0%(1)0% found this document useful (1 vote) 1K views26 pagesThe Slave Boy of Pompeii
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Pearson Education Limited
Edinburgh Gate, Harlow,
Essex CM20 2JE, England
and Associated Companies throughout the world.
Pack ISBN: 978-1-4082-6124-8
This edition first published by Pearson Education Ltd 2011
13579108642
‘Text copyright © Bernard Smith 2011
Illustrations by Seb Camagajevac
“The moral rights of the authors have been asserted in accordance with
the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988
Set in 12.5/16.5pc A. Garamond
Printed in China
SWTCIO1
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Published by Pearson Education Ltd in association with Penguin Books Led, both
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“The publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission to reproduce their
photographs:
(Key: b-bottom; c-centre; -eft; right; t-top)
Stephen Arnold: 21; Shutterstock: Clara 22¢
Al other images © Pearson Education
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Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex CM20 2JE, England.seivies 1 ili
SE What's the book about?
Look at the pictures on the front of the book and on page 1.
1 Talk about the pictures. What can you see?
2 What do you know about Pompeii? Why is it a famous town?
3. Tick (7) the right answers. What do you think?
a What country is Pompeii in?
Spain Greece| Italy France
b What is the name of the mountain in the pictures?
stromboli(_) veswvus(_) krakatoa(_) etna(_)
¢ What year is it in the story?
79 OC) 1379 O 1779 0) r979(_ )
SEL) What happens first?
Look at the pictures on pages 1-3. Are the sentences right (7) or
wrong (X)?
1 CO It is winter in Pompeii.
2 O The boy lives in a big, expensive house.
3 OC) The boy and the animal are friends.
4 OC) Some people are unhappy about the mountain.The Slave Boy of Pompeii
I is one o'clock on a hot summer day in August. In this old Roman
town under the mountain, people are eating and drinking in their
houses. There are people in the streets and in the shops. They are
happy. They don’t know. But we know.
The year is 79. The name of the mountain behind the town is
Vesuvius. And Vesuvius is a volcano.
mountain /‘mauntan/ (n) Go up the mountain and you can see the sea.
volcano /vol’keinau/ (n) Etna is a famous volcano in Sicily.Marcus Sextus is an important man in Pompeii. He and his
family live in a big white house with a beautiful long garden.
Marcus Sextus and his family have fifteen slaves. There are eight
men and six women, and there is one slave boy. His name is Mico.
He works in the kitchen and the
garden. Marcus Sextus is good to
his slaves. They work all day and
they have no money. But they have
good food and they sleep in the
house.
Young Mico has only one good
friend. It is Fortunatus, the house
dog. He is a big animal, black and
strong.
slave /slerv/ (n) A slave works for no money.
dog /dng/ (n) | take my dog for a walk every day.
2The Slave Boy of Pompeii
Usually Fortunatus stays in
the small room behind the door.
He sits there on a chain every day
and watches the street. Bad people
never come into the house. They
are afraid of Fortunatus.
Today some friends of Marcus
Sextus are visiting him in his
house. The mountain is making
loud noises and they are afraid.
‘The gods of the mountain are
angry, a man says.
chain /tfem/ (n) We can't drive there. There's a chain across the road.
afraid /a'freid/ (adj) Small animals are afraid of big animals.
loud /lavd/ (adj) | can’t hear you. The television is very Joud.
Please be quiet. You're talking very loudly.
god /god/ (n) Jupiter and Mars are names of old Roman gods.‘The mountain often makes noises,’ Marcus Sextus says to his
friend. ‘Every year we hear noises from it and sometimes smoke
comes from it, But the gods are not angry. It isn’t dangerous.’
Suddenly they hear a noise behind them. It is Fortunatus. He is
dancing on his chain and making a loud noise.
‘Be quiet, Fortunatus!’ Marcus Sextus says.
But the dog doesn’t stop.
‘Bring the boy Mico here, Marcus Sextus says to a slave. “We can’t
talk with that noise. The boy can take the dog into the garden.’
smoke /smauk/ (n) Is there a problem in the kitchen? | can see smoke.
dangerous /‘deindsaras/ (adj) We can’t swim in the sea here. It’s dangerous.
4The Slave Boy of Pompeii
The slave gets Mico and brings him to the door to the street.
“Marcus Sextus and his friends are talking about important
things,’ he says. ‘And the dog is making a terrible noise. Take him
into the garden and stay with him.
The slave takes Fortunatus’s chain in his hand. But suddenly the
dog runs into the street.
The slave is very angry. ‘Go after him quickly, he says to Mico.
‘Catch him and bring him back here.’
terrible /‘terabal/ (adj) It’s a terrible day today. It’s cold and it’s raining.
5Were you right?
Look at your answers to Activity 1.2 on page ii. Then finish the sentences.
1 In Pompeii it is the month of
2 Marcus Sextus has a big house with a beautiful
3. Marcus Sextus and his family have fifteen ..
4 Mico’s one friend is Fortunatus, the house .........:sesssssee =
5 The mountain often makes a loud .........-sscense +
6 The name of the mountain is......
WEL What more did you learn?
Finish the sentences with words from the boxes.
2 Fortunatus is a
big fat
3 Mico usually works in the ...
4 On page 2 Fortunatus is woe ONG cecscseeeee
5 On page 3 Fortunatus is ....
6 Smoke... . comes from the mountain.
6The Slave Boy of Pompeii a
TED) Language in use Usually Fortunatus stays in the
small room behind the door.
Look at the sentence on the right.
Then look at the pictures. Put the
words from the box into the sentences.
under from infront of behind with
1 Mico and Fortunatus are .... tree .... ... the
garden.
2 They are playing .- a ball.
3. The slaves bring the food the kitchen.
4 An old slave is standing ......... ... Marcus Sextus.
5. There is a drink on the table him.
EZ) What happens next?
What do you think? Write Yes or No.
1 Mico brings Fortunatus backtothehouse. ans
2 Mico can't find Fortunatus.
3 Marcus Sextus is angry with Mico, nn
4 The noise from the mountain stops.
5 Mico and Fortunatus run from the town into the country.
zMe runs into the street and looks for Fortunatus. The
dog is waiting for Mico near the house. Mico walks
across the street slowly and quietly and takes the chain in his
hand. The dog is quiet now but he is shaking. He is very
afraid.
Suddenly Mico hears a terrible loud noise behind him. He
looks back. A big cloud of heavy black smoke is coming from
the mountain behind the town. The street is shaking under
his feet.
Then Fortunatus runs away again. This time he takes
Mico with him. In a short time the town is behind them and
they are in the country.
shake /{e1k/ (v) The old man’s hands are shaking.
cloud /klaud/ (n) Dark clouds bring rain
8The Slave Boy of Pompeii
A long time later Mico and Fortunatus are under some small
trees. It is late in the evening now. The sky is dark with black smoke.
They can see the town of Pompeii behind a small hill. Clouds of
smoke and fire are coming from the mountain. Big red hot stones
and fire are falling on the houses in the town. There are fires in some
houses. The dog is shaking.
‘Let's stay here,’ Mico says to the dog. ‘We can sleep here. In the
morning perhaps we can go back to the house’
sky /skay/ (n) We can see the sun in the sky.
hill /ul/ (0) A hill isa small mountain.
fire /fara/ (n) Are you cold? Sit near the fire.
stone /staun/ (n) There are some big stones in my garden. | can’t move them.
9It is late in the night now. Suddenly small, hot stones fall from the
dark sky. They fall on the trees and on the ground. Some stones fall
on Mico and Fortunatus too. The small stones aren't heavy. They are
very light. But there are some heavy stones too and they are very hot.
They fall on the ground and smoke comes from them. Some stones
hit Mico and Fortunatus.
‘This is dangerous, Mico says. He and Fortunatus go under a big
tree and stay there. Fortunatus is very unhappy and afraid.
ground /graund/(n) Put that down on the ground. It’s very heavy.
10The Slave Boy of Pompeii
Now Mico and Fortunatus are sleeping under the tree. After a
short time the stones stop, but then ash falls. The ash is light and it
stays on the ground.
In the early morning Mico and Fortunatus look at the trees and
the hills. The sky is dark with the smoke from the volcano. No ash
is falling now, but there is a white coat of ash on the ground and on
every tree. Fortunatus and Mico are white too.
ash /x{/ (n) The fire is dead now; there is only ash on the ground.
iSuddenly there is a terrible noise again from the mountain and
the ground shakes under them. A river of fire is running down the
mountain. Fortunatus is afraid and runs away again. The dog is big
and strong and Mico can't stop him.
After a long time Fortunatus finds a quiet place under some fruit
trees and stops. Mico sits on the ground with him and talks to him
quietly.
‘Be a good dog, Fortunatus,’ he says. ‘We're OK here. Perhaps we
can find a house and some people.’The Slave Boy of Pompeii
Suddenly Fortunatus’s head comes up. He can hear people
near them. Now Mico can hear them too. They see four men
under the trees. The men have big sticks in their hands.
‘Look, Fortunatus,’ he says. ‘Some men. We're OK now.
The four men are slaves and they work in the country.
They stand quietly and look at Mico and the dog.
stick /strk/(n) | can only walk with a stick.
13Were you right?
1 Look at your answers to Activity 2.4. Are they right or wrong?
2. Circle the right words in the sentences.
a
b
c
d
k
L
Fortunatus is never / sometimes afraid.
The dog wants / doesn’t want the boy with him.
Mico can / can't take the dog home now.
Fortunatus takes Mico into / away from Pompeii.
The boy and the dog run into the hills / town.
Heavy / Light stones fall on them from the sky first.
The boy and the dog can / can't sleep in the night.
They see fire on the mountain in the night / morning.
Black / White ash falls on them.
In the morning the sky is blue / dark.
Fortunatus runs away again in the night / morning.
Mico sees four men and he is happy / unhappy.
ED) What more did you learn?
What comes first? And then? Write the numbers 1-8.
A OX) Ash falls from the sky. E OC) Mico finds Fortunatus in
c
the street.
Light stones fall on them F C) They sleep under a tree.
from the sky.
A iver of fire runs down G C) A big cloud of smoke
the mountain. comes from the mountain.
D O They see four men in the H OC) Fortunatus takes Mico into
trees. the country.
4The Slave Boy of Pompeii
NEL) Language in use
Look at the sentences on the The small stones aren't heavy.
right. Then write answers to the They're very light.
questions.
“9 y
1. Are the small stones heavy? 5 Is Mico tall?
2 Is the coffee cold? 6 \s Fortunatus small?
3 Is the car old? 7 Is Marcus Sextus thin?
4 Are the windows closed 8 \s the sky at night light?
EZ! What happens next?
What do you think? Write Yes or No.
1. The four men are friendly and take Mico to a house.
2. The four men are afraid and run away from them.
3. The four men hit Mico with their sticks.
4 Mico and Fortunatus find Marcus Sextus and his family again.
15my dog.
0 are you?” one of the men asks.
‘My name is Mico,’ Mico says. ‘And this is Fortunatus,
‘They're from Pompeii.
I know it, a man says. His
face is white and he is afraid.
He shakes his stick at Mico.
“The gods are angry with the
people of Pompeii. They are
bad people,’ he says. “The fire
from the mountain is falling
on that town and the people
there are all dead. Go away,
boy. We don’t want the fire
here’ And he hits Mico with
his stick.The Slave Boy of Pompeii
Fortunatus makes an angry noise and stands in front of Mico.
The men hit Mico and the dog with their sticks. One man hits Mico
on the head and he falls to the ground.
‘Stop! Stop! What are you doing?’
The four men stop and look behind them. A tall Roman man is
standing there with one of his house slaves.
‘The four men stand quietly. They are afraid of this man.
“Who are you, boy?’ the tall man asks loudly.Pm Mico, a slave from the house of Marcus Sextus in Pompeii,
Mico says quietly.
‘Marcus Sextus?” the man says. ‘He’s my brother. And this dog? Is
his name Fortunatus?”
Fortunatus hears his name. He makes a quiet, friendly noise and
puts his head on the man’s foot.
‘Fortunatus, the man says again. He smiles and puts his hand on the
dog's head. ‘We know him well here. His father is my old dog, Rex.’
He looks at the four slaves with sticks, ‘Go away!” he says and they
run away quickly.The Slave Boy of Pompeii
“Take this boy and the dog to our house,’ he says to his house
slave. ‘Wash them and find food and drink for them. Be very good to
them, I don’t understand it, but the gods are their friends.’
Mico and Fortunatus go with the slave to a big house behind the
trees. The tall man looks at the red sky and the fire from the volcano.
‘Fortunatus,’ he says. ‘A clever dog perhaps. He is afraid and runs
to his old house with his young friend. But the people in Pompeii,
my brother and his family ... they are all dead. And who lives? Only a
dog and a slave boy. Who can understand the games of the gods?”
19Work with a friend. You live in Pompeii. The mountain
is making loud noises and the houses are shaking. Do
you stay in the town or do you go away? Talk about it.
Student A
Student B
You are Marcus Sextus. You are not afraid of
the mountain. Why not?
You are Marcus Sextus's friend. You are
afraid. Why? What can you do? Where can
you go? How?
In the early afternoon my mother sees a big white cloud of
2
Vesuvius, It is across the *
5
A young man in Misenum,
a town across the sea from
Pompeii, sees the smoke and
fire from Vesuvius. His name is
Pliny and he is now a famous
24th"...
in the sky. It is coming from the * a
from here and near the
. of Pompeii. My family and I go into our garden and
t the big cloud in the sky. Then suddenly small,
light stones fall on us.
Later in the night fire
down the mountain. In the
morning we can't *. the houses in the towns near the
mountain. There is only stones and ash. The ®. vo inthe
towns are all dead. }
a cae et ama
20Project Pictures from Stones
There are many old Roman towns in Europe and North Africa. In the
big, expensive houses there are often pictures in the floors. Little
stones of many colours make the mosaic pictures. Some mosaics are
small. Some are very big. Talk about this mosaic of a house dog from
a floor in a house in Pompeii. Perhaps it is Fortunatus. How do people
make pictures with little stones?Project Pictures from Stones
Work with three or four friends. Two or
three of you are Romans and you live in
a big, expensive house. One of you is a
slave. You make mosaic pictures for the
house.
a The Romans want a new mosaic in the
floor of their house. What do you want
in your picture? A man, a woman, a god,
an animal? Send the slave away and talk
about it.
b Now the Romans describe the picture to
the slave. The slave draws the picture in
black and white.
¢ The Romans look at the picture. Is it
good? Is it the right picture? Can the
slave draw well?
d= The Romans are happy with the picture.
The slave can now draw the little stones
on the picture with a black pen.
e The Romans describe the colours to the
slave. Then he can colour the stones.
Put up your pictures in a room. Now
people can come and see them. First
make a poster for your pictures. On the
poster answer the questions:
What are your pictures?
Where can people see them?
When can people see them?
22The Slave Boy of Pompeii
ACTIVE
READING
Bernard Smith
British English each ui
Original
Young Mico is a slave in a big house in the town of
Pompeii. His only friend is the house dog, Fortunatus.
One quiet summer day, Fortunatus suddenly runs away.
He takes Mico with him. What does the dog know?
What is he afraid of? Is it, perhaps, the mountain behind
the town?
Number of words (excluding activities): 1,311
Series Editors: Jocelyn Potter and Andy Hopkins.
For correlations to English Language Teaching exams,
please visit www,penguinreaders.com
Penguin Active Reading provides fades and language
learning at five levels, through full-colour, beautifully
illustrated Readers. As well as enjoyable stories and texts,
ane obatl atin eee ch aa
to develop reading skills and consolidate
offers project work. Each book is supported
by an interactive CD-ROM which contains
activities and the complete audio recording.
Easystarts 200 headwords
Level 1 300 headwords Beginner
Level 2 600 headwords Elementary
Level 3 1200 headwords —_Pre- intermediate
Level 4 1700 headwords intermediate
Cover illustration by Seb Camgajevac
with CD-ROM
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