Text Analysis

1.Theme

The natural disaster, the volcanic eruption destroyed Pompeii more than 2,000 years ago, but now the buried city is returned to us almost intact.

2.Structure

1)Part 1 (Paras. 1-7): A brief account of Pompeii before and after the eruption of AD 79.

2)Part 2 (Paras.8-20): A recount of what happened on the day of the eruption.

3.Questions

1)What was Pompeii like before it was destroyed? How do you account for its prosperity?

2)When exactly did the terrible event take place? How does the author describe the city and the people before the eruption? What were they doing?

3)Did the people of Pompeii know what was happening when they heard the terrible explosion from Mount Vesuvius? What did they think it was?

4)The deadly shower of stones and ash went into the second day. It never stopped, but the author said that it did not matter to Pompeii whether it continued another day or another year. Why did he say that?

4.Further Discussion

●Why do people write about such terrible natural disasters? Aren’t these gruesome stories better forgotten?

●How do you explain the strong interest people show in the terrible mass sufferings of other human beings?

●Are there any useful purposes to be served in recalling these stories? If yes, what might they be?

●Can we learn from these past events and finally learn to conquer nature?

●Many people believe that human beings need to have a sense of humanity toward nature. Do you share this feeling?