AS IT IS 2015-12-30 What's Trending? #HoverboardFails

AS IT IS 2015-12-30 What's Trending? #HoverboardFails

Hoverboards were among the most popular Christmas gifts of 2015. They may have also been most dangerous gifts of 2015.

A true hoverboard looks like a skateboard without wheels. To “hover¹” means to float in the air without moving much in any direction. The popularity² of hoverboards began in the 1980s, with the “Back to the Future” movies. Characters in the second and third films used hoverboards as transportation.

This year’s popular hoverboards, however, do not actually hover. They have wheels. And, as it turns out, they are not easy to use.

Adults and children around the world suffered hoverboard-related injuries over the weekend. Many posted pictures of the damage on social media. As a result, the hashtag #hoverboardfails trended on Twitter.

Twitter user David Douglas posted a photo of both him and a young girl with casts for the broken arms they suffered on Christmas Day.

And Twitter user Erin Rafferty tweeted a video of her mother falling off a hoverboard, with the caption³, “Who let mom on the hoverboard?”

Falling is not the only risk with some hoverboards. They are also a fire risk. At one store in Texas, an employee tried to fix a defective⁴ hoverboard a customer brought in. The hoverboard then caught fire.

Studies suggest that some hoverboard brands have faulty batteries or plugs.

Many major airlines worldwide have banned hoverboards because of the fire risk. But some passengers did not hear the news. Australian actor Russell Crowe tweeted on Monday about his disappointment that Virgin⁵ Australia Airlines did not permit his children to take their hoverboards on the plane.

Major retailers⁶ are also taking steps to improve the safety of the hoverboards they sell. Amazon in the United States now only sells hoverboards from brands that have submitted safety standard documents.

The UK’s Amazon no longer sells actual hoverboards. It has also advised customers who bought unsafe brands of hoverboards to throw them away.

Words in This Story

skateboard - n. a short board that is on wheels and that a person stands on to move along a surface or to perform tricks

cast - n. a hard covering that is put on an arm, leg, etc., so that a broken bone can heal

defective - adj. having a problem or fault that prevents something from working correctly

submit - v. to give (a document, proposal, piece of writing, etc.) to someone so that it can be considered or approved

1 hover   

vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫

参考例句：

• You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
• A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。

2 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

3 caption   

n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明

参考例句：

• I didn't understand the drawing until I read the caption.直到我看到这幅画的说明才弄懂其意思。
• There is a caption under the picture.图片下边附有说明。

4 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

5 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

6 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。