"Natural Disasters"
[A] COMPREHENSION::
Read the passage.
"Pompeii: Buried Alive"
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At midday on August 24, 79 A.D., the people of prosperous Pompeii, Italy were eating their lunch or going about their usual business. The bustling city stood at the foot of Mount Versuvius, an active volcano. Suddenly, an earthquake and a loud explosion rocked the entire city. Some buildings began to sway. Mount Versuvius had erupted.
-2-
At first, the people of Pompeii were not greatly alarmed as they expected the volcano to quieten after a while. Many continued to eat their lunch! But within an hour, thick black clouds from the volcano turned the day into total darkness. And without any warning, scorching rain and hot ashes fell on the city. A river of hot, boiling mud rushed down the volcano side and buried the smaller neighboring city of Herculaneum. As it approached Pompeii, most of its people fled. Those who shut themselves in their houses were buried alive in the boiling mud. Within the space of a few hours, Pompeii and Herculaneum were completely buried and destroyed.
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Answer the questions.
1. Which word in the first paragraph tells us that the people of Pompeii were rich?
2. How do we know that the people expected the danger to pass?
3. What were the signs of a volcanic eruption?
4. Why are volcanic eruptions dangerous?
5. What happened to Pompeii when the volcano erupted?
6. How many cities were destroyed?
7. Which city was first destroyed?
8. What happened to those who did not flee from the city of Pompeii?
[B] VOCABULARY
In the passage, "Pompeii: Buried Alive", there are 8 underlined words. Match the words with the words and phrases below.
1. __________ : shook violently
2. __________ : burning hot
3. __________ : busy
4. __________ : approached
5. __________ : base or bottom
6. __________ : nearby
7. __________ : frightened
8. __________ : totally
[C] WRITING
In three to four sentences: Tell us about your worst encounter of a natural disaster in your country.
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Source: English Lessons, SAP (Textbook)
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Teacher Mar