On June 11, the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off in Mexico City. Co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, it is the largest World Cup with 48 teams. Although China’s team did not qualify once again, ____1____.

Chinese technology plays a key role. Hisense is the official VAR partner. It provides screens in the VAR room, ensuring clear images and true colors for fair decisions. Lenovo, another official partner, has supplied over 17,000 servers and computers. ____2____ The official match ball, Trionda, means “three waves”. More importantly, it has a smart inner part made by a Chinese company in Huai’an, Jiangsu Province. The chip records 500 touches per second, helping referees make correct calls.

Chinese manufacturing is also powerful. Yiwu, in Zhejiang Province, is the world’s largest wholesale market for small goods. ____3____ Wen Congjian, a sportswear exporter who has supplied goods for five World Cups, says orders have jumped two to three times, with Mexico and Canada among the top buyers. In Dongguan, Guangdong Province, ____4____ Just 2,026 pieces are being produced this year, each with a unique number. Making one trophy (奖杯) takes three months of handwork. The company’s sales are expected to reach $40 million, up from $12 million in 2022.

Chinese pop culture has also made history. Labubu, a popular character from Chinese brand Pop Mart, appeared at the opening ceremony. It was the first Chinese pop culture character to appear in a World Cup opening show. ____5____

From technology and manufacturing to pop culture, Chinese elements are present at every level of this World Cup, from the equipment on the field to the goods in fans’ hands and the characters on their screens.

A. Chinese elements are more visible than ever.  

B. They reduce live broadcast delay to under five seconds and power AI systems that show the referee’s view.  

C. It produces about 70% of World Cup-themed products, including footballs, shirts, flags and hats.  

D. Wagon is the only official maker of World Cup Trophy.  

E. It was widely criticized for copying other characters.  

F. This marked the first time an Asian country hosted the event.  

1.1.

A

B

C

D

解析：选A。A 题空前提到“Although China’s team did not qualify once again”（尽管中国队再次未能出线），形成让步关系，题空后需要出现转折，强调中国在其他方面的突出表现。选项A“Chinese elements are more visible than ever”（中国元素比以往任何时候都更显眼）完成让步转折的语义衔接。故选A。

2.2.

A

B

C

D

解析：选B。B 题空前说明“Lenovo... has supplied over 17,000 servers and computers”（联想提供了超过17000台服务器和电脑），紧接着需要说明这些设备发挥了什么作用。选项B“They reduce live broadcast delay to under five seconds and power AI systems that show the referee’s view”中的“They”准确地回指前文的“servers and computers”，并将设备与效果衔接起来。故选B。

3.3.

A

B

C

D

解析：选C。C 题空前交代了“Yiwu... is the world’s largest wholesale market for small goods”（义乌是全球最大的小商品批发市场），下文则引用外贸商人订单增长的具体数据。选项C“It produces about 70% of World Cup-themed products, including footballs, jerseys, flags and hats”直接引用原文，解释义乌在世界杯商品供应中的巨大份额，为后文订单激增提供了原因铺垫。故选C。

4.4.

A

B

C

D

解析：选D。D 题空前给出地点“In Dongguan, Guangdong Province”（在广东东莞），空后紧接着说“Just 2,026 pieces are being produced this year, each with a unique number”（今年仅生产2026件，每件都有唯一编号）。选项D“Wagon is the only official maker of World Cup Trophy”直接引出原文中该公司的名称和官方身份，使“地点—公司—产量”的叙述顺序自然形成。如果缺少这句话，后文的限量生产和手工耗时就会显得主语不明、逻辑断裂。故选D。

5.5.

A

B

C

D

解析：选G。题空前提到“Labubu... appeared at the opening ceremony”（Labubu亮相开幕式）并指出这是首次有中国潮玩角色出现在世界杯开幕式，选项G“It also appeared in the official theme song”中的“also”表示递进，进一步补充了Labubu在官方主题曲中的出现，从开幕式延伸到主题曲，实现了段落内部信息的并列推进。故选G。