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.
Winds blowing from the northwest have been sweeping sand across the country since Saturday. 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, 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. 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 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(气象）Station urged people to close doors and windows, and cover their faces with masks or scarves when going outside. In Beijing, residents and tourists with faces covered walked 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.
72. The passage tells us that the sandstorms mainly came from .
A. Xinjiang B. Hangzhou C. Beijing D. Inner Mongolia
73. The underlined word, “respiratory” (in Para.4) means .
A. breathing B. digesting C. hearing D. walking
74. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. It is not so common for South Korea to issue a nationwide dust advisory.
B. Taiwan is 1,600 kilometers from Inner Mongolia, where the pollution originated.
C. It is not the first time that Beijing has been hit by a sandstorm in history.
D. In Hong Kong some old people need help for shortness of breath caused by sandstorms.
75. We can infer from the text that .
A. the sandstorms were purposely made by China
B. China was to blame for the pollution
C. the sandstorms badly affected the air quality in US
D. China's Central Meteorological Station will be closed