Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
On April 10, 2010, a nightmare became reality. An explosion rocked an oil rig platform off the coast of Louisiana, in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven people died in the explosion and the damage to the environment that has followed has already been catastrophic.
With thousands of barrels of oil still gushing into the water, the disaster in the Gulf is only getting worse. Listen to Marni and Devan share their anger and shock over the spill.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
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Marni: So I am just astounded that the Gulf…the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is still happening.
Devan: It’s pretty unbelievable. You’d think that before they start offshore drilling, they would know what to do ahead of time in case of emergencies like this. But they seem completely clueless as to how to solve this problem, and it’s like, how did that never come up in discussion before about what to do if this happens?
Marni: I absolutely agree with you, it just seems like there’s so much…you know, there’s no accountability right now with BP, and I can’t believe that they’re not being held accountable for this. It’s just like, they need to pay, they need to clean up the spill, and it needs to be dealt with.
Devan: The thing I’m interested to see as to what happens is what it’s going to mean for the future, as far as like our environmental policies and if we’re gonna continue to do offshore drilling, or if we’re gonna seize this opportunity to be like, OK, now it’s time to really get serious about clean energy.
Marni: Yeah, because obviously the consequences are just too great. We’re seeing the worst oil spill in US history, and the effects…I mean, the Gulf of Mexico is trashed. Louisiana is, you know, just completely destroyed yet again. And now all the oil is actually seeping as far east as Florida. So it’s just…you know, who knows where this is gonna end up. It’s just really baffling.
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Present Progressive Tense" from this lesson
Quizzes
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Discussion
Marni and Devan can’t believe that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is still happening. Two months after the explosion, oil continues to gush into the water off the coast of Louisiana.
Marni thinks that BP, the company responsible for the spill, needs to do more to stop it. She thinks that it is their responsibility to fix the problem and pay for the damage that has been done. Marni thinks the oil company needs to be held accountable.
Devan wonders what will happen in the future as a result of this spill. She hopes that this disaster will lead the US and other countries to invest more in clean energy.
What do you think about the oil spill? How much damage do you think it will cause? Should the US and other countries change their policies on energy and the environment?
Comments
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