Frozen in Time

It was midday on August 24, in the year 79. There was a deafening noise, and the city of Pompeii started to shake. In the crowded market, shoppers screamed and pointed at Mount Vesuvius, the huge volcano near the city. Ash and smoke were shooting 30 kilometers into the sky from the volcano. After just two days, the city and thousands of people disappeared under more than 18 meters of ash. The great city of Pompeii was lost.

In 1738, workers were building a palace when they discovered an important building that used to be part of the ancient city. Soon after that, experts began to excavate Pompeii. Today, we know a lot about that terrible day. “The thick ash turned everything black.” Says Pompeii expert Andrew Wallace-Hadrill. “People couldn’t see the sun. All the landmarks disappeared.” The people could not see where to go or how to escape. Some people took money and jewelry and ran for their lives. Other people hid and became trapped in their homes. The ash did not stop falling. It got deeper and deeper, blocking doors and destroying buildings.

Around midnight, fiery hot clouds of ash, rock and toxic gas rushed down the mountain, and destroyed everything in their path. By 7 0’ clock the next morning, Vesuvius and Pompeii were silent. The terrible eruption was finished.

The ruins of Pompeii today are like a trip back in time. The volcanic ash preserved buildings, art and even the forms of people who died. You can see important buildings and beautiful homes where wealthy people used to live. You can see look into other peoples’ lives: Bakeries still have bread in the oven. Kitchens still have pots on the stove. Walls still have love notes, graffiti and other messages.

Now, almost 2000 years later, three million people live near Vesuvius. Pompeii is ancient history, but the volcano will probably erupt again. No one knows when it will happen, but scientists are watching the volcano very carefully. They will try to warn people of an eruption and prevent another disaster like the one that destroyed Pompeii.

Answer the questions about Frozen in Time.

1.     The title Frozen in Time means ______for a very long time.

A.     the city was lost

B.     the city did not change

C.     ice covered the city

D.     the weather is too cold

2.     What can we infer about the disaster?

A.     There weren’t any safe places to hide in the city.

B.     An earthquake destroyed all of the buildings.

C.     Everyone died in their homes.

D.     The disaster could be prevented.

3.     What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

A.     The eruption ended at 7 a.m.

B.     The eruption lasted all night.

C.     Many people died in eruption.

D.     The volcano erupted around midnight.

4.     What can we infer about the event from the bread in the bakery?

A.     The bakery was popular.

B.     People were buying bread.

C.     The event was sudden.

D.     People in Pompeii liked bread

5.     When do experts think Mount Vesuvius will erupt again?

A.     in a few years

B.     sometime in the future

C.     2000 years from now

D.     never

Background information

BBC之《庞贝古城的最后一天》：http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzgxNTgyOTAw.html

Vocabulary:

Vesuvius: 维苏威火山（意大利西南部）

landmark: 地标，里程碑

fiery：热烈的，炽烈的

ruins: 废墟

eruption: (火山)爆发

graffiti：涂鸦

disaster: 灾难

Comprehension key:

1 B frozen本身的意思是：冻僵的，凝结的，此时frozen in time可译为时光静止。

2 A 从全文可以看出，有些人逃走了，毁灭庞贝的应该是一场火山。

3 B 从第三段可以看出，主要内容是火山半夜爆发，到第二天早上7点结束。

4 C 从描述可以看出，面包店里的烤箱里还有面包，厨房里还有炉子烧着等等，这一切都说明这场火山爆发的非常突然。

5 B 从文章最后一段可以得知，火山将会在将来的某一天爆发，但是具体日子是哪一天不清楚。