Across the globe, symbols of good fortune come in numerous forms. The Irish gifted us the four-leaf clover and the horseshoe. In Thailand, white elephants are deemed lucky, and in many countries, a rabbit’s foot is a good luck charm. You can also add green bags of a coconut-flavored snack to this list, at least in Taiwan. These treats, called Kuai Kuai, are positioned adjacent to electronic equipment in the belief that they will __1__ it won’t break down.
Since Kuai Kuai was launched in Taiwan as a children’s snack, it has come to be used extensively to __2__ technological misfortune. Kuai Kuai can be seen in businesses, government offices, and elsewhere. At Taiwan’s foremost research institute, Academia Sinica, researchers put bags in labs to make sure everything goes smoothly. __3__ case in point is Kuai Kuai being placed in hospitals to help ensure life-saving equipment remains fully functional.
There are several theories about how Kuai Kuai came to be an auspicious charm for electronic equipment and machinery. It’s probable that the name itself __4__ the origin of this tradition. Translated into English, the snack’s name means “behave.” Hence, by putting Kuai Kuai next to high-tech machines, people are instructing them to be __5__. The color of the bags is noteworthy as well. Green is used to indicate “go” in traffic lights; as for machines, green buttons are pushed to activate them. It may be just a superstition, but it’s one that scientists, technicians, and other experts in Taiwan wholeheartedly believe in.
1. (A) predict (B) confirm (C) guarantee (D) recommend
2. (A) sort out (B) ward off (C) knock down (D) watch over
3. (A) Other (B) Another (C) Each (D) Such
4. (A) took for granted (B) made a fuss about (C) caused great damage to (D) played a big part in
5. (A) obedient (B) educational (C) informative (D) ambitious
