During most time of the 1930s, the Great Plains region was destroyed by drought and high winds. Howling across the Great Plains, these winds swept up the soil of the over-farmed land and created serious sandstorms of dust. These black sandstorms were so thick that daylight seemed more like dusk. Year after year having passed without rain, the winds continued to blow, and the dust swirled endlessly. During this terrible period, the region came to be called the Dust Bowl.

But the causes of the sandstorms weren’t just drought and winds. In a strange way, patriotism（爱国主义）was partly to blame. During World War Ⅰ, the U. S. government encouraged farmers to support the war by planting more wheat. As farmers increased their production, their own profits increased. Following the invention of the farm tractor, farmers plowed up thousands of acres of grassland and planted wheat. Wheat production rose fast, but nature soon turned success into disaster.

When the drought began, farmers didn’t realize that, by plowing up the grassland, they had destroyed the land’s natural protection against soil erosion（侵蚀）. As the drought continued, one powerful windstorm after another blew across the Great Plains. Crops dried up and were blown away.

Nothing grew for years. Eventually most of the rich topsoil（表土层）was blown away. As years passed, all the moisture（水汽）in the ground disappeared, leaving even the deep roots of trees in dust.

The Great Plains became a deserted place, as thousands of people fled to California to escape the dust and look for work. Most found only low-paying agricultural jobs. But there were those who refused to leave. For these farmers, a program encouraged them to make use of new ways that would protect the precious topsoil from eroding. But bringing the soil back to life took time, and the farmers still needed rain. Rain meant more to the farmers than it ever had before. It meant a future.

The news which the English examination will be reformed has caused a big“earthquake”in our country.  Many people, included students, are for it. But there is also some people who are against it. Personal, I think the reform had both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it can reduce students' learning burden and enable English to return back to its true function. On the other hand, it will cause students to spend less time study English and attach less importance to English. If so, students will not have good knowledge of English. What's more, if students don't have so a good ability, they will not be able to broaden our horizons and meet the future challenges.