A sandstorm from Mongolia swept through northern areas of China on Monday and    1    (lead) to the suspension of classes at schools and flight cancellations. The sandstorm was the strongest in nearly a decade,     2    (affect) 12 provincial-level regions in northern China, according to the National Meteorological Center.

“At least nine people     3    （kill）in a heavy dust in Mongolia over the weekend”, the country's National Emergency Management Agency said. The airport in Manzhouli was also     4    (serious) affected and closed     5    safety reasons at noon on Monday, according to the city's authorities. As of 4:40 pm, Beijing Capital International Airport canceled 46 flights     6     Beijing Daxing International Airport canceled eight flights due to the sandstorm, according to the airports. Beijing Meteorological Service weather forecasters, some     7    ( influence) persons in this field, had an     8    (argue) over the sandstorm .The capital's educational authority has advised all schools and educational institutions    9    (stop) outdoor activities.

"Temperatures in Mongolia and northwestern China remained 5 to 8 C higher than the same period of normal years. Little rain in the region caused the dry conditions,     10     contributed to the sandy and dusty weather", Zhang said.

One day at The Dubai Mall, a workmate warned that a sandstorm was going on and suggested not going out. I didn't know    1     a sandstorm looked like and I told him I wanted to go out just to see it for myself. I received an    2     (astonish) look because he thought I was crazy to even want to see a sandstorm. I decided to go to the bus stop to ride a bus that would take me home. Another workmate joined me as he    3     (head) towards the same street as I was. We stepped    4     The Dubai Mall with our faces    5     (cover) in order to protect ourselves from the sandstorm.

On the way, the wind became much    6     (strong), which covered the city in a thick, brown-yellow dust. I could hardly keep my eyes open. It was really dangerous and frightening because there were so many cars on the road and it was already dark. At that moment, I would rather I    7     (not go) out.

    8     (fortune), the storm stopped afterwards. This was the first time I    9     (be) in a sandstorm in Dubai and I don’t ever want to be in    10     again.

China's national observatory on Monday issued a yellow alert for sandstorms in the northern part of the country. “    1    （start）from Monday to 8 a. m. Tuesday, affected by cold fronts and heavy winds, floating sand and dust       2    （expect）to sweep parts of several northern provinces and the city of Beijing,”     3    （forecast）the NMC.

Some regions in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Shanxi were hit by strong sandstorms. The capital Beijing was enveloped in yellow dust     4     Monday morning with visibility at less than 1 km,     5     followed an official yellow warning for the sandstorm. The sandstorm is the strongest and the most sweeping     6     in nearly a decade. Remote sensing images of dust in northern China show the dust from Mongolia     7    （gradual）traveled south with the airflow.

This wave of sandstorms is a result of the combined       8    （effect）of cold air and cyclones from Mongolia. “The combined action of the Mongolian cyclone and the cold high     9    （press）provided a strong impetus（动力）for the sandstorm,” said Zhang Bihui,     10     senior engineer with the NMC.