1.volcano2.rise3.at such a distance4.Mount Vesuvius5.dark spot6.dirt and ash7.sight8.flee9.urge10.rescue11.call for courage12.sulphur13.pillow

1. 火山2. 升起，上升3. 从这么远的距离4. 维苏威山5. 黑团，黑点6. 泥土和尘埃7. 情景8. 逃走，逃避9. 催促10.营救11.需要勇气12.硫磺13.枕头

1.volcano2.rise3.at such a distance4.Mount Vesuvius5.dark spot6.dirt and ash7.sight8.flee9.urge10.rescue11.call for courage12.sulphur13.pillow

1. 火山2. 升起，上升3. 从这么远的距离4. 维苏威山5. 黑团，黑点6. 泥土和尘埃7. 情景8. 逃走，逃避9. 催促10.营救11.需要勇气12.硫磺13.枕头

1. 火山2. 升起，上升3. 从这么远的距离4. 维苏威山5. 黑团，黑点6. 泥土和尘埃7. 情景8. 逃走，逃避9. 催促10.营救11.需要勇气12.硫磺13.枕头

Under the volcano

Do you know how a volcano is formed?

The rocks under the earth become hotter and hotter and erupt from the mountain.

Where is the most possible place that a volcano may erupt?

Near the oceans

gas

liquid

solid

lava( 熔浆）

vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrogen( 氮） , sulfur （硫） , etc.

bits of rock and volcanic ashes, etc.

What can we see when a volcano erupt ?

Mount Vesuvius, which is probably the most famous volcano in the world, is situated just above the Gulf of Naples in southern Italy. Vesuvius also happens to be the only active volcano located on the mainland of Europe.

Background

Vesuvius

the town of

Pompeii (relics)

two thousand years ago

Do you know what happened during this natural disaster?

You can find the fact of this disaster from this letter.

Where?

Under the Volcano

What happened?

When?

Who?

The end?

Listen & Find

What happened

When

Where

The hero

The end

The volcano erupted

On the 24th of August in 79 AD

in southern Italy.

Uncle Pliny

Uncle Pliny died the next day after the eruption of the volcano.

Pliny the Elder

◆a Roman nobleman, scientist and historian who died in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD

Additional informationUncle Pliny: • He was an important man in the Roman

Empire. • He was a leader of the army in southern Italy. • He was also a writer who wrote more than

160 books, many of which were saved. • He is most famous for his books on Natural

History. • He died in 76 AD when he set out to observe

the volcanic eruption and rescue people.

Young Pliny• He was adopted by Pliny the Elder as his

nephew when he was 14 in 76 AD.• He also became an important writer himself.• He was known to be honest and modest.• He was most famous for his letters.

Tacitus:

•He was a historian.

•He asked Young Pliny about the eruption because he wanted to the information in one of his books.

Fast-reading• Try to find out the

characters in the text. Who are they and what’s the relationship between them?

Find out the characters and the relationship between them

Uncle Pliny Rectina

Young Pliny Pompy

TacitusYoung Pliny’s mother

the captain

his uncle

his friend’s wife

his friend

his friend

Fill in the chart belowDate: What happened:

First Pliny’s mother

Next Pliny’s uncle

Then Pliny’s uncle

Finally Pliny’s uncle

24 of August in 79 Eruption of the Mount Vesuvius

drew their attention to a strange cloud rising from a mountain.

sailed to rescue his friend’s wife Rectina.

went to help his friend Pompy.

died in the disaster.

Decide whether the following sentences are true or false.

1. A volcano erupted on the 24th of August in 79 BC in southern Italy.

2. My uncle first planned to save his friend’s wife Rectina.

3. My uncle went to rescue Pompy after saving Rectina.

4. The flames came from the homes of farmers who had left in a panic with the kitchen fires still on.

5. They decided to try the open air instead of staying in the house.

6. It was night when the volcano erupted.

( F )

( F )( T )

( F )

( T ) ( F

)

Task 1.Read this letter once again, and explain what the words in bold refer to.

1. The sight of it awoke the scientist in my uncle to go and see it from closer at hand.(par.2)

2.He had to wait for a good wind, blowing the other way than the one that carried(par.5)…

3.In order to help the other calm down, he(Par.5)

4Their light scared people but my uncle(par.5)…

5They discussed what to do(Par.5):…

a cloud of unusual size and shape

a good wind

Pompy flames’s

Pliny Pompy and their friends

Scan the text and try to divide the letter into several parts and find out the main idea for each part.

Part one(par.__): _____________________

Part two(par.__):_____________________

Part three(par.__): ____________________

Part four(par.__):______________________

The purpose of writing the letter

when and where the disaster happened

What Pliny’s uncle do during that time

Conclusion of the letter

1

2

3-6

7

Difficult sentences

• The sight of it awoke the scientist in my uncle to go and see …

• What started out as a trip for knowledge now called for courage.

arise my uncle’s curiosity

The trip was started first for knowledge, but now it needed courage.

Difficult sentences

• Ash and bits of rock that were burnt black were falling onto the ship now, darker and more, the closer they went.

• Upon arrival, my uncle hugged Pompy.

The closer they went near Mount Vesuvius, the darker and more the burnt rock became.

As soon as he arrived, …

Difficult sentences

• He looked more asleep than dead.

• …for it’s one thing to write a letter, another to write history.

He looked as if he was sleeping, not dead.

To write a letter is one thing, while to write history is anther.

Why did the writer write the letter?

• Because his friend Tacitus asked him to write him something about the death of his uncle Pliny. He wanted to write a history book.

scanPara2:

1.Who in my family took notice of the terrible sight first?

2. What was the sight?

3. What did my

uncle decide to do?

My mother

A cloud of unusual size and shape.

To go and see it from closer at hand

Para3:

4. From whom did the author’s uncle get the letter?

5. Where was Rectina’s house?

6. What did Rectina ask uncle to do?

From his friend’s wife Rectina.

At the foot of Vesuvius.

To save her.

Para4:

7. After rescuing Rectina, what did he do?

He wanted to rescue his friend Pompy.

Para5:8. Why did the author’s uncle

ask to be taken to bathe?

9. After the flames lighted, what did they decided to do, to stay in or to go outside?

To help the other calm down.

To go outside.

Para6:

They tied _______ on top the their_____as protection against the shower of rocks. It was quite dark, they carried _______. Then came a smell of______, and then flames. And my uncle immediately fell down ____.

pillows heads

torchessulphur

dead

gas

liquid

solid

Lava(熔岩 )

vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrogen(氮 ),sulphur(硫磺 ), etc.

bits of rock and volcanic ash, etc.

Do you know how a volcano works?

How does a volcano work?

The inside of the earth is so hot that the rocks have melted and become liquid.

The melted rocks inside the earth try to get out of the earth just like boiling water getting out of a kettle( 煮开水的壶） .

In some places the outside of the earth is thin and weak so the hot melted rocks which we call lava( 火山熔岩 ) push out. That’s called erupting volcano.

Reading comprehension:1. From the text, we can learn that Tacitus _____ .

A. was a history writer B. worked for the local police C. was a close friend of Pliny D. did research into volcanoes and earthquakes

A

2. “The sight of it awoke the scientist in my uncle to go and see it from closer at hand.” The underlined part refer to _____ .

A. Mount Vesuvius; the uncle of the writer B. a mountain in the distance; Pliny the elder C. a cloud of unusual size and shape; qualities of a scientist like curiosity D. dark spot of dirt and ash; knowledge of a scientist3. The writer didn’t think his uncle was afraid on the tri

p to Vesuvius because _____ . A. he had to rescue his friend’s wife Rectina B. he went to a place from which others were fleeing C. he knew well how to survive a volcano eruption D. he was calm enough to write a report about what he observed

C

D

4. What does the writer mean with the last sentence of the letter? ( )

A. It is no easy task to be history writer. B. He reminds Tacitus of his uncle’s bravery. C. He’s sorry that he can’t tell Tacitus more about eruption. D. He leaves it for Tacitus to decide which parts are important for his history book.

D

The author’s uncle Pliny went to the place from which others were running away, and after rescuing Rectina, he turned back to save his friend Pompy.

Do you think his actions are wise or not?

If you were uncle Pliny, would you go to the place to save your friend?

No matter whether his actions are wise or not, what can we learn from uncle Pliny?

Courage to face the danger, his calmness whenFacing the danger.

A friend in need is a friend indeed

*** Read the letter Para. 2--6 again, and retell the story according to this following picture.

Friend’s wife

His friend

Homework:

Finish post-reading

Volcanoes & Earthquakes

Bad weather:

Hurricanes & Typhoons

Words used in both

destruction, fire, heat, quake, shake, break, mountain, steam, flow, scale of Richter, roar, etc.

storm, rain, wind speed, clouds, waves, blow away, fall, sky, sweep away, thunder, lightning, etc.

disaster, rescue, safety measures, predict, prevent, injury, damage, destroy, terrible, unexpected, power, fear, grief, fall down hospital, ambulance, doctor, scientist, etc.

Words & expressions describing natural

disasters:

Find the following quickly and try to understand the text:

(W)1. share your ideas with (L) 2. Great Lakes 3. beginwith (S) 4. in circles 5. sweep up 6. know about 7. be scared to death 8. get into a total panic 9. pull off 10.go up in the air 11. stand on end (R)12. an unforgettabledisaster 13. draw one’s attention to 14. rise from 15. athand 16. dark spots of dirt and ash 17. at the sight of18. at the foot of 19. no way out 20. start out 21. call for courage 22. flee from 23. hold his course directly into24. bits of rock 25. on the other side of 26. a good wind27. upon arrival 28. calm down 29. it seemed as if 30. light up 31. in a panic 32. the open air 33. a rain/showerof rocks 34. a smell of 35. immediately fall down dead36. He looked more asleep than dead. 37. pick out

What’s the relation between human beings and nature?

We can’t go against nature. We should live in harmony with

the nature.

DiDiscussion:scussion:

• Did uncle Pliny run away when Mount Vesuvius began to erupt? What did he decided to do and why?

• Was uncle Pliny afraid when he went to save Rictina? What else did uncle Pliny do?

• Do you think uncle Pliny went to save Pompy immediately after he had savd Rectina?

• What did uncle Pliny do to calm Pompy down when he went to rescue him?

• Can you say something to describe the situation then?• What happened to uncle Pliny then?

Read the text carefully and answer the following questions

1. Did uncle Pliny run away when Mount Vesuvius began to erupt?

What did he decided to do then and why?No, he didn’t. He decided to go and see Mount Vesuvius from closer at hand, because the sight of the cloud of unusual size and shape awoke the scientist in him.

2. Was uncle Pliny afraid when he went to save Rictina? What else did uncle Pliny do?

No, he was not afraid, because he wrote a report about all he observed during his trip.

3. Do you think uncle Pliny went to save Pompy immediately after he had savd Rectina?

No, he didn’t go immediately to save Pompy. He paused for a moment wondering whether to to turn back as the captain urged him.

4. What did uncle Pliny do to calm Pompy down when he went to rescue him?

He bathed and had dinner. After dinner he said he wanted to sleep, and it seemed as if he really did so.

5. Can you say something to describe the situation then?

flames…

earthquakes…

burning rocks…

The darkness…

a smell of sulphur…

Flames lighted up many parts of Vesuvius.

There were earthquakes.

A rain of burning rocks was coming down.

It was darker and thicker than any night

A smell of sulphur came.

6. What happened to uncle Pliny then?Helped by two slaves he stood up, and immediately fell down dead.

Can you guess from what uncle Pliny die?

He might die from sulphur. He might die from poisonous gas.

sudden heart attackHe might die because he couldn’t breathe

smoke lava

strange cloudsfire

ash

burning rocks

death/damage

A whole city may get destroyed