One Red Paperclip　小小迴紋針創造奇蹟

Pop art icon Andy Warhol once stated that when the future comes, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. _(1)_ On July 12, 2005, MacDonald was sitting at his computer staring blankly into space. He looked down at his desk, spotted a lone red paperclip, and had an aha moment. MacDonald came up with the ambitious idea of trading that little red paperclip for a house. His friends and family scoffed at the idea. _(2)_ Then MacDonald did what anyone looking to trade a paperclip for a house would do—he started a blog, One Red Paperclip.
Within a couple of days, Kyle MacDonald had his first trade, a fish-shaped pen. _(3)_ Then, a radio personality from Quebec traded a snowmobile for the beer and sign. But this time, it was different. The media started covering the story and even CNN showed up to report on it. _(4)_ Next up for trade was a recording contract and studio time. This perfect gift for an aspiring musician was exchanged for one year's free rent in a duplex in the heart of downtown Phoenix, Arizona. _(5)_ Even though his journey is far from over, Kyle MacDonald has taught everybody something with one red paperclip—if you follow your dreams, anything can happen.

——by Marcus Maurice

(A) While technically this is a home, MacDonald wants to keep trading up for a house he can call his own.
(B) From there, he traded for a doorknob, a BBQ grill, a generator, and one keg of beer and a neon sign.
(C) For Kyle MacDonald, a native of British Columbia, the future is right now.
(D) After some press interviews, MacDonald traded the snowmobile for a ski trip which, in turn, was exchanged for a moving truck.
(E) However, he explained that instead of trying to trade a paperclip for a house directly, he was going to do a series of "up-trades" for bigger and better objects until he got the house.

普普藝術的代表人物安迪•沃荷曾說：未來，每個人都有成名十五分鐘的機會。對卑詩省土生土長的凱爾•麥當勞來說，未來就是現在。2005年七月十二日，麥當勞坐在電腦前，茫然地望著四周。他往下望著他的桌子，看到一根孤零零的紅色迴紋針，便有了突發奇想。麥當勞有個雄心壯志的想法，就是用這根小小的紅色迴紋針來換一棟房子。他的家人朋友都嘲笑他這個想法。然而，他解釋說並非要直接用迴紋針來換房子，而是要做一連串的『向上交易』，每次交換更大更好的東西，直到他換到房子為止。然後麥當勞做了任何一個想用迴紋針換房子的人會做的事，他開啟了一個部落格『紅色迴紋針』。

　　幾天後，凱爾•麥當勞完成了第一筆交易，換到了一枝魚造型的筆。從此之後，他陸續換到門把、烤肉架、發電機、小桶啤酒和霓虹燈招牌。然後，一位來自魁北克的廣播名人用他的雪上摩托車換了啤酒和霓虹燈。但這次情況不同了。媒體開始報導這件事，連 CNN 都來報導這件趣聞。接受一些媒體的採訪之後，麥當勞用雪上摩托車換得一趟滑雪之旅，然後又以此換到一輛運載用的卡車。下一筆交易是一份錄音合約和錄音室時段。這份對有抱負的音樂家來說十分完美的禮物，後來又換到了亞利桑那州鳳凰城市中心一年免房租的雙層樓公寓。雖然技術上來說，這已經可以算是一個家了，但麥當勞還是想繼續交換自己能真正擁有的房子。這趟旅程的終點還很遠，但凱爾•麥當勞用這根紅色迴紋針教了大家一件事：如果你肯追求夢想，什麼事都有可能成真。

標準答案: 1. (C)　2. (E)　3. (B)　4. (D)　5. (A)
1. 第一題空格應選 (C)
理由:
a. 空格前引用名人安迪•沃荷的話說，每個人在未來都有成名十五分鐘的機會（when the future comes, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.）。
b. 而選項 (C) 說對凱爾•麥當勞來說，未來就是現在（For Kyle MacDonald...the future is right now.），兩句中均有關鍵字 future，且語意連貫，故為正選。
大補丸:
British Columbia　　卑詩省（位於加拿大西岸）

2. 第二題空格應選 (E)
理由:
a. 空格前說他的家人和朋友都嘲笑他要用迴紋針換房子的想法（His friends and family scoffed at the idea.）
b. 而選項 (E) 則說，他並非要直接用迴紋針換房子，而是要循序漸進的越換越大（instead of trying to trade a paperclip for a house directly, he was going to...until he got the house），語意延續前句說法，且前句中的 idea 就是指 to trade a paperclip for a house，故為正選。
大補丸:
a. instead of...　　而不／而非……
例: Instead of going out for dinner, can we eat at home today?
（我們今天可否不要出去吃晚餐，在家吃就好？）
b. a series of...　　一系列／一連串的……

3. 第三題空格應選 (B)
理由:
a. 空格前說幾天後，凱爾•麥當勞完成了第一筆交易，換到了一枝魚造型的筆（his first trade, a fish-shaped pen）。
b. 而選項 (B) 則說，從此之後，他又陸續換得其他東西（From there, he traded for a doorknob, a BBQ grill...），選項中所說的 From there，指的就是 his first trade，語意連貫，故選 (B)。
大補丸:
a. trade for...　　 交換……
b. doorknob n. 門把
c. grill n. 烤肉架
d. generator n. 發電機
e. keg n.（盛啤酒的）圓木桶
f. neon sign n. 霓虹燈招牌

4. 第四題空格應選 (D)
理由:
a. 空格前說媒體開始報導此事，甚至連 CNN 也來採訪（The media started covering the story and even CNN...）。
b. 而選項 (D) 說，在這些媒體採訪之後（After some press interviews），麥當勞又順利換得許多東西，語意連貫，且其中的 press interviews 與其前的 The media、CNN 相呼應，故為正選。
大補丸:
a. press n. 新聞媒體
b. interview n. 訪問
in an interview with...　　在與……訪談中
例: In an interview with the reporter, the politician admitted taking bribes.
（接受記者訪問時，該政治人物坦承收賄。）
c. snowmobile n. 雪上摩托車
d. in turn　　接著，因而
例: I told Sally my secret. She, in turn, told it to everyone else in the office.
（我跟莎莉說了我的秘密，接著，她就告訴全辦公室的人。）
e. exchange vt. 交換

5. 第五題空格應選 (A)
理由:
a. 空格前提到麥當勞換到了一年免房租的雙層公寓（one year's free rent in a duplex）。
b. 而選項 (A) 則說雖然技術上來說，這已經可以算是一個家了，但麥當勞還是想繼續交換一個他能真正擁有的房子（While technically this is a home...keep trading up for a house he can call his own.），語意承接上句，且前一句中的 duplex（雙層樓公寓）與選項中的 home、house 形成關聯，故為正選。
大補丸:
a. technically adv. 技術上地
b. trade up　　折價換購（同類中）更有價值的物品
例: Let's trade up and get a better car.
（我們折價換購一輛更好的車吧。）