（每日一读）2014年3月高考英语考前突破 阅读理解能力 社会生活 意大利拨款修复庞培古城

意大利拨款修复庞培古城Italy says it will unblock 2m euros in emergency funding to save the ancient city of Pompeii, after flooding caused walls to collapse. 意大利政府称，将拨付 200 万欧元紧急资金修复遭受洪水危害的庞培古城。Heavy rain washed away the walls of this tomb area in Pompeii A number of structures, including the Temple of Venus and Roma, were damaged by heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday. The decay prompted calls for action from the European Union and the United Nations. The site, where volcanic ash smothered a Roman city in AD79, has suffered slow degradation for many years. It is one of the world's greatest archaeological treasures. Every year, some 2.5m tourists visit Pompeii, which sits near the southern city of Naples. Despite the money they generate, there have been allegations that the city - designated a World Heritage site by the UN cultural organisation Unesco - has been neglected and underfunded. 'Huge defeat' The new plan was adopted at an emergency meeting on Tuesday. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said he was "unblocking many measures which will get the machine working". He added the EU could be "sure that Italy is taking care of Pompeii, both in terms of emergency measures and in the long term".