North Africa

Africa is the second largest continent on Earth. It is about 8,000 kilometers long from north to south. It can be divided into three major regions: northern Africa, central Africa,and southern Africa. 26____

Africa is separated from Europe by the Mediterranea Sea(地中海). It is connected to Asia in the east. For this reason, it has been easy for people from Europe, Asia and other areas to come to North Africa. 27____

Most of North Africa is covered by the Sahara Desert. 28____ There is little rainfall here. The few people who live in the desert live in oases(绿洲). The valley of the Nile River forms one of the oases that stretch across the desert in the east.

Many North African nations have a very important resource. They have large deposits of petroleum. 29____ In return, these nations receive a lot of money. They are spending some of this money to make life better for their people.

Egypt is an important nation in North Africa. 30____ It has served as a bridge between Africa and Asia. People from many nations have passed through Egypt. Today, it controls the Suez Canal. The canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It is important for ships traveling between nations in Europe and Asia.

选项：
A. It has always been a great barrier to people traveling south.

B. This oil is shipped to many parts of the world.

C. Each region has its special geography and history.

D. Asia is much larger than Europe.

E. All these people have left their influence there.

F. About 40 million people live there today.