Walking the Thin Line|步步惊心

by Owain Mckimm

Thrust into the public eye during a halftime show performance at Super Bowl XLVI, slacklining is gaining popularity.

If you've ever been to a circus, you may have seen a tightrope walker balancing precariously above the ground on a thin, taut wire. Slacklining is a similarly daring _(1)_ of balance and coordination. Whereas a tightrope is a piece of wire or rope stretched tightly between two points, a slackline is a one-inch strip of flat webbing that is hung loosely. Since it is not tight, like a trampoline, the lines bounce and stretch, _(2)_ balancing even more of a challenge and allowing the slackliner to perform impressive jumps and tricks.

Slacklining _(3)_ in the US in the late-1970s in Yosemite Valley, California, which is home to some of America's most spectacular cliffs and rock faces. Hikers and climbers at one of the valley's campsites began to experiment with balancing on a loose line strung between a pair of trees during their downtime. They did it _(4)_ to improve their balance for climbing, but also for fun.

Since then, slacklining _(5)_ countless styles and variations that are suited to a host of different environments. There's tricklining or lowlining, where the line is hung only a few feet from the ground, allowing practitioners to do all sorts of stunts from backflips to push-ups. There's waterlining, which takes place over water and is probably the best for _(6)_ new tricks and techniques as the falls aren't so painful. There's even slackline yoga, which puts the ancient Indian art of spiritual and _(7)_ meditation onto a wobbly slackline. No matter where it's done, slacklining is taking balancing to new heights.

1.  (A) command (B) display (C) quote   (D) charge

2.  (A) to make (B) making  (C) make    (D) for making

3.  (A) behaved (B) relied  (C) originated  (D) appealed

4.  (A) not only    (B) such as (C) next to (D) because of

5.  (A) was evolved into    (B) evolving into   (C) evolved into    (D) has evolved into

6.  (A) taking apart    (B) setting about   (C) trying out  (D) coming about

7.  (A) official    (B) superficial (C) artificial (D) physical

步步惊心

走绳索运动在第四十六届美式足球超级杯中场表演时映入了大家眼帘，这项运动正日渐普及。

如果你曾经去过马戏团的话，你可能已经看过一位走钢索的人，那个人在地面上方一条又细又紧绷的金属丝上摇摇晃晃地想要取得平衡。走绳索运动同样在于大胆展示平衡和协调。钢索运动中的钢索是在两点间将一条金属线或绳索绷紧，而走绳索运动中的绳索则是松散垂挂的一英吋扁平带子。由于绳索不是很紧，所以就像是个弹簧垫一样会弹跳及延展，使得要在上面取得平衡更具挑战性，这也让走绳索的挑战者能表演令人印象深刻的跳跃和特技。

走绳索运动起源于 1970 年代晚期的美国加州优胜美地山谷中，那儿是美国境内一些最壮观悬崖峭壁和岩石表面的所在地。位于该山谷其中一个营地的健行者和登山者在休息时开始一项试验，他们试着在两棵树木之间松散垂挂的绳索上取得平衡。他们这么做不但是为了要增进他们登山时的平衡感，同时也是因为好玩的缘故。

从那之后，走绳索就已演变出无数种风格及变化，种种风格及变化都适用于许多不同的环境中。有一种变化形式名为花样走绳（tricklining）或是低空走绳（lowlining），差别在于绳子只悬挂在离地面几英呎之处，这使得走绳索的人能做出像是后空翻或伏地挺身等各式各样的特技。还有一种名为水上走绳（waterlining）的变化形式，这种变化形式进行的地点就在水面上方，这可能是最适合尝试新技巧和技术的地方，因为从绳索上掉落至水面不会那么痛。甚至还有一种变化形式称为走绳瑜珈（ slackline yoga），该形式将古印度身心冥想的艺术加在摇摇欲坠的细绳上。无论是在哪儿从事这项运动，走绳索都将身体平衡带至新的境界。

答案：  1.  B   2.  B   3.  C   4.  A   5.  D

   6.  C   7.  D

现代走绳运动（slacklining）源于 1970 年代晚期美国优胜美地国家公园，攀岩者常在营地停车场铁链上练习平衡，之后更利用绳子与扁带于树间架设，藉以锻炼攀岩所需的平衡感与强化肌肉，这项运动逐渐发展开来。

类似走绳的活动在历史上已有数千年记载，包括结合舞蹈与音乐的韩国传统民俗 Jultagi、新疆维吾尔族的民间传统绝技『达瓦孜』高空钢丝表演以及大家熟悉的马戏团走钢索特技。走钢索是一般人对走绳运动的初次印象，但是与坚硬的钢索不同的是绳子是软的，走起来更有挑战性。（数据源：台中市政府教育局）