BEIJING (AP) — Sandstorms whipping across China shrouded(遮蔽) cities in an unhealthy cloud of sand Monday, with winds carrying the pollution outside the mainland as far as Hong Kong and Taiwan.

     It was the latest sign of the effects of desertification: Overgrazing, deforestation, urban sprawl(无计划地扩展) and drought have expanded deserts in the country's north and west. The shifting sands have gradually moved onto populated areas and worsened sandstorms that strike cities, particularly in the spring.

    Winds blowing from the northwest have been sweeping sand across the country since Saturday, affecting Xinjiang in the far west all the way to Beijing in the country's east. The sand and dust were carried to parts of southern China and even to cities in Taiwan, 1600 miles (2600 kilometers) away from Inner Mongolia where much of the pollution originated.

    The sandstorm in Taiwan, an island 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from the mainland, forced people to cover their faces to avoid breathing in the grit(砂砾) that can cause chest discomfort and respiratory problems even in healthy people. Drivers complained their cars were covered in a layer of black soot in just 10 minutes.

     In Hong Kong, environmental protection officials said pollution levels were climbing as the sandstorm moved south. Twenty elderly people sought medical assistance for shortness of breath, Hong Kong's radio RTHK reported.

     The latest sandstorm was expected to hit South Korea on Tuesday, said Kim Seung-bum of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The sandstorm that raked(掠过) across China over the weekend caused the worst "yellow dust" haze in South Korea since 2005, and authorities issued a rare nationwide dust advisory.

    Grit from Chinese sandstorms has been found to travel as far as the western United States.

    China's Central Meteorological Station urged people to close doors and windows, and cover their faces with masks or scarves when going outside. Sensitive electronic and mechanical equipment should be sealed off, the station said in a warning posted Monday on its Web site.

    State television's noon newscast showed the tourist city of Hangzhou on the eastern coast, where graceful bridges and waterside pagodas were hidden in a mix of sand and other pollution. In Beijing, residents and tourists with faces covered scurried along sidewalks to minimize exposure to the pollution.

   A massive sandstorm hit Beijing in 2006, when winds dumped about 300,000 tons of sand on the capital.

1.We can learn from the text that           .

A. the sandstorms were purposely made by China.

B. the writer thinks that China government should be responsible for the pollution.

C. the sandstorms badly affected the air in US.

D. China's Central Meteorological Station will be closed.

2.The passage tells us that the sandstorms mainly came from      .

A. Xinjiang B. Hangzhou  C. Beijing    D. Inner Mongolia

3.The underlined word, “respiratory” (in Para.4) means         .

A. breathing   B. digesting     C. hearing      D. walking

4.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. South Korea seldom issues nationwide dust advisories.

B. Taiwan is 1,600 miles from Beijing.

C. Sandstorms have hit Beijing more than once.

D. In Hong Kong some old people need help for shortness of breath caused by sandstorms.

Some spiders hunt on the ground, others build webs to trap their food, but the grass water spider catches its prey by running along the surface of the water.

This special water spider lives on the grassy banks of streams where mosquitoes, damsel flies and other insects come to feed and breed.

Although it is one of the largest spiders in New Zealand, it has an unusual ability. It doesn’t disturb the water as it waits for its meal, and there is barely a ripple(波纹) when it skims(掠过) across the surface at lightning speed to catch its prey.

Grass water spiders deal swiftly with larger insects like damsel flies by pulling their heads under the water and holding them there until they drown.

After a meal, the grass water spider spends up to half an hour grooming(修饰) itself. It wipes its eight eyes, brushes its antennae(触角), and takes special care to clean the hairs on its body.

It is the hairs that trap tiny bubbles(泡沫) of air so that the spider can run down a blade(叶片) of grass and stay underwater for up to an hour when it is frightened. The hairs also keep the spider dry, even underwater.

It is only when the female spider is caring for the young that she does not hunt on the water. After mating, she produces a large egg sac(囊), which she carries around for five weeks. Once the eggs start to hatch, she attaches the sac to some blades of grass or a thistle. She then tears the sac open and releases the tiny spiders into the nursery web.

How does the grass water spider kill its prey?

A. in a web     B. by drowning      C. by poisoning     D. with its antennae

the writer describes the special spider as “special” because _______.

A. it walks on water                    B. it has eight eyes　　

C. of its hairy appearance             D. of the way it produces its young

The passage tells us that the spider ______.

A. feeds grass and thistles to its young.　　　　

B. lives on blades of grass under the water

C. lives in the grass on the banks of streams　　

D. eats a meal once every five weeks

The purpose of the passage is to _______.

A. convince readers that spiders are dangerous　　

B. indicate that the grass water spider is endangered

C. list all of the spiders that can be found in New Zealand

D. describe the characteristics of the grass water spider

Some spiders hunt on the ground, others build webs to trap their food, but the grass water spider catches its prey by running along the surface of the water.

This special water spider lives on the grassy banks of streams where mosquitoes, damsel flies and other insects come to feed and breed.

Although it is one of the largest spiders in New Zealand, it has an unusual ability. It doesn’t disturb the water as it waits for its meal, and there is barely a ripple(波纹) when it skims(掠过) across the surface at lightning speed to catch its prey.

Grass water spiders deal swiftly with larger insects like damsel flies by pulling their heads under the water and holding them there until they drown.

After a meal, the grass water spider spends up to half an hour grooming(修饰) itself. It wipes its eight eyes, brushes its antennae(触角), and takes special care to clean the hairs on its body.

It is the hairs that trap tiny bubbles(泡沫) of air so that the spider can run down a blade(叶片) of grass and stay underwater for up to an hour when it is frightened. The hairs also keep the spider dry, even underwater.

It is only when the female spider is caring for the young that she does not hunt on the water. After mating, she produces a large egg sac(囊), which she carries around for five weeks. Once the eggs start to hatch, she attaches the sac to some blades of grass or a thistle. She then tears the sac open and releases the tiny spiders into the nursery web.

How does the grass water spider kill its prey?

A. in a web     B. by drowning      C. by poisoning     D. with its antennae

the writer describes the special spider as “special” because _______.

A. it walks on water                    B. it has eight eyes　　

C. of its hairy appearance             D. of the way it produces its young

The passage tells us that the spider ______.

A. feeds grass and thistles to its young.　B. lives on blades of grass under the water

C. lives in the grass on the banks of streams D. eats a meal once every five weeks

The purpose of the passage is to _______.

A. convince readers that spiders are dangerous　　

B. indicate that the grass water spider is endangered

C. list all of the spiders that can be found in New Zealand

D. describe the characteristics of the grass water spider

Some spiders hunt on the ground, others build webs to trap their food, but the grass water spider catches its prey by running along the surface of the water.
This special water spider lives on the grassy banks of streams where mosquitoes, damsel flies and other insects come to feed and breed.
Although it is one of the largest spiders in New Zealand, it has an unusual ability. It doesn’t disturb the water as it waits for its meal, and there is barely a ripple(波纹) when it skims(掠过) across the surface at lightning speed to catch its prey.
Grass water spiders deal swiftly with larger insects like damsel flies by pulling their heads under the water and holding them there until they drown.
After a meal, the grass water spider spends up to half an hour grooming(修饰) itself. It wipes its eight eyes, brushes its antennae(触角), and takes special care to clean the hairs on its body.
It is the hairs that trap tiny bubbles(泡沫) of air so that the spider can run down a blade(叶片) of grass and stay underwater for up to an hour when it is frightened. The hairs also keep the spider dry, even underwater.
It is only when the female spider is caring for the young that she does not hunt on the water. After mating, she produces a large egg sac(囊), which she carries around for five weeks. Once the eggs start to hatch, she attaches the sac to some blades of grass or a thistle. She then tears the sac open and releases the tiny spiders into the nursery web.

1. 1.

   How does the grass water spider kill its prey?

   1. A.
      in a web
   2. B.
      by drowning
   3. C.
      by poisoning
   4. D.
      with its antennae
2. 2.

   the writer describes the special spider as “special” because _______.

   1. A.
      it walks on water
   2. B.
      it has eight eyes
   3. C.
      of its hairy appearance
   4. D.
      of the way it produces its young
3. 3.

   The passage tells us that the spider ______.

   1. A.
      feeds grass and thistles to its young.
   2. B.
      lives on blades of grass under the water
   3. C.
      lives in the grass on the banks of streams
   4. D.
      eats a meal once every five weeks
4. 4.

   The purpose of the passage is to _______.

   1. A.
      convince readers that spiders are dangerous
   2. B.
      indicate that the grass water spider is endangered
   3. C.
      list all of the spiders that can be found in New Zealand
   4. D.
      describe the characteristics of the grass water spider

Some spiders hunt on the ground, others build webs to trap their food, but the grass water spider catches its prey by running along the surface of the water.

This special water spider lives on the grassy banks of streams where mosquitoes, damsel flies and other insects come to feed and breed.

Although it is one of the largest spiders in New Zealand, it has an unusual ability. It doesn’t disturb the water as it waits for its meal, and there is barely a ripple(波纹) when it skims(掠过) across the surface at lightning speed to catch its prey.

Grass water spiders deal swiftly with larger insects like damsel flies by pulling their heads under the water and holding them there until they drown.

After a meal, the grass water spider spends up to half an hour grooming(修饰) itself. It wipes its eight eyes, brushes its antennae(触角), and takes special care to clean the hairs on its body.

It is the hairs that trap tiny bubbles(泡沫) of air so that the spider can run down a blade(叶片) of grass and stay underwater for up to an hour when it is frightened. The hairs also keep the spider dry, even underwater.

It is only when the female spider is caring for the young that she does not hunt on the water. After mating, she produces a large egg sac(囊), which she carries around for five weeks. Once the eggs start to hatch, she attaches the sac to some blades of grass or a thistle. She then tears the sac open and releases the tiny spiders into the nursery web.

1. How does the grass water spider kill its prey?

A. in a web     B. by drowning      C. by poisoning     D. with its antennae

2. the writer describes the special spider as “special” because _______.

A. it walks on water                    B. it has eight eyes　　

C. of its hairy appearance             D. of the way it produces its young

3. The passage tells us that the spider ______.

A. feeds grass and thistles to its young.　　　　

B. lives on blades of grass under the water

C. lives in the grass on the banks of streams　　

D. eats a meal once every five weeks

4. The purpose of the passage is to _______.

A. convince readers that spiders are dangerous　　

B. indicate that the grass water spider is endangered

C. list all of the spiders that can be found in New Zealand

D. describe the characteristics of the grass water spider