. 跳傘運動
skydiver　n. 從事跳傘運動者
2. parachuting　n. 跳傘
parachute　n. 降落傘
3. yikes　int.（害怕或驚訝時用的感嘆詞）呀
4. acrobatic　a. 雜技的

Most people think of skydiving as...
（多數人認為高空跳傘……）
　　不完全及物動詞表『認為……是……』的用法可分為下列兩大類：
1.與介詞 as 並用，本句即為此例。
think of/look upon/see/regard A as B
注意:
變成被動語態時，也仍須保留介詞 as。
Emily was regarded as the best writer in this country.
（艾蜜莉被認為是該國最棒的作家。）
2.不與介詞 as 並用。
consider/think A (to be) B（前者較為常用）
All of the students consider Miss Chen an excellent teacher.
（所有的學生都認為陳老師是個優秀的老師。）


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