Zhejiang athlete promotes kung fu in Argentina

題材 體裁武術 新聞報道 3 8 7 ★★★文章詞數 難度建議用時6分鐘

The Argentina Citizens Martial Arts Club,founded and chaired by Chen Min and her husband Hong Wenwu,was awarded the honor of“Sports and Social Charity Certificate” by the city council of Buenos Aires,capital of Argentina.The awarding ceremony was supposed to be held in March,2020 but was postponed twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Born in Taizhou's Sanmen County in 1985,Chen Min started practicing Chinese martial arts at the age of five before she was enrolled in the Zhejiang Provincial Martial Arts Team at the age of nine as the youngest athlete then.Chen is a former National Games and East Asian Games champion.Chen went to study in Argentina in 2007.A year later,Chen and her husband Hong Wenwu established the Argentina Citizens Martial Arts Club.

Over the past 15 years,this couple has taught Chinese martial arts to thousands of people from various nationalities and races at the club,which has become the largest martial arts school in Buenos Aires.The club has developed more than 200 award winners.

A city councilor of Buenos Aires delivered a speech at the ceremony,saying that she and her child have been learning Chinese martial arts at the club for the past eight years.The mother and daughter were taking two online Tai Chi lessons every week even during the lockdown period when people were forced to stay home.She believes the club is like a big family that transcends national borders and political biases and shares a common love for Chinese culture.

According to Chen,martial arts are the second most popular sport in Argentina,following football.She has gone to great lengths to promote kung fu in the country.She has invited her students to attend Spring Festival galas and other traditional festivities in the local Chinatown,showcased her kung fu skills when she was a guest anchor on Argentine television channels,performed kung fu in local films and TV dramas,and shared Chinese legends in her lectures.

Chen has recently been preparing to hold an online competition for traditional Chinese martial arts,which has so far drawn more than 700 athletes from 22 countries.“This is a brand new challenge for me,and I hope to make more people fall in love with Chinese kung fu and culture,”said Chen.

Reading Check

1.What do we know from paragraph 2?

A.Chen was presented with a special award.

B.Chen was admitted into a martial arts team at 5.

C.Chen set up a kung fu club in Argentina 15 years ago.

D.Chen started practicing kung fu as the youngest athlete.

2.What can we infer according to the city councilor?

A.Her family learned Tai Chi until COVID-19 occurred.

B.Many people in Argentina like Chinese martial arts.

C.Chinese martial arts are the most popular sport in Argentina.

D.She loves the club sharing a common love for Chinese culture.

3.What did Chen do to promote kung fu in Argentina?

A.She shared Chinese legends on her micro blog.

B.She performed kung fu in local films and TV dramas.

C.She held an online competition for her foreign students.

D.She invited her students to celebrate the Spring Festival in China.

4.What does the text focus on?

A.Explaining Chinese culture.

B.Talking about a Chinese couple in Argentina.

C.Recommending a Chinese sport.

D.Introducing Chen's martial arts club in Argentina.

Language Study

Difficult sentence in the text

A city councilor of Buenos Aires delivered a speech at the ceremony,saying that she and her child have been learning Chinese martial arts at the club for the past eight years.布宜諾斯艾利斯的一名市議員在典禮上發表了講話，稱她和她的孩子在過去八年里一直在俱樂部學習中國武術。

【點石成金】saying...eight years在句中作伴隨狀語，saying后面接了一個賓語從句，時間狀語for the past eight years通常和現在完成時連用。