Hangzhou, China Millions of Chinese basketball fans who were upset about the retirement of Yao Ming, are excited
tosee another even more shining star, Jeremy Lin, rising from the N.B.A and becoming a popular name all across China.
"We are amazed by Lin Shuhao's magic performance and should cheer him on," one Internet user wrote.
"His sport shirts have sold out, even including the counterfeit(仿制品) ones," said Zheng Xiaojun, a 24-year-old
clerk.
Lin's amazing success over the last month has caught the imagination of the Chinese. He has been particularly
popular here in northern Zhejiang province, from which his grandmother went to Taiwan in the late 1940s.
Cai Qi, a well-known microblogger, posted a message on micro blog over the weekend stating that Lin's hometown is
Jiaxing, a city near Hangzhou where Lin's grandmother grew up.
Cai Qi's nephew Yu Guohua, a 56-year-old factory worker, is Lin's closest relative still living in northern Zhejiang. He
said in a telephone interview that Lin had come to play basketball with the Jiaxing High School team last May and had
been surrounded by admirers.
Yu said he did not have a chance to meet Lin in the crowd, but managed to speak with his family. "His father was
very supportive of Lin's playing basketball, but his grandmother was not, for fear he would be injured," Yu said.
Lin may owe(归功于) his height, 6 feet 3 inches, to his grandmother's family, Yu said. Chen Weiji, the father of Lin's
grandmother, was well over 6 feet and all of Chen's children were tall as well, he said.
The N.B.A. believes that 300 million people in China play basketball. The retirement last year of Yao Ming took its
main Asian draw away from the N.B.A. But Lin's appearance(出现) has helped the league(联盟) remain a hot topic of
Chinese online chatter.
1. Lin can play basketball so well may be because ________.
A. his father supports him all the time
B. he has many admirers
C. he is playing basketball in N.B.A
D. he is a lucky dog
2. Why is Lin Shuhao especially popular to people in northern Zhejiang?
A. He was born in Zhejiang.
B. His sports shirts are made in Zhejiang.
C. He once visited Zhejiang.
D. His grandmother grew up in Zhejiang.
3. We can learn from the text that ________.
A. Lin once played on Jiaxing High School team
B. All Lin's relatives moved to Taiwan 60 years ago
C. Lin's grandmother didn't expect him to be a player
D. Lin's father loved playing basketball
4. Lin's success in N.B.A has ________.
A. attracted more Chinese children to play basketball as a career(生涯)
B. drawn(拖) Chinese people's attention back to the league
C. helped his hometown develop sports shirts business
D. helped his hometown attract more foreign visitors
5. Which is the best title of the report?
A. The Secret of Lin's Success
B. Lin, A New Focus(焦点) in China
C. Lin and His Family
D. Chinese Players in N.B.A
