“Some day, there will be no Americans left in the NBA.” Said 12-year-old Xing Tao, who joined his school’s team two years ago, after watching Yao in a televised NBA game. “The players will all be Chinese, like Yao!”
To China Yao is a home-grown superstar who helped make the world’s first basketball league closer to Chinese players. To the NBA, the 2.23-metre centre offers an opening of a different sort into the world’s largest new market.
Yao’s NBA first appearance against the Indiana Pacers in October reached 287 million households in China. By contrast （对照）, there are only about 105 million households in the US. That game might have been a bit of a let down to Yao’s fans. He played just 11 of the 48 minutes, had two rebounds and got no points.
Compare that with his performance on December 19, and also against Indiana, Yao won 29 points and 10 rebounds. “This was one of the most exciting games I’ve had,” Yao said after Houston’s 95-83 victory.
“Yao Ming has brought the NBA closer to the Chinese,” said NBA spokeswoman Cheong Sau Ching, who is based in Hong Kong. “That makes the dream seem achievable for other people in China.”
The 22-year-old Yao is not the country’s first player in the NBA; Wang Zhizhi broke down that wall as a player with the Dallas Mavericks（小牛队）in April 2001. But Yao’s combination of modesty and his skills make him a favourite back home.
60．What’s the direct reason for Xing Tao to join the school’s basketball team?
A．He watched an NBA game
B．He liked basketball
C．He hoped to play for Houston Rockets
D．He had a dream that he would become a basketball star.
61．What’s the main idea of this passage?
A．Middle school students want to play basketball
B．Yao Ming makes NBA closer to China
C．There’ll be no Americans left in the NBA
D．There are many new stars from China in the NBA
62．What does “letdown” in paragraph six mean?
A．failure B．surprise C．disappointment D．sadness
63．Why does Yao Ming win more popularity than Wang Zhizhi at home?
A．He has performed excellently B．He is modest
C．His height D．A ＆ B
