Now we are ready to start.

Peter: Hi, Jane! Long time, no see! You look gorgeous – you’ve got a great tan. I bet you’ve just come back from a vacation.

Jane: Oh, hi, Peter. Yes, you’re right. I’ve just come back from Italy. I was there with my parents. I spent two wonderful weeks there.

Peter: Oh, how lucky you are! I’ve never been to Italy. Did you stay in one place, or did you travel around the country?

Jane: We travelled from city to city because my parents wanted to see as much as possible. We had a great time, but there was so much to see and do that by the end of our trip we were exhausted!

Peter: What place did you like most of all?

Jane: No doubt, it was Pompeii. Pompeii is the city that disappeared when the local volcano, Mount Vesuvius, erupted in AD 79.

Peter: Why would someone decide to build a city near a volcano?

Jane: Well, Peter, at the time, people thought the volcano was a mountain, and so no one was worried about living next to it. They didn’t realize their mistake until it exploded and volcanic ash started falling on top of the city. By then it was too late.

Soon a thick layer of ash covered the houses and the people inside them.

Peter: How awful! Many people must have died in the disaster.

Jane: Well, in 1748 the buried city was found. Since then, archaeologists have uncovered about two thirds of the city. We got the train to Pompeii from the station here in Naples. It only took us half an hour.

Peter: I bet a tour to Pompeii costs a fortune.

Jane: Not really. The tickets were really cheap – only €1.80 for a single! We joined a tour group when we arrived at the entrance.

Peter: Look, Jane, how about the language barrier? You don’t speak Italian, do you?

Jane: Unfortunately, I don’t speak Italian, though I’ve always wanted to learn this beautiful language. Luckily, our guide spoke good English.

Peter: When you travel to an interesting place, much depends on your guide. Was yours good?

Jane: She was fantastic. She showed us lots of things that weren’t in the guide

book, which was really good.

Peter: What did you see in Pompeii?

Jane: I saw the amphitheater, the baths, the forum, and some of the most important houses.

Peter: What did you like best about your visit?

Jane: Well, I really managed to get an insight into Roman life nearly two thousand years ago. You know I want to be a historian, so that was important for me.

Peter: I see. Thank you, Jane. You’ve made me want to go to Italy too!

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