【明報專訊】The fidget spinner (指尖陀螺) is a trendy toy that has become a craze around the world. The story of Catherine Hettinger, who was initially believed to be its inventor, has attracted interest from the media.

The American chemical engineer designed a "spinning toy" twenty years ago. She flew to Washington DC for an appointment with the US Patent and Trademark Office and secured a patent on her design in 1997. A toy manufacturing giant had been testing the design but decided not to produce it. In 2005, Hettinger was not able to afford the US＄400 (about HK＄3,120) fee to renew her exclusivity to the gadgets, and the patent lapsed. It was suggested in some reports that she could have become wealthy had she renewed the patent.

However, it was later revealed that the modern fidget spinner has little in common with Hettinger's initial invention, and the patent Hettinger once held would not have covered it.

(sources: Ming Pao, The Guardian, Bloomberg)

■Photo Story

The fidget spinner has become a popular toy in recent months.

■English highway﹕ giant

"Giant" may refer to a very large and successful company.

e.g. McDonald's, the fast food giant, has launched a new advertising campaign.

■Quiz

Answer the following questions.

(Answers on next text)

1. Is the following sentence true or false?

Catherine Hettinger has earned money from the recent big sales of the fidget spinners. (True / False)

2. Find in paragraph three a word that is similar in meaning to "disclose". Give its bare infinitive. _____________________________

3. What does the highlighted "it" in the third paragraph refer to?

a. Hettinger's invention

b. the US＄400 fee

c. the patent

d. the modern fidget spinner

4. Why couldn't Catherine Hettinger renew her patent on the toy in 2005?

_________________________________________________

■Glossary

patent (n) 專利

exclusivity (n) 專有權

gadget (n) 小裝置

lapse (v) 期滿終止

[Smarties' Power English Vol 188]