Do you know any famous table tennis players? Who is Ni Xialian? At the age of 61, Ni Xialian, the oldest table tennis player, never felt out of place in Paris.
Ni Xialian was the former Chinese world champion player, but now she represents Luxembourg. She gave out her full strength against her much younger
opponent from her home country—23-year-old Sun Yingsha—on July 31, 2024.
After finishing her sixth Olympic appearance, Ni emotionally gave thanks by bowing to the audience and said at the after-match interview that her dream of playing again at the Olympics and competing with the world's top player had come true.
Before facing Sun at the opposite side of the table, "Aunt Ni" was invited to serve as a training partner to China's mixed doubles champions Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin before their face-off with a DPRK pair in the final game, because of the similarity of her technique to that of the DPRK's female player.
Throughout Sun and Ni's match, the CCTV commentators(解说员) kept referring to Ni as "Master Ni" instead of using her full name to show respect for her contribution to China's table tennis and also for her efforts in promoting the sport in Europe and around the world.
"I truly enjoy the shared slogan of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 'Games Wide Open'. To me, it means 'wide open' not only for any competitor who embodies(体现) the Olympic spirit but also for any performance or choice made by an Olympian," Ni said.
Not representing China though, Ni is still winning her home country's heart and, I believe, will always be cherished by China and the sport because the Olympics and its fans are increasingly inclusive.
(
B
)5.
新考法 写作手法 How does the writer start the passage?
A. By giving a fact.
B. By asking questions.
C. By telling a story.
D. By using a saying.
(
A
)6. The underlined word "opponent" has the similar meaning to "
".
A. competitor
B. partner
C. friend
D. relative
(
C
)7. Why was Ni Xialian invited to serve as a training partner to China's mixed doubles?
A. Because she is the oldest table tennis player.
B. Because she lost to Sun Yingsha in the singles match.
C. Because her technique is similar to the DPRK's female player's.
D. Because she is from China and she could try her best to give a hand.
(
A
)8. What does the passage mainly tell us?
A. It's never too old to be an Olympic hero.
B. It's never too old to do any sports.
C. The best hearts are always the bravest.
D. Success belongs to the persevering people.
3-4
