of flying down the hills excites people.

The Alps(阿尔卑斯山脉)in Europe is the most ideal place for skiing. The Rocky Mountains(落基山脉)in the Western United States is another good place.

Some people call winter sports 'royal sports'. That is because of their high cost. These sports always require expensive equipment. They also need high­standard places to be enjoyed.

Winter sports are not as popular in China. The southern and coastal areas have no skiing and skating. And the snow­blanketed northeastern and southwestern areas have very poor equipment.

But thanks to the efforts of the government, China has caught up with world class competition in short track speed skating. This is also true for women's figure(花样)skating. However, in alpine skiing events, China has a long way to go.

24.Winter sports are popular in places ______.

A. where it rains often B. near the sea

C. where there is a lot of snow D. among high mountains

25.Winter sports are called "royal sports" because ______.

A. excellent equipment are needed B. their expenses are great

C. the best skiers are great D. they need high­standard places to be enjoyed

26.Which of the following is true?

A. China's skating level is higher than Western countries.

B. China's skiing level is a bit lower than that of the world class.

C. China's women's figure skating is much lower than that of Western countries.

D. Alpine skiing level of China is rather low.

Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.

The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol (酒) in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.

Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don't make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may