① Among the ruins of Pompeii is a large villa known as the House of Thiasus. This year, excavations revealed the stunning frescoes (湿壁画) that adorned its banquet hall. Now, researchers are trying to unravel more of the house’s secrets: They’ve created a digital reconstruction of a tower that may have once been attached to the structure—“possibly offering sweeping views of the surrounding city and the historic Bay of Naples,” writes Hyperallergic’s Diba Mohtasham.
② According to a statement from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, archaeologists were initially intrigued by the villa’s “monumental staircase,” which appears to “lead nowhere.” Led by Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the park’s director, and Susanne Muth, an archaeologist at the Humboldt University of Berlin, the research team turned its attention upward.
③ Through a project called Pompeii Reset, researchers are building virtual models to learn more about Pompeii’s taller structures.
④ “‘Lost Pompeii’ consists of the upper floors of buildings which are essential to understanding life in the ancient city,” Zuchtriegel says in the statement. “By putting together the data in the form of a 3D digital model, we can develop hypothetical reconstructions that help us to understand the experience, the spaces and the society of the time.”
⑤ The researchers scanned Pompeii’s ruined buildings and built “digital twins” of the structures. Next, they identified features like staircases, ceilings and holes in the walls that once supported floor beams. They then “virtually reinserted” these missing beams and digitally tested their integrity, reports the Art Newspaper’s James Imam.
⑥ Finally, the team digitally reconstructed what the villas might have looked like with their upper floors attached. According to a recent study published in the journal Scavi di Pompei, the reconstructed House of Thiasus features a 40-foot tower with two stories.
⑦ Inside, a wooden staircase leads to the upper level, which has an elite dining room filled with windows. Lavish meals may have been prepared on the lower level.
⑧ “The interior of the lower part was simple in its furnishing,” write the researchers, per a translation by Artnet’s Richard Whiddington. “This is contrasted by the monumental external staircase that leads to the upper floor, suggesting a living space of a more elegant and representative character.”
⑨ The reconstruction matches frescoes found elsewhere in Pompeii, which depict multistory buildings featuring balconies and towers. Written descriptions also allude to such features, according to the statement. Pliny the Younger wrote of two towers in his villa, Laurentina, suggesting that they were important parts of the comfortable residence.
⑩ These structures would have likely been symbols of wealth and influence. For instance, researchers think the House of Thiasus may have been owned by a first-century politician.
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1.1.The digital reconstruction of the tower in the House of Thiasus is significant because it ________.
A confirms the villa’s exact age
B reveals potential visual access
C identifies the villa’s original owner
D preserves fragile fresco details
解析：选B。
B推理判断题。第①段核心信息是数字重建揭示了一座可能曾附属于建筑的塔楼，其意义在于它“可能提供了对周边城市和历史悠久的那不勒斯湾的广阔视野”。选项B“揭示了潜在的视觉通达性”是对“offering sweeping views”这一潜在功能的合理推断与概括。A项“确认别墅确切年代”和C项“确认最初主人”在首段均未提及；D项“保护壁画细节”歪曲了数字重建的目的。故选B。
2.2.What initially prompted the researchers’ investigation into the upper part of the villa?
A The discovery of stunning frescoes.
B Written records from Pliny the Younger.
C The presence of a mysterious staircase.
D The collapse of the upper floors.
解析：选C。
C细节理解题。第②段明确指出，考古学家最初是被别墅的“monumental staircase”所吸引，因为它“appears to ‘lead nowhere’”（看似无处可通）。正是这个神秘的楼梯促使研究团队将注意力转向了上方。因此C项“一个神秘楼梯的存在”是直接原因。A项“壁画的发现”是前文背景，非此研究直接诱因；B项“文献记录”在后文出现，非初始原因；D项“上层坍塌”原文未提及。故选C。
3.3.What can be inferred from Zuchtriegel’s statement about the 3D model?
A It recreates missing upper levels.
B It identifies the villa’s owner.
C It showcases fresco details.
D It explains the staircase’s use.
解析：选A。
A推理判断题。第④段中Zuchtriegel指出，“Lost Pompeii”包括建筑物的上层，通过3D数字模型可以开发假设重建以理解古代空间和社会（“By putting together the data... we can develop hypothetical reconstructions”）。选项A“重建缺失的上层”合理推断自这一陈述。干扰项B基于第⑩段所有权信息，但本段未提及；C和D分别基于壁画和楼梯，但本段焦点是上层结构重建。故选A。
4.4.The author mentions the frescoes and Pliny the Younger’s writings in order to ________.
A illustrate the literary influence
B highlight the popularity of towers
C contrast different architectural styles
D support the hypothetical reconstruction
解析：选D。
D例证题。第⑨段的核心观点是前面关于塔楼的数字重建并非空想。随后，作者举出两个例子：“重建与在庞贝其他地方发现的壁画相匹配”以及“书面描述也暗示了此类特征”，并具体引用了小普林尼的文字。因此，D项“支持假设性重建”准确概括了引用这些例子的目的。B项“强调塔楼的流行”过度推断，例子不是为了说明流行程度；C项“对比不同建筑风格”和A项“说明文学影响”均与段落的核心论证逻辑不符。故选D。
