In recent years, people in Spain, France and the UK have seen something strange: deep orange sunrises and skies covered with yellow haze(迷雾). Sometimes, this even causes “blood rain”. These events come from huge clouds of dust(沙尘) from the Sahara Desert. The dust travels thousands of kilometres across the Mediterranean Sea(地中海), and as climate change changes the world’s largest
desert, Europe feels its effects more and more.
The Sahara produces more than half of the world’s total dust. When the weather is hot, dry and windy, tiny dust rises high into the air and moves across continents. The link between a warmer planet and this dust is complex(复杂的). On the one hand, higher temperatures dry out the land and speed up desertification(荒漠化), making it easier for wind to carry fine dust. Scientists say that if the earth keeps getting warmer, the amount of Saharan dust in the air could rise by 40 to 60 percent by the end of the century.
On the other hand, some sand and dust storms in the Sahara have become less common and less strong over the past 20 years. This is partly because there is more plant life at the southern edge of the desert. It is also because winds near the ground are getting weaker, and some large climate patterns are changing.
In Europe, Saharan dust does more than just change the colour of the sky. It makes the air dirtier, pushing fine particles(微粒) past safe levels. These particles, called PM10, can go deep into the lungs and cause health problems. Studies in Spain and Italy even show that Saharan dust may cause up to 44% of deaths linked to PM10 pollution.
Dust also brings other problems. When it falls on snow in the Alps, the snow becomes darker and cannot reflect sunlight well. This makes the snow melt faster. The dust can also make solar panels work worse and make it harder for planes and cars to see clearly. To fix this problem, experts say we need to plant more plants and protect the top soil in the Sahara.
()23. Where does the “blood rain” in Europe mainly come from?
A. A large desert in Africa.
B. Forests in northern Europe.
C. Factories in southern Europe.
D. Seas around the Mediterranean.
()24. How does climate change make the problem worse?
A. It causes more rain to wash away the soil.
B. It makes the wind stronger so more dust moves.
C. It stops plants from growing taller and stronger.
D. It makes the desert drier and produces more dust.
()25. What problem does Saharan dust cause in European daily life?
A. It cuts down local traffic safety.
B. It weakens the power of solar panels.
C. It makes snow in the Alps melt faster.
D. It pollutes farm soil and reduces crop output.
()26. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. How to stop the sand and dust storms
B. The Saharan dust affects Europe greatly
C. Climate change changes the Sahara Desert
D. Different problems caused by air pollution

23. A 24. D 25. A 26. B

【分析】
本题为英语阅读理解题，需通过定位原文细节、归纳文章主旨解答各题：
1. 第23题：定位“blood rain”的来源，查找原文对应描述；
2. 第24题：定位气候变与沙尘加剧的关联，匹配原文逻辑；
3. 第25题：定位撒哈拉沙尘在欧洲日常生活的影响，对应原文日常相关描述；
4. 第26题：归纳全文核心内容，确定主旨标题。
【解析】
23题：根据原文第一段“These events come from huge clouds of dust from the Sahara Desert.”，撒哈拉沙漠是非洲的大沙漠，对应选项A；B（北欧森林）、C（南欧工厂）、D（地中海）均无原文依据，故选A。
24题：根据原文第二段“higher temperatures dry out the land and speed up desertification, making it easier for wind to carry fine dust.”，气候变暖使沙漠更干燥，产生更多沙尘，对应选项D；A（更多雨水）、B（风更强）、C（阻止植物生长）均不符合原文，故选D。
25题：根据原文第五段“make it harder for planes and cars to see clearly”，撒哈拉沙尘影响飞机、汽车视线，降低交通安全，对应选项A；B（太阳能板）、C（雪融化）、D（农田）均不符合“日常生活”的核心问题，故选A。
26题：全文围绕撒哈拉沙尘跨地中海对欧洲的多方面影响展开，对应选项B；A（阻止沙尘的方法）、C（气候改变撒哈拉）、D（空气污染问题）均非核心主旨，故选B。
【答案】
23.A 24.D 25.A 26.B
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、细节理解题、主旨大意题
【点评】
本文为科普类英语阅读，围绕撒哈拉沙尘对欧洲的影响展开，考查学生快速定位细节、归纳主旨的能力，题目设置贴合原文，难度适中，适合中等水平学生练习。
【难度系数】
0.6