Winter in Vermont means skiing and snowboarding. This year, many resorts（度假村）have greatly upgraded their equipment, for example, they replaced many outdated snow guns with new, low-energy models. These new machines will also improve the quality of snow surfaces and lengthen the season, meaning this will be one of the best winters for skiing and riding in Vermont in recent memory.

21. What similarities do the first two places have?

A. They are decorated with lights. B. They offer snow sculptures.

C. They have three-day festivals. D. They are extremely cold.

22. Which city provides a good chance to buy a Christmas gift?

A. Harbin. B. Lyon. C. Lima. D. Vermont.

23. What's new to the resorts in Vermont?

A. Skiing and snowboarding. B. Updated equipment.

C. Cooking schools. D. A longer winter.

　Although Dickens is often known for inventing the modern idea of Christmas, Leech should certainly share the fame with him. It was A Christmas Carol, and its vivid illustrations(插画), which strengthened the idea in the public's mind that it was wrong to work on Christmas Day - something that led to the Bank Holidays Act.

　At the time, Dickens was still in his early 30s. His previous novel, Martin Chuzzlewit, had not been the success to which Dickens had become accustomed. Dickens needed a hit. With this in mind, he knew the choice of illustrator（插图画家） would be a key factor in its popularity. It was little surprise that he turned to Leech.

　Born in 1817, John Leech was already being called a genius at an early age. It was with the new publication, Punch magazine, that he found his spiritual home.Leech's work, along with that of his fellow Punch artists, was gentler and designed not to offend the readers. That is not to say his work was toothless - far from it - but his targets were less likely to be individuals and more likely to be issues such as poverty. That was why his works attracted Dickens.

　Strange as it now may seem, Dickens' publishers were less than enthusiastic, because Dickens was in debt and they didn't see A Christmas Carol as the way to turn this situation around. But Dickens insisted on cooperating with John Leech to craft (精心制作) a story with vivid illustrations that made up the shortage in length.

　Leech went on to further success and popularity. While many other artists have illustrated editions of A Christmas Carol over the years, Leech's work on the original has given him the right to claim that it was not just Dickens who was the man who invented Christmas.

24. What does the underlined word "this "in Paragraph 2 refer to?

　　A. The desire to succeed. B. A heavy blow.

　　C. The Bank holidays Act. D. Dickens' previous novel

25. What can we know about A Christmas Carol?

　　A. It was a short novel. B. It made Dickens world-famous.

　　C. It made Leech's talent recognized. D. It was the first novel with pictures.

26. Why did Dickens turn to Leech?

　　A. Leech's pictures attracted many famous authors.

　　B. Leech's targets were about individuals.

C. Leech was very famous at that time.