The Sleeping City

沉睡的城市

    由地下岩浆喷出地面而堆积的山叫火山。经常喷发的叫做活火山；喷发后不再喷发的叫死火山。2 000多年以前，意大利Pompeii市附近一座沉睡了几百年的“死”火山突然喷发，整座城市笼罩在恐怖之中。要知 Pompeii市的命运如何，请看下文。

    Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii，Italy．They see the sights that Pompeii is famous for such as its stadium and theatres，its shops and restaurants．The tourists do not，however，see Pompeii’s people．They do not see them because Pompeii has no people．No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2 000 years．

    Once，Pompeii was a busy city of 22 000 people．It lay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano．Mount Vesuvius had not erupted for centuries，so the people of Pompeii felt safe．But they were not．

    In August of A．D 79，Mount Vesuvius erupted．The entire top of the mountain exploded，and a huge black cloud rose into the air．Soon stones and hot ash began to fall on Pompeii．When the eruption ended two days later, Pompeii was buried under 20 feet of stones and ashes．Almost all of its people were dead．

    For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stones and ashes. Then, in the year 1861, an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii．Slowly，carefully，Ginseppe and his men dug．The city looked almost the same as it had looked in A．D．79．There were streets and fountains，houses and shops．There was a stadium with 20 000 seats．Perhaps the most important of all，there were everyday objects，which tell us a great deal about the people who 1ived in Pompeii．Many glasses and jars had some dark blue color in the bottom，so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine．They liked bread too，metal bread pans were in every bakery．In one bakery there were 81 round，flat loaves of bread-a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today．Tiny boxes filled with dark，shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup．

Ginseppe has died，but his work continues．One-fourth has not been uncovered yet．Scientists are still digging，still making discoveries that draw the tourists to Pompeii.

    Notes

    volcano n. 火山  erupt n.喷发  fountain  n．泉水

1．A 1arge amount of people come to Pompeii ________。

   A．to see its famous stadium and theatres

   B．to see what it used to be

 C．to see its people

   D．to enjoy its delicious food

2．Pompeii was ________about 2 000 years ago．

    A．all empty city　　　　　　　　   B．a prosperous city

    C．an o1d city　　　　　　　　　　 D．a poor

3．The Pompeians who lived about 2 000 years ago ________．

    A．1ived more or less the same as Italians now do

    B．1ived quite differently from those who live in Italy

    C．felt worried about the grass-covered volcano

D．knew nothing about the volcano

阅读理解

The Sleeping City

沉睡的城市

    由地下岩浆喷出地面而堆积的山叫火山。经常喷发的叫做活火山；喷发后不再喷发的叫死火山。2 000多年以前，意大利Pompeii市附近一座沉睡了几百年的“死”火山突然喷发，整座城市笼罩在恐怖之中。要知 Pompeii市的命运如何，请看下文。

    Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii，Italy．They see the sights that Pompeii is famous for such as its stadium and theatres，its shops and restaurants．The tourists do not，however，see Pompeii’s people．They do not see them because Pompeii has no people．No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2 000 years．

    Once，Pompeii was a busy city of 22 000 people．It lay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano．Mount Vesuvius had not erupted for centuries，so the people of Pompeii felt safe．But they were not．

    In August of A．D 79，Mount Vesuvius erupted．The entire top of the mountain exploded，and a huge black cloud rose into the air．Soon stones and hot ash began to fall on Pompeii．When the eruption ended two days later, Pompeii was buried under 20 feet of stones and ashes．Almost all of its people were dead．

    For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stones and ashes. Then, in the year 1861, an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii．Slowly，carefully，Ginseppe and his men dug．The city looked almost the same as it had looked in A．D．79．There were streets and fountains，houses and shops．There was a stadium with 20 000 seats．Perhaps the most important of all，there were everyday objects，which tell us a great deal about the people who 1ived in Pompeii．Many glasses and jars had some dark blue color in the bottom，so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine．They liked bread too，metal bread pans were in every bakery．In one bakery there were 81 round，flat loaves of bread-a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today．Tiny boxes filled with dark，shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup．

Ginseppe has died，but his work continues．One-fourth has not been uncovered yet．Scientists are still digging，still making discoveries that draw the tourists to Pompeii.

    Notes

    volcano n. 火山  erupt n.喷发  fountain  n．泉水

1．A 1arge amount of people come to Pompeii ________。

   A．to see its famous stadium and theatres

   B．to see what it used to be

 C．to see its people

   D．to enjoy its delicious food

2．Pompeii was ________about 2 000 years ago．

    A．all empty city　　　　　　　　   B．a prosperous city

    C．an o1d city　　　　　　　　　　 D．a poor

3．The Pompeians who lived about 2 000 years ago ________．

    A．1ived more or less the same as Italians now do

    B．1ived quite differently from those who live in Italy

    C．felt worried about the grass-covered volcano

D．knew nothing about the volcano