Maybe not. But Yi Jianlian had better get used to the lofty expectations. A lot of people on bothsides of the Pacific are hoping that the talented 6 ft-11 ins teenager will be the next Yao Ming. Eversince Yao electrified the National Basketball Association last season as a rookie fresh out ofShanghai, a slew of agents, scouts1 and shoe-company reps have been looking for a Chineseplayer who can follow the large — and lucrative — footsteps of one of the league's biggest draws. Yiwears size-18 shoes, just like Yao. But it is the glimmer of his vast potential — the explosiveslam dunks, the boyish good looks, even the mystery surrounding his age — that has catapulted Yibeyond where Yao stood at this point in his career.

　　Aside from Yao, two other Chinese hoopsters2 already play in the NBA: Mengke Bateer, a muscle-bound 6 ft-11 ins reserve center3 with the Toronto Raptors, and Wang Zhizhi, a lithe, 7 ft-2inssharpshooter with the Los Angeles Clippers. Another player, a rail-thin center named Xue Yuyang, 20, was chosen in the second round in June's NBA draft, but Beijing — rankled by his decision toenter the draft without official permission — has refused to let him test his mettle in America. Soinstead NBA scouts and agents are focusing on the crop of younger players, ranging from TangZhengdong, 19, to prodigy Chen Jianghua, 14, a 6 ft-1in ball handler whose dunks look likesomething out of a Jet Li movie.

　　Nobody, though, seems a safer bet than Yi Jianlian. Yi was discovered in 1999 on a playground inthe southern boomtown of Shenzhen. Barely out of grade school, he was already 6 ft-4 ins tall, abehemoth in a region known for its diminutive people. By the time he joined Guangdong'sprofessional Chinese Basketball Association ( CBA) team last year, he was an astonishing 6ft-11ins — and he could leap and touch a spot more than 11 ft-6 ins off the ground. ( The basketball rimis 10 feet high. ) As Yi mastered new skills — the midrange jumper, the baby hook, the reverseslam — he attracted the attention of Adidas. Eager to loosen Nike's hold on Chinese basketball, theshoe company flew Yi to New Jersey for its ABCD Camp in the summer of 2002 . He was the onlyChinese player there. “ It was an eye-opening experience for him, ”says Guangdong junior coachZhang Zhenming.“ He came back with a very clear vision of where he wanted to go: the NBA. ”

　　練習(xí)題：

　　Ⅰ. True or False :

　　1. Yao Ming is the only Chinese basketball player in NBA.

　　2. The biggest sponsor for Chinese Basketball is Adidas.

　　3. Eiffel Tower is located in USA.

　　4. Toronto Clippers is the name of a basketball team.

　　5. Jet Li is a famous American basketball player.

　　Ⅱ. Question:

　　Why did Adidas invite Yi Jianlian to ABCD Camp?