A Celebration of Pop Culture | 让你愈戳愈上瘾的气泡垫

by Nadia Chung

Bubble Wrap has been protecting items and making people happy for more than 50 years.

超过 50 年来，气泡垫不仅保护物品，还让大家拥有好心情。

Marc Chavannes and Alfred Fielding, engineers and business partners, had been trying to find a profitable application for the textured plastic wallpaper they created in 1957. Then, on a flight to New York City in 1960, they noticed how the clouds seemed to cushion the plane's descent. _(1)_ by how they bounced over the bubbles in the sky, they created Bubble Wrap, a cushioning material that provides protection for delicate objects. They then founded Sealed Air Corporation, _(2)_ still produces the cushioning material made of transparent plastic sheets with small, bulging air-filled hemispheres. The company _(3)_ steadily over the last 50 years, especially after the advent of the personal computer made shipping fragile electronic components and accessories a multibillion-dollar industry. Various sizes of air bubbles and types of plastic have been developed to provide different degrees of protection.

_(4)_ safeguarding products, Bubble Wrap has won the hearts of legions of fans around the world for other reasons. One psychology professor proved that popping these air-filled bubbles helps people _(5)_ stress. The transparent plastic wrap also _(6)_ a creative outlet. People have used it to fabricate wedding dresses, chocolate molds, and paint applicators. Bubble Wrap has even appeared in countless movies and magazines.

The Internet now provides a worldwide forum for Bubble Wrap fans to trade ideas on the different uses for this _(7)_ material. The last Monday in January has also been established as Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, when fans around the world can celebrate "pop" culture together.

1.     (A) Inspiring    (B) Inspired    (C) To inspire  (D) Had inspired

2.     (A) where    (B) what    (C) which   (D) that

3.     (A) grows    (B) has grown   (C) will grow   (D) was growing

4.     (A) Due to   (B) In spite of (C) Apart from  (D) With reference to

5.     (A) relieve  (B) recover (C) remind  (D) reform

6.     (A) carries out  (B) excels in   (C) applies for (D) serves as

7.     (A) versatile    (B) sentimental (C) ambitious   (D) expressive

    Marc Chavannes 和 Alfred Fielding 是工程师兼生意伙伴，他们一直想替他们在 1957 年发明的纹理塑料壁纸找到赚钱的途径。之后，1960 年在搭乘前往纽约市的飞机上，他们注意到天上的云朵像衬垫一样缓和飞机下降的冲击。他们的感受就像是在空中的气泡上弹跳，因此受到启发而发明了气泡垫，一种保护脆弱物品的缓冲物品。同时他们创立了 Sealed Air 公司，至今仍持续制造透明塑料材质的缓冲垫，上头突起的小半圆球中充满了空气。该公司在过去 50 年来稳定地成长，尤其在个人计算机问世后，使得运送脆弱的电子零件和配件成为数十亿商机的产业。不同大小的气泡和塑料材质也不断研发出来提供程度不等的保护。

　　除了能保护物品外，气泡垫在世界各地拥有大批爱好者还有别的原因。一名心理学教授证实捏破这些充满空气的气泡有助人们纾解压力。这个透明的塑料包装还被用来做为发挥创意的管道。人们用它制作结婚礼服、巧克力模具和涂漆工具。气泡垫甚至出现在无数的电影和杂志中。

　　现今网络提供一个关于气泡垫的全球论坛，粉丝得以互相交换心得，讨论这种多功能的材料有什么不同的用法。一月份的最后一个星期一也被制订为『气泡垫感恩日』，让全球各地的粉丝能够共同欢庆这个『啵』一声的文化。

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

For Your Information

气泡垫除了能保护物品外，还可以满足人们在捏破上头的气泡时所带来的快感。相信很多人在拆掉产品的包装时，一定不会把气泡垫就这么丢进垃圾桶里，而是会好好地将它蹂躏一番。一般人会将泡泡一颗颗的捏破，享受泡泡破裂时所带来的快感。而日本还开发出一种泡泡机，可以无限次体验捏破气泡垫的快感，让压力大的现代人，找到新的发泄方法。