(II) The 2009 Summer Deaflympics came to a close on September 15. Thousands of deaf athletes ____26___ their coaches and families and friends enjoyed the gracious hospitality of the Taiwanese hosts over the___27___ of the eleven-day event. They games were also blessed with nice weather, which came as a pleasantsurprise after earlier reports had indicated that rain might dampen the occasion.This year’s Deaflympics kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony at Taipei Municipal Stadium onSeptember 5. Fireworks filled the night sky, and A-mei flew through the air on special cables ___28___ shesang the Deaflympic theme song “Dreams You Can Hear.” A special candlelight vigil was also held to mourn forthe victims of the Typhoon Morakot disaster. Then, the towering Deaflympic flame was lit, and the games wereready to begin.Twenty sports were featured in this year’s event, including badminton, soccer, tennis, and swimming, andthe competitions were held at venues all around Taipei. Taiwan did very well in these games, ___29___ 11 goldmedals, 11 silver medals, and 11 bronze medals. This placed Taiwan fifth overall in the medal standings andgave Taiwan its best-ever finish in the Deaflympics. Throughout the event, the streets of Taipei, ___30___ around Taipei Municipal Stadium, were filled withforeign athletes and visitors. Many of the ___31___ could also be seen running in local parks and training at  athletic centers around Taipei. The athletes ___32___ part in the games praised organizers for making   everything run so smoothly. In particular, the thousands of volunteers, many of whom ___33___ basic signlanguage and were always ready to help out with a smile, were frequently commended. The 2009 Summer Deaflympics came to an end with a ____34___ Taiwanese party. Morethan 350 round tables were ___35___, and athletes and guests were served a wide variety of Taiwanese specialties, includingsteamed dumplings, tempura, beef noodle soup, shaved ice with mango, and bubble tea. The Deaflympictorch and flag were then passed on to Athens, where will host the next event in 2013.
26.
(A) in addition
(B) rather than
(C) up to
(D) along with