A
A sandstorm refers to a high amount of wind occurring in sandy areas, usually in deserts, where the wind speed is able to lift the top layer of sand from the ground, and push it in every direction. The sand involved in the sandstorm can reach heights of about 3.05m － 15.24m.
It is very dangerous to experience a sandstorm. Sand can get into the nose, eyes, mouth and lungs. If you happen to be caught in a sandstorm, you must protect yourself by wearing masks, scarves and so on.
If you're driving when such a storm approaches, it's advised that you pull off the road, since it's difficult to continue driving. This is also important since vehicles can fail in during sandstorms and you could end up stuck on the road.
Most sandstorms occur in spring, and during the daytime. Many of the areas around the Persian Gulf and the Sahara Desert are associated with the most serious storms. Since it's a natural phenomenon, it can't be entirely controlled. In areas that are natural desert regions, you can't always prevent a sandstorm. There's much evidence that the planet Mars has dust storms, and clearly, no human intervention (介入) is responsible for such.Though it can move whole sand dunes and destroy crops, a sandstorm is not without benefit.
语篇解读：本文是说明文。文章介绍了沙尘暴常发生的时间、地点和基本状况以及如何在沙尘暴中自我保护的一些建议。
1．According to the passage, the sand involved in the sandstorm can reach at most meters.
A．3.50 B．15.24
C．3.05 D．15.42
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句“The sand involved in the sandstorm can reach heights of about 3.05m — 15.24m.”可知，在沙尘暴中，沙子可以达到的高度在3.05米到15.24米之间，故B项正确。
2．If you're driving in a sandstorm, you'd better .
A．stop your car in the middle of the road
B．continue to make your way
C．stop and ask for help
D．stop your car on the side of the road
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第三段第一句中的“If you're driving when such a storm approaches, it's advised that you pull off the road”可知，如果你开车时遇到沙尘暴，你最好把车停在路边，pull off the road“把车停在路边”。故选D项。
3．The underlined sentence shows that, anyway, sandstorms are .
A．useful B．useless
C．harmful D．powerful
解析：选A 推理判断题。画线句表明，虽然沙尘暴能移动沙丘并毁坏农作物，但它不是毫无益处的。注意“a sandstorm is not without benefit”表示“不无裨益”，是双重否定表示肯定意义。故选A项。
4．According to the writer, a sandstorm .
A．is the result of human activities
B．can be prevented
C．can't completely disappear on the earth
D．can't be forecast
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据最后一段可知，作者认为沙尘暴是一种自然现象，不能完全被控制，也就不会完全消失，并且它也不是人为的后果。由此可知选C项。
