英语听力精选进阶版 14380

Pompeii under threat

Summary

3 March 2014

The government of Italy has called for an emergency meeting to discuss how to save the ancient Roman city of Pompeii from further ruin. It comes after new damage this weekend at the site.

Reporter:

Mattia Cabitza

Report

The newly appointed Italian culture minister, Dario Franceschini, is already facing a huge challenge: how to save one of the world's most treasured archaeological sites.

He's summoned officials from Pompeii to Rome to report on the state of the site, and explain why the wall of a tomb and part of an arch of the Temple of Venus fell down after days of heavy rain this weekend.

This is not the first time that the site has suffered damage. There was an international outcry in 2010 after a series of wall collapses¹ in Pompeii. The ancient city was completely buried in ash in 79 AD after a volcanic² eruption³, and rediscovered in the 18th Century.

Critics say that, having survived for two millennia⁴, one of Italy's most popular attractions is now being neglected.

1 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

2 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

3 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

4 millennia   

n.一千年，千禧年

参考例句：

• For two millennia, exogamy was a major transgression for Jews. 两千年来，异族通婚一直是犹太人的一大禁忌。
• In the course of millennia, the dinosaurs died out. 在几千年的时间里，恐龙逐渐死绝了。