Why read this: This B2 companion is a clear way into a story your students already half-know: a Chinese teenager, a relative's small factory, 600 pairs of shoes, and the global sportswear giant that grew out of them. The article keeps the central narrative arc and the strategic thread — manufacturing strength, a multi-brand strategy, and a careful push into Western markets — while reducing the named-entity load and unpacking the heaviest finance and idiom vocabulary. Because Mandarin L1 students bring strong background knowledge of China's economic opening, the reading lets them practise English business vocabulary in territory they already understand, and gives a useful anchor for later discussions about brand-of-origin perception and global trade.
What to notice: Three features carry most of the lesson. First, the chronology jumps between the late 1980s, 1991, 2007, 2009, 2019 and the present — point this out so students can map the timeline before they read. Second, the article uses several glossed business idioms and phrases (supply chain, production hub, multi-brand strategy, controlling stake, scaling up, eyeing markets, copycat goods, e-commerce push, home turf, zero-sum game). Get students to notice that each gloss explains a strategy, not just a word. Third, the writer uses gentle hedging — 'may not yet be', 'may be wary', 'may be whether' — to soften claims about Anta's future. Ask students to compare a hedged sentence with a flat version and decide which feels more honest.
Skills practised: Following a non-linear chronology and tracking a single subject across many noun phrases (Anta, the company, the brand, the firm). Reading business-news idioms in context rather than translating them word-for-word. Working with passive structures and relative clauses at typical B2 density. Drawing one or two inferences — for example, why a 'made in China' label might be a problem, or why Anta buys Western brands instead of just pushing its own name abroad. Using textual evidence in a short evaluative answer, the kind of move the open questions ask for.
"The Chinese sports brand taking on Nike and Adidas"
"How a high school dropout with 600 pairs of shoes built a sportswear empire to rival the West"
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
In the late 1980s, when China's economy was just beginning to open up, a 17-year-old high school dropoutdropout: Someone who has opted out of conventional society — 辍学者；退学者 took a train to Beijing with 600 pairs of shoes. His name was Ding Shizhong. The shoes had been made in a relative's small factory, and he was determined to sell every last pair.
He did. With the money, Ding opened his own workshopworkshop: A meeting at which people engage in discussion and practical work on a subject; a room used for making or repairing things. — 研讨会；车间；工作坊, where he started producing footwearfootwear: Items or an item of clothing that is worn on the foot; a shoe, sandal, etc. — 鞋类；脚上穿的物品 for other companies. He was one of countlesscountless: Too many to be counted; extremely numerous. — 无数的；数不清的 young Chinese entrepreneursentrepreneur: A person who sets up and runs a business, taking on financial risks — 企业家；创业者 who suddenly appeared as private business was allowed to grow under the watchful eye: close, careful supervision or attention — 严密注视；监管 of the Communist Party. But Ding had bigger ambitions than most.
That tiny workshop has since grown into Anta, one of the world's largest sportswearsportswear: Casual clothing that is comfortable to wear when exercising or partaking in sport; activewear — 运动服 groups. Anta is now the largest shareholdershareholder: a person who owns shares in a company — 股东 of Amer Sports, a Finnish company that owns several premiumpremium: Superior in quality; higher in price or value — 高端的；优质的 outdoor brands. This year, Anta also bought a stakestake: A share or interest in a business or a given situation. — 股份；权益 in the German brand Puma. Its long-term goal, which Ding spelled out: stated clearly and explicitly — 明确表示；阐明 in a famous 2005 interview, is boldbold: Showing a willingness to take risks; confident and courageous. — 大胆的；勇敢的: "We don't want to be the Nike of China, but the Anta of the world."
Anta may not yet be a household name: a brand or person known to almost everyone — 家喻户晓的名字 in the West, but inside China it is everywhere. The company runs more than 12,000 shops across the country and sponsors stars such as freestylefreestyle: A sports event where competitors can choose their own method of participation. — 自由式（体育项目） skierskier: One who skis. — 滑雪者；滑雪运动员 Eileen Gu. In February, it opened its first American flagshipflagship: The most important one out of a related group. — 旗舰（最重要的一家／一款） store in Beverly Hills, an upscaleupscale: Marked by wealth or quality; high-class; upmarket. — 高档的；高端的 districtdistrict: An area of a country or city defined for administrative or other purposes. — 地区；区域 of Los Angeles.
Anta's rise begins in Jinjiang, a city in the south-eastern provinceprovince: An administrative subdivision of certain countries, including Canada and China — 省 of Fujian. Foundedfounded: to start an institution or organization — 创立；建立（机构或组织） in 1991, the brand started life far from the glitz and glamour: shiny attractiveness and exciting style associated with wealth or fame — 奢华浮夸；光鲜亮丽 of Beverly Hills. The Chinese government had chosen the area to specialisespecialise: To become distinct or separate, particularly: — 专攻 in shoemaking, and foreign brands soon arrived looking for cheaper places to manufacturemanufacture: To make something on a large scale using machinery. — 制造；生产. Money flowed into Jinjiang. Thousands of factories, supplierssupplier: One who supplies; a provider. — 供应商；供货方 and logistics firmsfirm: A business or company, especially a small one. — 公司；商行 grew up around each other, forming a densedense: Closely compacted in substance; containing a great deal of matter in a small space; thick or concentrated. — 密集的；稠密的；浓密的 supply chain: the network of companies and steps that make and deliver a product — 供应链 that could turn designs into finishedfinished: Processed or perfected. — 成品的；加工完成的 shoes very quickly. By 2005, the United Nations estimatedestimate: To calculate roughly, often from imperfect data — 估计 that Fujian alone made nearly one in five of the world's shoes.
Anta grew up inside this production hub: a center where all the parts of making a product are concentrated — 生产中枢；制造中心. For years, it made shoes cheaply for global brands while quietly building its own name at home. It opened new shops and sponsoredsponsor: To provide funds for a project, event, or person, often in return for advertising. — 赞助；资助 national basketball and table tennis events. Brandingbranding: The promotion of a commercial brand of product in order to give it greater publicity and sales. — 品牌推广；品牌塑造 consultantconsultant: A person who provides expert advice professionally. — 顾问；咨询师 Wei Kan says Anta stood out because, unlike most rivalsrival: A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or superiority. — 对手；竞争者, it was a fully fledged: completely developed; with all the features expected — 成熟完备的；羽翼丰满的 operation: it could design, make and sell its own products. In 2007, Anta listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising about HKD3.5 billion — a record at the time for a Chinese sports company.
Anta is now eyeing markets: looking at (markets) with intent to enter or compete — 盯上；瞄准 in the West, but scaling up: growing a business to be much bigger or operate in more places — 规模扩张 abroad is harder than growing at home. Many Western consumers still see Chinese products as cheap or as copycat goods: products that copy a more famous brand's design — 仿冒品；山寨货. To get around this, Anta has used a multi-brand strategy: a business plan based on owning and selling many separate brands — 多品牌战略: rather than push the Anta name into every country, it buys establishedestablish: To set up or found on a permanent basis; to prove or demonstrate — 建立；确立 Western brands and lets them grow. In 2009, it took over Fila in China and turned it into a major earnerearner: A profitable product or scheme. — 赚钱的项目；摇钱树. In 2019, it bought a controlling stake: a share large enough to control the decisions of a company — 控股权；控制权 in Amer Sports. The strategy lets Anta reach customers who might be warywary: cautious, watchful, on guard — 警惕的；谨慎的 of a made in China: a product known to be manufactured in China; here used to refer to the negative perception some Western consumers carry — “中国制造” 的品牌（含贬义联想） label.
Being a Chinese brand still brings challenges. Eileen Gu, an Anta brand ambassador: a famous person who is paid to officially represent a brand — 品牌代言人, became a polarising figure: a person who divides public opinion sharply, with strong supporters and critics — 引发两极分化的人物 when she chose to compete for China rather than the United States at the Olympics. Meanwhile, rivals are stumblingstumble: To make a mistake or have trouble. — 受挫；陷入困境. Nike's e-commerce push: a major effort to sell products online — 电商扩张行动 lost momentummomentum: the impetus gained by a moving body or a developing process; driving force — 势头；动力；动量 after Covid-19, and US tariffstariff: A system of government-imposed duties levied on imported or exported goods; a list of such duties, or the duties themselves — 关税；关税制度 have hurt earningsearnings: Money obtained in return for labour or services; a company's profits or income. — 收入；收益；利润 for both Nike and Adidas.
Anta admits it has further to go. As one spokespersonspokesperson: A person who makes statements on behalf of a group or organisation. — 发言人 told the BBC, the global sportswear market "is not a zero-sum game: a situation where one side's gain must equal the other side's loss — 零和博弈." But the harder question, analystsanalyst: A person who examines data or situations in detail to provide insights or recommendations. — 分析师；分析员 say, may be whether Western brands can defenddefend: To protect from harm or danger; to speak in favour of. — 保卫；辩护 their home turf: the area where a company or person is most established and strongest — 主场；老地盘 as a confident new rivalrival: A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or superiority. — 对手；竞争者 arrives from China.
In the late 1980s, when China's economy was just beginning to open up, a 17-year-old high school dropoutdropout: Someone who has opted out of conventional society — 辍学者；退学者 took a train to Beijing with 600 pairs of shoes. His name was Ding Shizhong. The shoes had been made in a relative's small factory, and he was determined to sell every last pair.
He did. With the money, Ding opened his own workshopworkshop: A meeting at which people engage in discussion and practical work on a subject; a room used for making or repairing things. — 研讨会；车间；工作坊, where he started producing footwearfootwear: Items or an item of clothing that is worn on the foot; a shoe, sandal, etc. — 鞋类；脚上穿的物品 for other companies. He was one of countlesscountless: Too many to be counted; extremely numerous. — 无数的；数不清的 young Chinese entrepreneursentrepreneur: A person who sets up and runs a business, taking on financial risks — 企业家；创业者 who suddenly appeared as private business was allowed to grow under the watchful eye: close, careful supervision or attention — 严密注视；监管 of the Communist Party. But Ding had bigger ambitions than most.
That tiny workshop has since grown into Anta, one of the world's largest sportswearsportswear: Casual clothing that is comfortable to wear when exercising or partaking in sport; activewear — 运动服 groups. Anta is now the largest shareholdershareholder: a person who owns shares in a company — 股东 of Amer Sports, a Finnish company that owns several premiumpremium: Superior in quality; higher in price or value — 高端的；优质的 outdoor brands. This year, Anta also bought a stakestake: A share or interest in a business or a given situation. — 股份；权益 in the German brand Puma. Its long-term goal, which Ding spelled out: stated clearly and explicitly — 明确表示；阐明 in a famous 2005 interview, is boldbold: Showing a willingness to take risks; confident and courageous. — 大胆的；勇敢的: "We don't want to be the Nike of China, but the Anta of the world."
Anta may not yet be a household name: a brand or person known to almost everyone — 家喻户晓的名字 in the West, but inside China it is everywhere. The company runs more than 12,000 shops across the country and sponsors stars such as freestylefreestyle: A sports event where competitors can choose their own method of participation. — 自由式（体育项目） skierskier: One who skis. — 滑雪者；滑雪运动员 Eileen Gu. In February, it opened its first American flagshipflagship: The most important one out of a related group. — 旗舰（最重要的一家／一款） store in Beverly Hills, an upscaleupscale: Marked by wealth or quality; high-class; upmarket. — 高档的；高端的 districtdistrict: An area of a country or city defined for administrative or other purposes. — 地区；区域 of Los Angeles.
Anta's rise begins in Jinjiang, a city in the south-eastern provinceprovince: An administrative subdivision of certain countries, including Canada and China — 省 of Fujian. Foundedfounded: to start an institution or organization — 创立；建立（机构或组织） in 1991, the brand started life far from the glitz and glamour: shiny attractiveness and exciting style associated with wealth or fame — 奢华浮夸；光鲜亮丽 of Beverly Hills. The Chinese government had chosen the area to specialisespecialise: To become distinct or separate, particularly: — 专攻 in shoemaking, and foreign brands soon arrived looking for cheaper places to manufacturemanufacture: To make something on a large scale using machinery. — 制造；生产. Money flowed into Jinjiang. Thousands of factories, supplierssupplier: One who supplies; a provider. — 供应商；供货方 and logistics firmsfirm: A business or company, especially a small one. — 公司；商行 grew up around each other, forming a densedense: Closely compacted in substance; containing a great deal of matter in a small space; thick or concentrated. — 密集的；稠密的；浓密的 supply chain: the network of companies and steps that make and deliver a product — 供应链 that could turn designs into finishedfinished: Processed or perfected. — 成品的；加工完成的 shoes very quickly. By 2005, the United Nations estimatedestimate: To calculate roughly, often from imperfect data — 估计 that Fujian alone made nearly one in five of the world's shoes.
Anta grew up inside this production hub: a center where all the parts of making a product are concentrated — 生产中枢；制造中心. For years, it made shoes cheaply for global brands while quietly building its own name at home. It opened new shops and sponsoredsponsor: To provide funds for a project, event, or person, often in return for advertising. — 赞助；资助 national basketball and table tennis events. Brandingbranding: The promotion of a commercial brand of product in order to give it greater publicity and sales. — 品牌推广；品牌塑造 consultantconsultant: A person who provides expert advice professionally. — 顾问；咨询师 Wei Kan says Anta stood out because, unlike most rivalsrival: A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or superiority. — 对手；竞争者, it was a fully fledged: completely developed; with all the features expected — 成熟完备的；羽翼丰满的 operation: it could design, make and sell its own products. In 2007, Anta listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising about HKD3.5 billion — a record at the time for a Chinese sports company.
Anta is now eyeing markets: looking at (markets) with intent to enter or compete — 盯上；瞄准 in the West, but scaling up: growing a business to be much bigger or operate in more places — 规模扩张 abroad is harder than growing at home. Many Western consumers still see Chinese products as cheap or as copycat goods: products that copy a more famous brand's design — 仿冒品；山寨货. To get around this, Anta has used a multi-brand strategy: a business plan based on owning and selling many separate brands — 多品牌战略: rather than push the Anta name into every country, it buys establishedestablish: To set up or found on a permanent basis; to prove or demonstrate — 建立；确立 Western brands and lets them grow. In 2009, it took over Fila in China and turned it into a major earnerearner: A profitable product or scheme. — 赚钱的项目；摇钱树. In 2019, it bought a controlling stake: a share large enough to control the decisions of a company — 控股权；控制权 in Amer Sports. The strategy lets Anta reach customers who might be warywary: cautious, watchful, on guard — 警惕的；谨慎的 of a made in China: a product known to be manufactured in China; here used to refer to the negative perception some Western consumers carry — “中国制造” 的品牌（含贬义联想） label.
Being a Chinese brand still brings challenges. Eileen Gu, an Anta brand ambassador: a famous person who is paid to officially represent a brand — 品牌代言人, became a polarising figure: a person who divides public opinion sharply, with strong supporters and critics — 引发两极分化的人物 when she chose to compete for China rather than the United States at the Olympics. Meanwhile, rivals are stumblingstumble: To make a mistake or have trouble. — 受挫；陷入困境. Nike's e-commerce push: a major effort to sell products online — 电商扩张行动 lost momentummomentum: the impetus gained by a moving body or a developing process; driving force — 势头；动力；动量 after Covid-19, and US tariffstariff: A system of government-imposed duties levied on imported or exported goods; a list of such duties, or the duties themselves — 关税；关税制度 have hurt earningsearnings: Money obtained in return for labour or services; a company's profits or income. — 收入；收益；利润 for both Nike and Adidas.
Anta admits it has further to go. As one spokespersonspokesperson: A person who makes statements on behalf of a group or organisation. — 发言人 told the BBC, the global sportswear market "is not a zero-sum game: a situation where one side's gain must equal the other side's loss — 零和博弈." But the harder question, analystsanalyst: A person who examines data or situations in detail to provide insights or recommendations. — 分析师；分析员 say, may be whether Western brands can defenddefend: To protect from harm or danger; to speak in favour of. — 保卫；辩护 their home turf: the area where a company or person is most established and strongest — 主场；老地盘 as a confident new rivalrival: A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or superiority. — 对手；竞争者 arrives from China.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
According to the article, what did Ding Shizhong do with the money he earned from selling the 600 pairs of shoes in Beijing?
- 02
Reread the paragraph about Jinjiang. Why does the article describe the city in such detail?
- 03
What is the main idea of the article?
- 04
How does Anta's multi-brand strategy help the company sell to Western customers? Use evidence from the article in your answer.
Suggested length: ~80 words
- 05
Evaluate how strong Anta's chances really are of catching up with Nike and Adidas. Give at least two reasons from the text.
Suggested length: ~80 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
According to the article, what did Ding Shizhong do with the money he earned from selling the 600 pairs of shoes in Beijing?
- 02
Reread the paragraph about Jinjiang. Why does the article describe the city in such detail?
- 03
What is the main idea of the article?
- 04
How does Anta's multi-brand strategy help the company sell to Western customers? Use evidence from the article in your answer.
Suggested length: ~80 words
- 05
Evaluate how strong Anta's chances really are of catching up with Nike and Adidas. Give at least two reasons from the text.
Suggested length: ~80 words