Mountain of Doom Review

The main purpose of "Mountain of Doom" is to ___________.

• teach readers about one of the worst disasters of the ancient world.

• detail the history of the Roman Empire.

• to introduce readers to paleontology.

• describe pyroplastic flow.

Answer explanation

When asked about the purpose of an article, think about the topic.

What is the topic of "Mountain of Doom"?

• A volcano erupts

• The ancient world

• Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii

• The worst disaster you can imagine

Answer explanation

The words and ideas repeated throughout the article and text features is that the mountain erupted causing the city of Pompeii to be buried under rock.

How does the side bar "Unlocking the Secrets of Pompeii" contribute to the article?

• It shows the most popular items of ancient Rome.

• It explains how scientists discovered these ancient items.

• It shows the importance of food and bathrooms in ancient Rome.

• It compares life today to life in ancient Rome.

Answer explanation

The side bar shows how life in the ancient city of Pompeii was similar to life today by explaining how they used bathrooms and writing.

What is the section "The Volcano" mostly about?

• It shows Mount Vesuvius erupting.

• The importance of the people of Pompeii needing to evacuate before the volcano erupts.

• It explains the warning signs that the volcano was about to erupt.

• It describes what the eruption was like.

Answer explanation

The warning signs were the pungent smell like rotten eggs, farmers saw their livestock dye on the side of the mountain, springs dried up from the underground heat, and small earthquakes rumbled through the city.

A detail to support the central idea of the section "The Volcano" is _____________.

• "Except Mount Vesuvius is not just a mountain. It is a volcano."

• "Nobody understands that the terrible smell is sulfurous gas, part of the explosive brew simmering inside Vesuvius."

• "Vesuvius has been dormant for 1,500 years."

• "The people of Pompeii should have evacuated days or even weeks ago."

Answer explanation

Since this section is about the warning signs that the mountain was about to erupt, an important detail should be about those warning signs.

Which sentence best expresses the main idea of section "A Boiling Avalanche"?

• "millions of tons of ash and rock fall on the city."

• "the pumice causes roofs to collapse, trapping people in their houses."

• "molten rock and ash mix together to create boiling waves that rush down the mountain at 180 miles per hour."

• "Pompeii is buried under more than 10 feet of rock."

Answer explanation

Since this section was about the molten rock and ash that sped through the city of Pompeii, the important details should be about how that lava flow buried this ancient city.

Which idea is developed throughout the section "A Vanished World"?

• Vesuvius has erupted multiple times since Pompeii.

• After being rediscovered in 1748 in Naples, Italy, Pompeii is even more popular.

• Ancient Roman life in Pompeii was preserved under layers of pumice and ash.

• Scientists hope that when the volcano erupts again there will be warning signs.

Answer explanation

This section was about how the city of Pompeii vanished under the rock and ash.

Which of the following is the best summary of the article?

• Pompeii was like today's modern cities with statues, homes, water fountains, and stadium theaters. It was destroyed in a volcanic eruption.

• After the powerful explosion, ash and pumice covered the entire city causing all of Pompeii to be destroyed.

• If the people of Pompeii knew the warning signs that Vesuvius was going to erupt, lives could of been saved. As a result, the whole city was destroyed and every citizen was killed by ash and pumice.

• Although dormant Mount Vesuvius gave warning signs of an upcoming explosion, an avalanche of molten rock and ash swept through the city of Pompeii. Layers of pumice and ash helped preserve this ancient Roman civilization.

Answer explanation

A is not correct because it has details that are not important to the central idea of the text.

B is not correct because it's missing the warning signs, and it uses the word "all".

C is not correct because it's missing the middle where the molten rock swept through the city of Pompeii. Plus, it uses "every citizen".

D is correct because it has all the main points the author made about how the volcano destroyed the city of Pompeii.

The author organizes the section "A Boiling Avalanche" by _________.

• describing what a boiling avalanche is.

• showing the effects of the explosion of Mount Vesuvius.

• by comparing the poisonous avalanche to other eruptions.

• by explaining how the eruption of Mount Vesuvius started.

Answer explanation

A is not correct because that section is not just about a boiling avalanche.

B is correct because the author shows the effects of the smoke and ash.

C is not correct because that section does not compare eruptions.

D is not correct because this section does not explain the eruption.

The main idea of section "A Boiling Avalanche" is _______________.

• Hot ash and painful pumice fall and make it hard to leave Pompeii.

• A powerful eruption causes many people to leave Pompeii.

• A mix of molten rock and ash create a deadly pyroclastic flow that rushes through Pompeii.

• After the eruption, pumice traps people in their homes with no hope of escape.