Question

Pompeii(庞培)

In AD 79, Pompeii was a large city by the sea about 150 kilometres south of Rome. Ten kilometres to the north of Pompeii there was the beautiful and peaceful mountain, Mount Vesuvius(维苏威火山)。24 August was a holiday . At noon, happy crowds filled the streets. Markets and restaurants are full. Suddenly, there are a huge explosion. Fire was coming out of Mount Vesuvius. The peaceful green mountain had become a terrible volcano. A huge cloud of ash, small stones,rocks and thick smoke rose high into the sky. A strong wind blew the night. People  towards Pompei. Day became night. People were very scare. Not many of them could escape. Thousands of people were killed as they could not breathe because of all the smoke and ash. The eruption continued for days. The whole town was buried in ash over 17metres deep.

It was not until the eighteenth century that people began to dig down and discover what was left of this once great city. Because the explosion was so sudden, we can still see a lot of the old town of Pompeii. We have a very good picture of daily life was like in a Roman city nearly two thousand years ago. We can now see houses and streets, Public bath house and outside theatres just the way they were. We can also examine in museums many everyday objects-shoes, jewellery, bowls, and even food-kept safe in the hard ash. On the walls of many houses we can not only see beautiful paintings, but also read many personal messages written by ordinary people. One message says, ‘Publius(普布利乌斯)gives us good bread’. A schoolboy complains about fighting at school. A girl says the man who wants to marry her is too ugly. One humorous writer says,’Everyone writes on walls, except me.’ A poet, speaking of human life,wrote,’ nothing lasts forever. Though the Sun shines gold, it must sink into the sea…’. These sad words seem to talk about the sudden end-of Pompeii. But stone and ash have protected the city from people and from the weather. The city is alive again for everyone to see.

Question:

1.Mount Vesuvius was an active volcano to the north of Pompeii before the eruption, wasn’t it?

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2.What was Pompeii?

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3.Was Pompeii always a place dangerous place or a safe and peaceful city to live in?

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4.What really caused thousands of people’s death before they were buried in ash?

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5.What can we find on the walls of many houses in the once great city-Pompeii?

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6.Do you agree with the last sentence “The city is alive again for everyone to see”? Why or why not?(Explain your idea in 2 sentences.)

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Answer

1.No, it wasn’t.

2.Paompeii was a large city

3.safe

4.they could not breathe because of all the smoke and ash

5.We can see beautiful paintings and many personal messages.

6.Yes, We have a very good picture of daily life which was like in a Roman city two thousand years ago. We can now see houses and streets, public bath house and outside theatres just the way they were.

【解析】短文介绍了位于意大利罗马以南150公里处的庞贝古城。公元79年8月，维苏威火山大爆发，滚滚的岩浆埋葬了这座美丽的城市，数万人丧生。直到十八世纪，这座古城被发现，此后，经过了200多年的挖掘，这座沉睡了近2000年的城市重见天日，向我们呈现了当时的日常生活画面。

1.问题：维苏威火山在喷发前是庞培古城以北的一座活火山，是吗？根据文中句子“Ten kilometers to the north of Pompeii there was the beautiful and peaceful mountain, Mount Vesuvius(维苏威火山)”可知，之前维苏威火山是座美丽而安静的山，故答案为No, it wasn’t.

2.问题：庞培古城是什么？根据短文中的句子“Pompeii was a large city by the sea about 150 kilometers south of Rome.”可知，庞培古城是罗马以南150公里处的一个大城市。答案为Paompeii was a large city.

3.问题：庞培古城总是一个地方危险的地方还是一个安全安宁的城市？根据短文的第一段中的介绍可知，庞培古城曾经是一座大城市，一片繁荣景象，故答案为safe。

4.问题：是什么造成了成千上万的人在被灰掩埋之前死亡？根据短文中的句子“Thousands of people were killed as they could not breathe because of all the smoke and ash.”可知，成千上万的人因呼吸困难而死亡。答案为They could not breathe because of all the smoke and ash.

5.问题：在曾经伟大的城市庞培古城的许多房子的墙壁上我们能找到什么？根据短文中的句子“On the walls of many houses we can not only see beautiful paintings, but also read many personal messages written by ordinary people.”可知，在墙壁上我们可以看到美丽的画和许多个人信息。答案为We can see beautiful paintings and many personal messages.

6.问题：你同意最后一句话吗？“城市又复活了，因为每个人都看的到”。为什么或者为什么不呢？根据短文中的句子“We have a very good picture of daily life was like in a Roman city nearly two thousand years ago. We can now see houses and streets, Public bath house and outside theatres just the way they were.”可知，我们能看到2000多年前罗马城市日常生活画面。故答案为Yes, We have a very good picture of daily life which was like in a Roman city two thousand years ago. We can now see houses and streets, Public bath house and outside theatres just the way they were.