Environmental studies: OIL
VOCABULARY Dead animals and plants were buried by sand and mud. The bodies were crushed and heated by the rocks and oil was formed. sand /sænd/ very small grains of rock mud /mʌd/ wet and sticky earth crush /krʌʃ/ to break into pieces heat /hiːt/ being hot or warm
Drilling for oil can be very dangerous. The crude oil is taken by tankers or by pipelines to a refinery. drill /drɪl/ to make holes crude /kruːd/ in a natural state; not yet treated pipeline /ˈpaɪplaɪn/ a long tube through which liquid or gas flows
When oil is heated, the lighter products, such as petrol and kerosene rise. During the heating of oil, the heavier products, such as tar, engine oil and diesel oil stay at the bottom. petrol /ˈpetrəl/ it is used as a fuel for cars kerosene /ˈkerəsiːn/ it is used as a fuel for planes. tar /tɑːr/ a black, sticky substance used for making roads
A lot of products are made from oil: synthetic fibres (nylon), fertilizer, medicines and household products (detergents and paint). fibre /ˈfaɪbə/ thread-like artificial material that can be made into cloth. fertilizer /ˈfɜːtɪlaɪzə/ a natural or chemical substance which helps plants grow well.