你聽說過“指尖陀螺”嗎？這是目前英國校園操場上最受學生喜愛的游戲，而且越來越多的成年人也開始加入其中。指尖陀螺是否又是一個短暫的熱潮？本期《隨身英語》討論這個玩具讓人上癮的原因。

課文內容

Vocabulary: crazes 詞匯:  熱潮

School playground crazes come and go but the latest collectable toy is proving popular with children and adults alike. My kids have gone mad for the platsic spinning disc called a fidget spinner and I have to admit, I've become a little addicted too – but why?

Fidget spinners have taken the world by storm. They were originally designed to help kids with conditions like autism deal with stress but they have become a popular toy and they're helping reduce my stress levels too – when there's something on my mind I just spin!

So what's the big deal about these three-pronged pieces of rotating plastic? Well, there are many different designs and colours to collect and then there's the challenge of spinning them, getting the speed up, balancing it on the end of your finger. On video-sharing websites, vloggers have amassed millions of views from performing tricks with their fidget spinners. Richard Gottlieb, founder of US-based consultancy Global Toy Experts, says adults are increasingly turning to fidget toys because, he says, with all the bad news in the world, "it is a good time to be selling something that allows an individual to fidget off some stress – particularly at a time when smoking is looked down on."

For most school children, they've become the latest 'must-have' accessory, although some schools have banned them, saying some are poorly made and can be a distraction for pupils. However, one teacher, Ms Timmons, says that they can aid learning among some children. She says "these fidget toys are one way of allowing them to fidget without the disruption of the tapping pencils or the tapping of feet. It's a much less disruptive way to channel their energies into something else while the teaching is going on."

Fidget spinners join a long and distinguished list of other childhood favourites now living in the teacher's top drawer. It wasn't long ago when our homes and school playgrounds were littered with loom bands as they suddenly became must-have accessories. Billions of them were sold and then made into various forms of rubbery jewellery. One teacher, Guy Tarrant, has confiscated numerous items from children over the years. He says: "There's so much stuff, so many fads and stages. I worked as a supply teacher in over 150 schools so I've probably seen it all."

It's probably fair to say fidget spinners won't always be flavour of the month. Eventually they'll be confined to the bin, to be replaced by a new equally addictive and annoying craze.

詞匯表

collectable 值得收藏的
go mad for something/someone 對某物/人著迷
addicted 上癮的，沉迷在某事中
take the world by storm 在全球大獲成功，完全征服世界各地的人們
autism 孤獨癥，自閉癥
stress 壓力
big deal 大事，要事
three-pronged 三齒的
vlogger 博主
must-have 必備的
disruption 打斷，影響
channel their energies 把注意力傾注到（某事）
distinguished 重要的
loom band 彩虹橡皮筋
confiscate 沒收
fad 短暫的狂熱
flavour of the month （某時期內）最受歡迎的人或物

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What do people do with fidget spinners?

2. How have some people been showing off their fidget-spinning tricks?

3. Why have some schools banned fidget spinners?

4. True or false: Fidget spinners are more popular than loom bands.

5. Where do many of the items confiscated in school, end up?

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. My wife has a shopping ______; she buys a new pair of shoes every week!

addict       addicted       addiction       addicting

2. It's no ______ running five miles, I ran ten last night!

must-have       distraction       flavour of the month       big deal

3. Immigration officers ______ the man's fake passport when he tried to enter the country.

confiscated       distracted       stressed       collectable

4. All the shoe shops have sold out of the latest ______ brand of trainers.

must-haves       mustn't-have       must-have       must-not

5. I don't think wearable tech will be around for long, it's just a ______.

distraction       fad       collectable       vlogger

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。 

1. What do people do with fidget spinners?
Rotate them on the end of their fingers.   

2. How have some people been showing off their fidget-spinning tricks?
Putting videos on video-sharing websites.

3. Why have some schools banned fidget spinners?
They claim they are poorly made and can be a distraction for pupils.

4.True or false: Fidget spinners are more popular than loom bands.
False. That's not said. 

5. Where do many of the items confiscated in school, end up?
In the teacher's top drawer.

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. My wife has a shopping addiction; she buys a new pair of shoes every week!

2. It's no big deal running five miles, I ran ten last night!

3. Immigration officers confiscated the man's fake passport when he tried to enter the country.

4. All the shoe shops have sold out of the latest must-have brand of trainers.

5. I don't think wearable tech will be around for long, it's just a fad.