A vast dust storm that blew in from the deserts of Australia’s red centre has blanketed the country’s largest city and eastern coast in a red fog，causing widespread traffic chaos and severe flight delays.
Residents from Sydney in New South Wales to Canberra inland and towns in southern Queensland awoke to a red sky and greatly reduced visibility after the country’s worst dust storm in 70 years blew in overnight. The Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House were covered in the red fog and hundreds of people were reported to have breathing problems. Children，the elderly and those suffering from asthma (哮喘) or heart or lung diseases were advised to stay indoors ,as even healthy adults reported itchy throats and a metallic aftertaste in their mouths after walking through the thick fog.
Commuters used face masks，originally intended to protect them from the spread of swine flu, to hurry across the blocked streets on their way to work. Some schools were closed and sports activities were called off as the conditions pushed air pollution levels to 1500 times their normal levels – the highest on record.
Passengers at the busy Sydney Airport faced delays of up to six hours for international flights and three hours for domestic trips，and even some international flights were cancelled as visibility was reduced to just a few feet.
Locals，phoning radio stations to express their shock at the red dawn.” It’s like a nuclear winter morning， tourist Peter Wilson told Daily Telegraph, It is so terrible. adding that when he awoke the sky was bright red and all the cars were covered in dirt.
The dust hanging over Sydney had largely cleared by midafternoon, although national carrier Qantas said severe delays would last all day because of direction-changed and late-running flights.
The sand storm，which measured more than 310 miles wide and 620 miles long， was caused by dust clouds blowing east from Australia’s dry places，which has been attacked by the worst drought on record. It covered dozens of towns and cities in two states as strong winds swept away tons of topsoil threw it high into the sky and carried it hundreds of miles.
【小题1】What was the face mask originally intended for? (No more than 10 words) (2 marks)[
【小题2】When did most residents of Sydney discover the vast storm ? (No more than 3 words) (3 marks)
【小题3】What do you think the underlined wordQantas is? (No more than 3 words)(2 marks)
【小题4】What is the main idea of the last paragraph ? (No more than 10 words) (3 marks)Protecting people from the spread of swine flu
网友回答
(答案→)Protecting people from the spread of swine flu
解析： 本文叙述了澳大利亚23日遭遇了70年以来最猛烈的沙尘暴袭击，一些城市均被笼罩在红色沙暴中。澳大利亚卫生部门发出健康警报，要求儿童、老人，以及罹患哮喘和其他呼吸系统疾病的患者待在室内，不要外出。出行的人们都戴着面罩，部分学校关闭，体育活动也被叫停。据悉，此次沙尘源于澳大利亚中部干旱地区，当天悉尼的空气污染程度为平日的1500倍，是迄今为止最高的污染指数纪录。悉尼机场的国内和国际航班均延误3到6小时，部分国际航班因为能见度太低而被取消。
【小题1】根据Commuters used face masks，originally intended to protect them from the spread of swine flu,人们戴口罩主要用来防止猪流感，故用Protecting people from the spread of swine flu。
【小题2】根据Residents from Sydney in New South Wales to Canberra inland and towns in southern Queensland awoke to a red sky 人们醒来后发现的，所以应该是在早晨，故用In the morning。
【小题3】根据national carrier可知航空公司，故用A flight pany/An airline.
【小题4】根据The sand storm，which measured more than 310 miles wide and 620 miles long， was caused by dust clouds blowing east from Australia’s dry places主要叙述的是风暴的原因，故用The cause of the dust/sand storm。