Luis國際資訊事務所

by Marcus Maurice
Planking is all fun and games until someone falls off a roof.

　　The Internet has been the originator of many pointless crazes. This includes the Dancing Baby from the 1990s TV show Ally McBeal, the humorous misspellings of LOLcats, and Rickrolling—when someone links Rick Astley's one hit wonder, Never Gonna Give You Up, to something else for a laugh. _(1)_ senseless fad the Internet has produced is called planking, where a person imitates a wooden plank with their bodies. People from all over the world have now started lying face down on the ground, on top of cars, or on any other _(2)_ place they can find to plank. Also, taking pictures is a vital component because it lets people _(3)_ their planking skills to their friends.
　　When you look at pictures of people planking, it's easy to see that they are having a wonderful time. _(4)_, some good times come to abrupt ends. In May of 2011, a man _(5)_ on his seventh floor balcony when he rolled off the railing and fell to the ground. The paramedics arrived, but it was too late. This man from Australia was the first recorded death from planking.
　　This tragic _(6)_ hasn't slowed planking down at all. _(7)_, a lot of people heard about it and started planking. Now everyone, from famous DJs to movie stars, is posting planking pictures on Twitter. While planking is ridiculous, it is also humorous. Just be careful if you decide to plank.

1. (A) The latter (B) The former (C) The above (D) The latest
2. (A) unfolded (B) unexpected (C) unsolved (D) undoubted
3. (A) go after (B) take over (C) show off (D) put aside
4. (A) Deliberately (B) Unfortunately (C) Efficiently (D) Immediately
5. (A) planked (B) has planked (C) has been planking (D) was planking
6. (A) violence (B) disease (C) incident (D) mission
7. (A) On the contrary(B) By no means(C) In comparison (D) By the same token

1. The latest senseless fad the Internet has produced is called planking, where...
理由:
a. (A) latter a. 後者的
例: The résumé of the latter applicant was quite impressive.
（後一位應徵者的履歷令人印象深刻。）
(B) former a. 之前的，前任的
例: Mr. Lin was the former principal of our school.
（林先生是我們學校的前任校長。）
(C) the above + N　　以上的∕上述的……
例: If you agree to the above rules, please sign here.
（如果你同意上述規定，請在這裡簽名。）
(D) latest a. 最新的；最近的
the latest + N　　最新的∕最近的……
例: This radio station features the latest hits.
（這個廣播電台的特色是播放最新熱門歌曲。）
b. 根據語意，可知 (D) 應為正選，置入後，表同樣是無厘頭的『最新』網路流行風潮就是仆街。

2. People from all over the world have now started lying face down on the ground, on top of cars, or on any other unexpected place they can find to plank.
理由:
a. (A) unfolded a. 展開的
(B) unexpected a. 想不到的；意外的
例: My mother-in-law's unexpected visit caused a lot of confusion.
（我岳母的突然來訪害我手忙腳亂。）
(C) unsolved a. 尚未解決的
例: The assassination remained an unsolved mystery for 50 years.
（這起暗殺事件 50 年來仍未偵破。）
(D) undoubted a. 無庸置疑的
例: The director's last movie was an undoubted success.
（該導演的上一部電影無疑很成功。）
b. 根據語意，可知應選 (B)。

3. Also, taking pictures is a vital component because it lets people show off their planking skills to their friends.
理由:
a. (A) go after...　　追趕……；追求……
例: The dog went after the terrified cat.
（這隻狗追著那隻受到驚嚇的貓跑。）
(B) take over...　　接管……，接收……
例: I will take over the project if you don't think you can handle it.
（若你覺得無法自己勝任，我會接手這項專案。）
(C) show off...　　炫耀……
例:Mike likes to show off his new iPad.
（麥克喜歡炫耀他的新 iPad。）
(D) put aside... 　　撇開……；把……放在一邊
例: Let's put everything aside and take a 10-minute break.
（咱們把所有事情放一邊，休息 10 分鐘吧。）
b. 根據語意，可知應選 (C)，置入後表把仆街的模樣拍下來也是這股風潮很重要的一環，因為這可以讓人向朋友『炫耀』自己的仆街技巧。

4. Unfortunately, some good times come to abrupt ends.
理由:
a. (A) deliberately adv. 故意地
= on purpose
例: The angry man broke the mirror deliberately.
（這名憤怒的男子故意打破鏡子。）
(B) unfortunately adv. 不幸地
例: Unfortunately, Ed crashed into a fence when he drove his new car home.
（很不幸，艾把新車開回家就撞上圍籬。）
(C) efficiently adv. 有效率地
(D) immediately adv. 立刻，馬上
b. 空格後說快樂的時光也會嘎然而止，由此可知，(B) 應為正選。

5. In May of 2011, a man was planking on his seventh floor balcony when he rolled off the railing and fell to the ground.
理由:
a. 本空格在測試以下固定用法：
when 引導的過去式子句置於主要子句之後時，主要子句通常用過去進行式，此時 when 表『這時』的概念。句型如下：
主詞 + was/were + V-ing + when 引導的過去式子句　　……正在……這時就……
例: My friend and I were watching a movie when my mother called.
（我媽媽打電話給我時，我和朋友正在看電影。）
b. 空格後有 when 引導的過去式子句 when he rolled off the railing...（當他從欄杆上翻落），故根據上述，可知應選 (D) was planking。

6. This tragic incident hasn't slowed planking down at all.
理由:
a. (A) violence n. 暴力
(B) disease n. 疾病
(C) incident n. 事件
例: The movie was based on a real-life incident.
（那部電影是根據真實事件拍攝而成。）
(D) mission n. 任務
b. 根據語意，可知應選 (C)，置入後表這場悲劇『事件』並沒有讓仆街風潮有絲毫退燒的跡象。

7. On the contrary, a lot of people heard about it and started planking.
理由:
a. (A) on the contrary　　相反地
例: Marvin thought he wouldn't get used to life in a big city. On the contrary, he loves it.
（馬文以為自己會無法適應大城市的生活。但相反的，他相當喜歡。）
(B) by no means　　絕不
注意:
by no means 視為否定副詞片語，故置於句首時，其後須接倒裝句構。
例: By no means will I reveal your secret to others.
（我絕不會把你的秘密洩漏給別人。）
(C) in comparison (to/with...)　　（與……）相較之下
例: The goods at this store are cheap. In comparison, everything at the one across the street is overpriced.
（這家店的商品很便宜。相較之下，對街那家店的每樣東西都太貴了。）
(D) by the same token　　同理；同樣地
= likewise adv.
例: I always consider my wife's needs. By the same token, she never takes me for granted.
（我總是考慮我太太的需求。同樣地，她也從不把我的好視為理所當然。）
b. 根據語意，可知 (A) 應為正選。

1. pointless a. 無意義的
= senseless a.
例: The discussion seems totally pointless to me now.
（我現在覺得這次討論似乎完全沒有意義。）

2. humorous a. 幽默的；滑稽的
例: It is easy for a humorous person to break the ice when meeting new people.
（有幽默感的人在認識新朋友時很容易就能打破冷場。）

3. imitate vt. 模仿
例: My clever parrot imitates everything I say.
（我養的聰明鸚鵡模仿我所說的每句話。）

4. vital a. 極其重要的
play a vital role/part in...　　在……中扮演極重要的角色
例: Police officers play a vital role in maintaining social stability.
（在維持社會治安方面，警察扮演了極為重要的角色。）

5. come to an end　　結束
例: The lengthy meeting finally came to an end.
（這場冗長的會議終於結束了。）

6. abrupt a. 突然的；唐突的
例: The boss found it hard to accept John's abrupt resignation.
（約翰突然離職令老闆很難接受。）

7. slow...down/slow down...　　放慢……（速度）
speed...up/speed up...　　加快……（速度）
例: Ever since his heart attack, Bill has had to slow down his pace.
（自從比爾心臟病發作後，他就必須將生活步調放慢。）
例: Our factory will have to speed up production to meet consumer demand.
（我們工廠得加速生產以滿足消費者的需求。）

8. ridiculous　a. 可笑的；荒謬的
例: Nicholas looks ridiculous in those green pants.
（尼可拉斯穿這件綠色褲子看起來很可笑。）

1. plank vi. 兩手擺放在身體兩側，面朝下平躺 & n. 木板
2. originator n. 發起人，開山祖
3. craze n. 一時的狂熱∕風尚
4. misspelling n. 拼錯的詞；拼錯
5. fad n. 一時的風尚
6. component n. 構成的要素
7. balcony n. 陽台
8. railing n. 欄杆
9. paramedic n. 醫療輔助人員
10. post vt. 張貼

哪裡都能躺，全球一起瘋仆街！
仆街既有趣又有挑戰性，但小心玩過頭會樂極生悲。
　　網路是許多毫無意義風潮的發源地。這包括 1990 年代影集《艾莉的異想世界》中的跳舞寶寶，和故意拼錯字的大笑貓圖片（註一），還有 Rickrolling 這個惡作劇，故意把歌手瑞客．艾思利的名曲《永不放棄你》的音樂錄影帶和其他東西的網址連結在一起（註二），為的是搏君一笑。同樣是無厘頭的最新網路流行 風潮是仆街，也就是人們用身體來模仿木板的動作。全世界的人現在都流行面朝下，躺在車頂或其他任何料想不到、只要可以仆街的地方。此外，把仆街的模樣拍下 來也是這股風潮很重要的一環，因為這可以讓大家向朋友炫耀自己的仆街技巧。
　　當你看別人仆街的照片時，你很容易發現他們樂在其中。不過不幸的是，快樂的時光也會嘎然而止。在 2011 年 5 月，1 名男子在自家的 7 樓陽台上仆街時，從欄杆上翻落墜樓。醫護人員抵達搶救，但為時已晚。這位澳洲男子是紀錄中第 1 位因仆街而死亡的案例。
　　這場悲劇事件並沒有讓仆街風潮有絲毫退燒的跡象。相反地，許多人聽到這個消息卻還是開始玩仆街。現在從知名 DJ 到電影明星，每個人都在推特上放自己仆街的照片。雖然仆街這遊戲很可笑，但還是有它的幽默在。只是當你決定要仆街時，絕對要小心自身的安全。

答案：1. (D) 2. (B) 3. (C) 4. (B) 5. (D) 6. (C) 7. (A)