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✶ 一張紙最多能對折幾次?Folding Paper: It’s Not for the Weak

Folding Paper: It’s Not for the Weak
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一張紙最多能對折幾次?
人們普遍認為,即使是世界上最強壯的人也只能將一張紙對折最多七次
>> 1.科學家在高海拔山頂發現老鼠「木乃伊」 2.恐龍滅絕之謎真相揭曉!
目錄 / Words for Reference / Words in Use / Practical Phrases / More to Learn / 中文翻譯&答案

Folding Paper: It’s Not for the Weak

科普園地

        How many times can a single piece of paper be folded?You can try it yourself. Take a sheet of paper out of a notebook. Fold it in half. That’s easy. If you fold it inhalf again, it’s still easy. By the fifth or sixth fold, though, you will probably find that it becomes impossible to fold. In fact, there’sa common belief that even the strongest person in the world can only fold a paper in half up to a maximum of seven times.

        Several years ago, a student named Britney Gallivan proved this assertion false. She folded a piece of paper in half12 times. How did she do it? Well, she wrote a whole book to explain the math behind it. In simple language, her strategy was to use an extremely long (1.2 km) piece of thin toilet paper.Later, a TV show called Mythbusters, which aims to uncover the truth behind popular myths and beliefs, also took up the challenge. They started with a sheet of paper the size of a football field. However, even with the help of many people and a forklift, they only achieved 11 folds. Some years later, a group of students managed to achieve 13 folds by adopting Gallivan’s method, but using an even longer piece of toilet paper.

        Why exactly is it so hard to fold a piece of paper more than seven times? Well, each time the paper is folded, it gets twice as thick. Four folds is 16 sheets thick. But 23 folds would be one kilometer thick, and 42 folds would reach to the moon.

 

 

1. According to the passage, what is the highest number of times a piece of paper has ever been folded?
(A) 7.
(B) 12.
(C) 13.
(D) 23.
2. Which of the following points is NOT made in the passage?
(A) The longer a piece of paper is, the more times it can possibly be folded.
(B) Gallivan broke her own record of folding the paper 13 times by using a forklift.
(C) The claim that a piece of paper can only be folded seven times has been proven false.
(D) There are mathematical reasons why a paper can only be folded a limited number of times.
3. If a paper is 0.2 mm thick, how many millimeter(s) will it be after being folded five times?
(A) 1 mm.
(B) 6.4 mm.
(C) 2 mm.
(D) 3.2 mm.

 

答案: 1.C 2.B 3.B

 

 

Words for Reference

◆   myth [mɪθ] n. 迷思

◆   forklift [ˋfɔrk͵lɪft] n. 堆高機

◆   mathematical [͵mæθəˋmætɪk!] a. 數學的

     mathematically [mæθəˋmætɪkəlɪ] adv. 數學地

 

Practical Phrases

1.    in half  對分地,分成兩半

      half [hæf] n. 一半(複數為 halves)

•   The vendor split the watermelon in half.

那名攤販將西瓜切成兩半。

 

2.    with the help of...  在……的協助下

=    with the assistance of...

      assistance [əˋsɪstəns] n. 幫助,協助

•   I learned many details about the artist’s work with the help of the guide.

在那位導覽員的協助下,我了解到很多關於這名藝術家作品的細節。

 

3.    manage to V  設法做到……

•   How do you manage to keep your room so clean?

你是如何把房間保持得如此乾淨的?

 

Word in Use

1.    fold [fold] vt. 摺疊

•   Alice folds her blankets as soon as she gets out of bed.

艾莉絲一起床就會將毯子摺好。

2.    maximum [ˋmæksəməm] n. 最大量

      a maximum of...  最多的……

•   This theater can seat a maximum of 300 people.

這家戲院最多可容納三百個人。

3.    assertion [əˋsɝʃən] n. 主張;聲稱

•   It is my assertion that we should give up on this plan because it is too impractical.

我主張我們應該放棄這個計畫,因為它太不實際了。

4.    strategy [ˋstrætədʒɪ] n. 策略

•   We’re working on a new marketing strategy for the product.

我們正在為這項產品研擬新的行銷策略。

5.    extremely [ɪkˋstrimlɪ] adv. 非常,極其

•   If you never take a chance, your life will be extremely boring.

如果你從不冒險,你的生活就會非常平淡無奇。

6.    uncover [ʌnˋkʌvɚ] vt. 揭露;發現

•   Sherlock Holmes always uncovers the truth by using logical reasoning.

夏洛克‧福爾摩斯總能藉由用邏輯推理來揭露真相。

7.    adopt [əˋdɑpt] vt. 採用

•   The boss adopted a new way of doing the work, hoping to increase efficiency.

老闆採用新的工作模式,希望能增加效率。

 

More to Learn

take up...  接受……(提議或挑戰等)

•   Only one person was brave enough to take up Terry’s challenge.

只有一個人夠勇敢來接受泰瑞的挑戰。

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

以下介紹 take up... 的其他意思與用法 :

a.    表「占據∕占去……(時間、空間等)」。

•   Carrie’s shoes took up too much space in her closet, so she donated the majority of them to charity.

凱莉的鞋子占了衣櫥太多空間,所以她把大多數的鞋子都捐作慈善。

b.    表「對……產生興趣;開始花時間從事……(某項活動或嗜好)」。

•   Why don’t you take up a hobby? You have a lot of time on your hands.

你為什麼不開始從事一項嗜好呢?你有很多時間可以利用。

c.    表「開始從事……(新的工作或責任)」。

•   All things considered, Barry decided to take up the new teaching position.

全盤考慮後,貝瑞決定接受這份新的教職工作。

d.    表「開始處理……(建議、議題或投訴等)」。

•   Some countries have taken up discussing issues related to climate change.

某些國家已開始著手討論最近關於氣候變遷的議題。

e.    表「就位……(準備做某事)」。

•   All participants took up their positions on the stage.

所有參與者都在舞臺上就位。

f.    表「繼續進行∕接續……(上次停止的地方)」。

•   The professor took up the speech from where he had been interrupted by a question from the audience.

這位教授從被聽眾提問打斷的地方繼續演講。

 

中文翻譯&答案

一張紙最多能對折幾次?

  一張紙可以對折幾次?你可以自己試試看。從筆記本中取出一張紙。對折。很簡單。如果你再把它對折,還是很簡單。但對折到第五次或第六次時,你可能會發現不可能再對折了。事實上,人們普遍認為,即使是世界上最強壯的人也只能將一張紙對折最多七次。

  幾年前,一位名叫布蘭妮.蓋利文的學生證明了這種說法是錯的。她把一張紙對折了十二次。她是怎麼做到的?嗯,她寫了一整本書來解釋其背後的數學。簡單來說,她的策略是使用一張極長(1.2 公里)的薄衛生紙。後來,一部名為《流言終結者》、目的為揭露常見迷思和看法背後真相的電視節目也接受了挑戰。他們從一張足球場大小的紙開始。但即使在多人和堆高機的幫助下,他們也只完成了十一次的對折。幾年後,一群學生藉由採用蓋利文的方法成功對折十三次,但使用了一張更長的衛生紙。

  要把一張紙對折七次以上到底為什麼會這麼難?嗯,每次紙張被對折時,它的厚度都會增加一倍。折四次就是十六張紙的厚度。但對折二十三次會是一公里的厚度,而對折四十二次的厚度可到達月球。

 

1.    根據本文,一張紙曾被對折的最高次數是多少?

(A)  七次。

(B)  十二次。

(C)  十三次。

(D)  二十三次。

 

2.    本文並未提出以下哪一點?

(A)  一張紙越長,它可能被對折的次數就越多。

(B)  蓋利文使用堆高機將紙張對折十三次,打破了自己的紀錄。

(C)  一張紙只能對折七次的說法被證明是錯的。

(D)  為何一張紙被對折的次數有限是有數學原因的。

 

3.    如果一張紙是 0.2 毫米厚,對折五次後會是多少毫米?

(A)  一毫米。

(B)  6.4 毫米。

(C)  兩毫米。

(D)  3.2 毫米。

 

答案:    1.     C      2.     B      3.     B

 

If a piece of paper could be folded 103 times...  如果一張紙可以對折一百零三次……

★    Fold the paper in half three times, and it will be about the thickness of a nail.

把一張紙對折三次,它會變成大約一片指甲的厚度。

★    Seven folds will be as thick as a 128-page notebook.

對折七次會跟一本一百二十八頁筆記本一樣厚。

★    Ten folds and the paper will be about the width of an adult’s hand.

對折十次這張紙會大約是一個成人的手的寬度。

★    Twenty-three folds will get you to one kilometer.

對折二十三次紙張厚度會達一公里。

★    Thirty folds will get you to space. Your paper will be 100 kilometers high.

對折三十次足以讓你到外太空。你的紙張厚度會高達一百公里。

★    If a paper could be folded 103 times, it would reach beyond the observable universe, stretching a distance of nearly 93 billion light years.

如果一張紙可以對折一百零三次,它就會超越可觀測的宇宙,延伸近九百三十億光年的距離。

 

>> 衣服髒了嗎? 洗衣服務了解一下 Stain on Your Shirt? Get a Laundry Service

單字片語整理

Words in Use
myth
[mɪθ]
n. 神話;迷思,錯誤的想法
maximum
[ˋmæksəməm]
n. 最大量
a. 最大量的
adopt
[əˋdɑpt]
vt. 採用,採納
vt. & vi. 收養
uncover
[ʌnˋkʌvɚ]
vt. 揭露,發現
extremely
[ɪkˋstrimlɪ]
adv. 極端地;非常地
strategy
[ˋstrætədʒɪ]
n. 策略,謀略
mathematical
[͵mæθəˋmætɪk!]
a. 數學的(= math)
fold
[fold]
vt. 折疊
n. 摺線
assertion
[əˋsɝʃən]
n. 主張;聲稱
forklift
[ˋfɔrk͵lɪft]
n. 堆高機
mathematically
[mæθəˋmætɪkəlɪ]
adv. 數學地
Practical Phrases
manage to V
 成功做到/設法做到⋯⋯

Jamie managed to contact the busy manager in that company.
傑米成功聯絡到了那家公司業務很繁忙的經理了。

in half
 平分,分成兩半

Steve split the watermelon in half with a knife.
史提夫用刀子將西瓜切成兩半

with the help of...
 在⋯⋯的協助下
= with the assistance of

I learned many details about the artist’s work with the help of the guide.
那位導覽員的協助下,我了解到很多關於這名藝術家作品的細節。

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