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Vesuvius last erupted in 1944. People live near the volcano because the soil is rich
and good for growing crops such as grapes, tomatoes, onions, oranges, and lemons.
he people who live near Italy’s
Mount Vesuvius (veh-SOO-veeuhs) must be ready to leave the
area at any time. Why? Vesuvius, a
huge volcano, may soon erupt, or
explode. That means big trouble for
those people—all 2 million of them!
T
Fire From the Mountain
If Vesuvius erupts, it will release hot
gases, thick ashes, and lava, or red-hot
liquid rock. It will be very dangerous
for anyone to be nearby. “We expect
that a large area could be destroyed
in a few minutes,” says Edoardo Del
Pezzo, a volcano expert. This is what
happened almost 2,000 years ago.
An eruption by Vesuvius buried the
ancient, or very old, city of Pompeii
(pom-PAY).
Escaping the Eruption
To make sure everyone can get to
safety, special practice drills are held.
When sirens are sounded, the people
get to their cars quickly and drive away
from the area.
Scientists are studying Vesuvius
closely. They hope to know when the
volcano will erupt before it happens.
But Del Pezzo says, “It is not possible
to actually know when it will erupt.”
Nonfiction Passages With Graphic Organizers for Independent Practice © Boynton & Blevins, Scholastic Teaching Resources
45
How a Volcano Erupts
Reading Tip
As you read, stop and study
the diagram.
• Find the number 1. Begin
reading the diagram at the
number 1.
• After reading each caption,
find the part of the
diagram it is describing.
• Then go back to where
you left off in the diagram.
Hot magma
bursts
through holes
in the Earth,
called vents.
Ash, gases, and
rocks also blast
into the sky.
After magma
bursts out
of the volcano it
is called lava. Lava
flows down the
volcano’s sides.
4
4
3
3
2
Magma is
hot liquid
rock that collects
in a pool under
the Earth’s crust.
It pushes up into
the volcano.
1
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Pressure
builds
even more
inside the
volcano.
2
1
Nonfiction Passages With Graphic Organizers for Independent Practice © Boynton & Blevins, Scholastic Teaching Resources
le
0
Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
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Hot Spot
sson 1
k it o
1. Where is Mount Vesuvius?
A
in the United States
B
in the city of Pompeii
C
in Italy
D
in the mountains of Venezuela
2. Which of the following words rhymes with Pompeii?
A
tree
B
play
C
radio
D
people
3. Hot liquid rock inside the Earth is called ____________ .
A
lava
B
volcano
C
eruption
D
magma
4. Who is helped by living near Mount Vesuvius?
A
farmers
B
old people
C
scientists
D
skiers
5. Underline three sentences in the article that tell about Mount Vesuvius.
Nonfiction Passages With Graphic Organizers for Independent Practice © Boynton & Blevins, Scholastic Teaching Resources
47
le
0
sson 1
Hot Spot
!.
Make your own diagram of a volcano erupting. Use the facts in the
article to label your drawing.
Write About It
Learn more about volcanoes. Read about another famous volcano, such as
Mount St. Helens (United States), Paricutin (Mexico), Cotopaxi (Ecuador),
Krakatau (Indonesia), Mount Pinatubo (Philippines), or Mount Etna (Italy).
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Nonfiction Passages With Graphic Organizers for Independent Practice © Boynton & Blevins, Scholastic Teaching Resources