of novels and their readership and whose characters - from Oliver Twist to Tiny Tim- were held up as moral touchstones. Today Dickens' greatness is unchallenged. Removing him from the pantheon（名人堂） of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa.

　　How did Dickens get to the top? For all the feelings readers attach to stories, literature is a numbers game, and the test of time is extremely difficult to pass. Some 60,000 novels were published during the Victorian age, from 1837 to1901; today a casual reader might be able to name a half-dozen of them. It's partly true that Dickens' style of writing attracted audiences

from all walks of life. It's partly that his writings rode a wave of social, political and scientific progress. But it's also that he rewrote the culture of literature and put himself at the center. No one will ever know what mix of talent, ambition, energy and luck made Dickens such a singular writer. But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches, it is possible - and important for our own culture-to understand how he made himself a lasting one.

25．Which of the following best describes British novels in the 18th century?

A．They were difficult to understand. B．They were popular among the rich.

C．They were seen as nearly worthless. D．They were written mostly by women.

26．Dickens is compared with the Mona Lisa in the text to stress________.

A．his reputation in France B．his interest in modern art

C．his success in publication D．his importance in literature

27．What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A．To remember a great writer. B．To introduce an English novel.

C．To encourage studies on culture. D．To promote values of the Victorian age.

Arthur Miller (1915-2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary, drawn like so many others by the "Great American Dream". However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.

Miller's most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence（坚持，强调） on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is