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Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii, Italy. They see the sights that Pompeii is famous for—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 2000 years.
Once, Pompeii was a busy city of 22000 people. It lay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano(火山). Mount Vesuvius had not erupted(喷发)for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe. But they were not.
In August of AD 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 stone and ash. 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 AD 79. There were streets and fountains, houses and shops. There was a stadium with 20000 seats. Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue colour 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 a 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.
1. Why do large numbers of people come to Pompeii each year?
A. To visit the volcano. B. To shop and eat there.
C. To watch sports and plays. D. To see how Pompeiians lived.
2. Why had so many Pompeiians remained by volcanic Mount Vesuvius?
A. The city nearby offered all kinds of fun.
B. The area produced the finest wine in Italy.
C. Few people expected the volcano to erupt again.
D. The mountain was beautiful and covered with grass.
3. Why did the city uncovered look almost the same as it had looked in AD 79?
A. Because Ginseppe and his men dug it slowly and carefully.
B. Because the city was buried alive and remained untouched.
C. Because scientists successfully rebuilt the city with everyday objects.
D. Because nobody had lived in the city ever since the volcano erupted.
4. What do we know about the Pompeiians who lived 2000 years ago?
A. They lived more or less the same as Italians now do.
B. They liked women wearing all kinds of makeup.
C. They enjoyed a lazy life with drinking and eating.
D. They went back to Pompeii after the eruption in AD 79.
