高中(學測,指考)◆英文題庫下載題庫

       A paperclip, made of steel wire bent into a hooped shape, is an instrument used to hold sheets of paper together. This common ____31____ is a wonder of simplicity and function. But where did this simple, cheap, and indispensable invention come from? 

       In the late 19th century, the most common way to hold papers together was by using a pin. Although the pin was an inexpensive tool and was easily ____32____ , it would leave holes in the paper. Later, as steel wire became more common, inventors began to notice its elastic feature. With this feature, it could be stretched and ____33____ various clip-like objects. In the years just prior to 1900, quite a few paperclip designs emerged. The name most frequently ____34____ the paperclip invention is Johan Vaaler, a Norwegian inventor. However, Vaaler’s clips were not the same as the paperclips currently in use. Specifically, they did not have the interior loop we see today. The ____35____ looped design was invented by Gem Manufacturing Ltd. in England. This clip is therefore sometimes ____36____ the Gem clip. 

        Because of Vaaler, the paperclip played an important ____37____ role in Norway. During World War II, Norway was occupied by the Nazis. Norwegians were prohibited from wearing any ____38____ of their national unity, such as buttons with the initials of their king. Thus, in ____39____ , they started wearing paperclips to show their solidarity. The reason for doing this was simple: Paperclips were a Norwegian invention whose original function was to bind together. After the war, a giant paperclip statue was erected in Oslo to ____40____ Vaaler—even though his design was never actually manufactured.