Sport stacking has been around since the 1980s, but it has been gaining in popularity recently.
競技疊杯從 1980 年代就已出現，但近來卻大受歡迎
Have you heard of sport stacking? Since one of the meanings of stack is to arrange something unfairly, this is not an illegal gambling activity even though it may sound like it. Instead, sport stacking is one of the hottest new game trends sweeping the planet. _(1)_ The goal is to stack plastic cups in a certain sequence as fast as possible. _(2)_
Sport stacking has been around Southern California since the early 1980s. After catching on there, it was eventually featured on national television. That's how it caught the imagination of a high school physical education teacher named Bob Fox. _(3)_ The idea was so well received that Fox quickly turned the activity into a real sport, complete with rules, standardized equipment, and its own international governing body. There are organized teams on almost every continent, and the sport is growing rapidly.
Like every sport, stacking offers its players real benefits. _(4)_ A study at the University of Wisconsin showed a 30 percent increase in all of these measurements in stackers. Stacking is useful training for other activities that require the good use of both hands. _(5)_ Kids don't need convincing about the benefits of sport stacking. They love it, and it's also fun for the whole family.
(A) Hand-eye coordination, quickness, and ambidexterity, which is defined as performing equally well with both sides of the body, have all been documented as advantages of participating in the sport.
(B) He started a small, home-based business to promote sport stacking as a resource for physical education teachers.
(C) Also called cup stacking and speed stacking, sport stacking is a real sport played by teams and individuals.
(D) One such example is playing a musical instrument.
(E) Thousands of stackers can be seen on YouTube showing off their skills and fastest times.
第一題空格應選 (C)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提到 "... stacking is one of the hottest new game trends sweeping the planet."（……競技疊杯是一種席捲全球的火紅新運動。），而選項 (C) 的句子補充說明這項運動，"Also called cup stacking and speed stacking,..."（這項運動
也被稱為疊杯運動或是快速疊杯……），兩句皆有提到關鍵字 stacking（競技疊杯），使兩句產生關聯。
b. 根據上述，(C) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
individual n. 個人
第二題空格應選 (E)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提到 "The goal is to stack plastic cups in a certain sequence as fast as possible."（這項運動的目的是要用最快的速度將塑膠杯以某種特定的順序疊起來。），而選項 (E) 的句子延伸說明此運動所需的技巧 "... showing off their skills and fastest times."（……展示他們的技巧和最快的速度。），空格前一句所提到的 as fast as possible（用最快的速度），與 (E) 項句子提到的 fastest times（最快的速度）相互呼應，因此兩句形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(E) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
show off 展示；賣弄
Ralph loves to show off his cooking skills when his friends come over.
拉爾夫很喜歡在他朋友來訪時賣弄他的烹飪技術。
第三題空格應選 (B)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提及 "... a high school physical education teacher named Bob Fox."（……一位名叫鮑伯．佛克斯的中學體育老師大感興趣。），
可推知下一句應會簡單介紹鮑伯．佛克斯這個人，而 (B) 項句子進一步說明 "He started a small, home-based business to promote sport stacking..."（他創立了一家小型的家庭式公司來推廣競技疊杯……），此處的 He 指的就是鮑伯．佛克斯，故兩句形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(B) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
a. home-based a. 以家庭為基礎的
b. promote vt. 促進；宣傳
The company formed a special unit to promote its new products.
那家公司成立了一個特別單位來促銷其新產品。
第四題空格應選 (A)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提到 "... stacking offers its players real benefits."（……疊杯運動提供給選手實質的
幫助。），而選項 (A) 的句子進一步說明這些幫助有 "Hand-eye coordination, quickness, and ambidexterity,..."（可以讓手眼協調、速度變快以及活用雙手的本領……），因此兩句形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(A) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
a. coordination n. 協調
b. ambidexterity
n. 能活用雙手的本領
c. be defined as... 被定義為……
Using the Internet for more than six hours a day is defined as Internet addiction.
一天上網超過六小時被定義為網路上癮。
d. document vt. 記錄
The film documents the tribe's traditional rituals.
這部影片記錄了那個部落的各種傳統儀式。
第五題空格應選 (D)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提到 "Stacking is useful training for other activities that require the good use of both hands."（疊杯運動對其他許多需要活用雙手的運動而言是很好的訓練。），而選項 (D) 的句
子進而舉例來補充說明 "One such example is playing a musical instrument."（其中一個這樣的例子就是彈奏樂器。），前後語意連貫，故使兩句形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(D) 項應為正選。
大補丸:
a musical instrument 樂器
instrument n. 樂器
gain in popularity 大受歡迎
= increase / grow in popularity
popularity n. 流行；聲望
The writer's books have gained in popularity recently.
那位作家的書近來大受歡迎。
hear of / about... 聽說……
be unheard of... ……是從未聽說的
I haven't even heard of the actor you are talking about.
我連聽都沒聽過你們在談論的那名演員。
It is almost unheard of for a young basketball player to be offered such a big contract.
這麼年輕的籃球員就獲得這麼大的合約可說是前所未聞。
arrange vt. & vi. 安排，籌劃
arrange for sb to V 安排某人（做）……
Jonathan arranged his CDs according to their genres.
強納森依照音樂類型來整理他的 CD。
William arranged for his boss to be picked up at the airport.
威廉為他老闆安排接機。
catch on 成為流行／趨勢
Many fads catch on quickly, but few remain popular for more than a few months.
許多一時的流行都能迅速造成風潮，但少有持續數月不衰者。
catch / capture the imagination 吸引某人的注意力
That story has caught the imagination of children everywhere.
那則故事已吸引了各地兒童的注意。
be / come complete with... 備有……
The house we bought came complete with a garage, tool shed, patio, and swimming pool.
我們買的那棟房子配有車庫、工具小屋、露天陽台以及游泳池。
standardize vt. 使標準化；使合標準
English spelling was not standardized until the 17th and 18th centuries.
英文字的拼法直到十七至十八世紀才統一標準。
convince vt. 說服
convince sb to V 說服某人……
Becky's family and friends are hoping to convince her to stop smoking.
貝琪的親友們都希望能說服她戒菸。
stack vt. 堆疊
illegal a. 違法的
gambling n. 賭博
trend n. 趨勢；潮流（常用複數）
sweep vt. 席捲
plastic a. 塑膠製的
sequence n. 順序，次序
eventually adv. 最終
feature vt. 以……為特色，以……為號召
a governing body 主管部門／團體
continent n. 洲；大陸
measurement n. 測量，測定
training n. 訓練（不可數）
風行全球的競技疊杯
競技疊杯從 1980 年代就已出現，但近來卻大受歡迎。
你聽過競技疊杯（sport stacking）嗎？雖然它聽起來可能有點像一種非法的賭博活動，這是因為 stack 這個字的其中一個意思就是用不公平的方式去安排某件事，但其實並非如此。相反的，競技疊杯是一種席捲全球的火紅新運動。這項運動也被稱為疊杯運動或是快速疊杯，它是一種由團隊和個人所從事的真正運動。這項運動的目的是要用最快的速度將塑膠杯以某種特定的順序疊起來。人們在 YouTube 上可以看到數千名競技疊杯選手展示他們的技巧和最快的疊杯速度。
競技疊杯從 1980 年代早期就已出現在加州南部。在當地大為流行之後，它最後登上了全國性的電視節目。這也使得一位名叫鮑伯．佛克斯的中學體育老師大感興趣。佛克斯創立了一家小型的家庭式公司來推廣競技疊杯，並把這項運動當作體育老師的資源。這個點子被廣泛地接受，於是佛克斯很快地便把這項活動轉變為真正的運動，比賽時有完整的規則及標準的配備，而且也擁有專屬的國際性管理組織。幾乎各洲都有組織完善的隊伍，而且這項運動正快速發展。
就和所有的運動一樣，疊杯運動提供給選手實質的幫助。手眼協調、速度及活用雙手的本領，也就是使身體兩邊都能表現得一樣好，這些都被記錄為參加這項運動的優點。一項由威斯康辛大學所做的研究顯示，從事疊杯的人在以上這些測量項目的表現都提升了百分之三十。疊杯運動對其他許多需要活用雙手的運動而言是一種很有用的訓練。其中一個這樣的例子就是彈奏樂器。人們不需要去說服孩子們有關競技疊杯有諸多益處。他們很熱愛這項運動，而且它對全家人而言也相當有趣。
答案：1. C 2. E 3. B 4. A 5. D
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