高中英语 Module 4《Sandstorms in Asia》reading 文本素材 外研版必修3.pdf

Module4 Sandstorms in Asia-reading 素材 Giants and storm hit northern China 如果你生活在北方,你可曾目睹过沙尘暴袭来时天地昏黄、日月无光的景象呢？你可曾想过谁 是造成这种灾害的罪魁祸首呢？其实就是我们人类自己。 On March 10, 2004, strong winds from Russia’s Siberia kicked up clouds of dust and sand. Thus northern China was hit by the season’s first major sandstorm. The thick yellow glooms lowed traffic and forced airports and schools to close, giving the sky a yellow appearance. Northwestern Gansu Province was the worst affected area. One villager said, "There’s nothing to do but dig away the sand nonstop and wait to see what happens. Sometimes I dream of the sand falling around me faster than I can dig away. I worry that in real life, the sand will win." His worry is understandable. Every year, about 110 million people suffer from desertification and another 2,500 sq km turns to desert each year. Few people think of China as a desert nation, but it is among the world’s largest. What causes the terrible sandstorm? The answer is obvious. Years of heavy farming and animal grazing in the northern China are the major reasons. Due to this, the land of vegetation that protects the soil is disappearing. The exposed earth becomes a dust bowl easily swept up by the strong winds. As early as in the 4th century B.C., our ancestors began to notice the environmental problem. Chinese philosopher Mencius ( 孟 子 ) once wrote about desertification and its human causes, including tree-cutting and overgrazing. Our former Premier Zhu Rongji also called it "an alarm for the entire nation". He called on the whole nation to plant trees to fight the growing desertification. However, Chinese deserts are still on the move. Sandstorm threatens even Beijing. Beijing, which will host the 2008 Olympic Games, has told the world it will hold a "Green Olympics". The government has promised to make the capital into a "garden city"for the