2

Looking for oil

Briefing
This unit deals with looking for oil on land and at
sea. It also covers numbers (1100), using
prepositions of place to say where things are, and
giving instructions and personal information.

On land
This section describes the exploration for oil on land.
It shows how the energy source can be heavy plates
on thumper trucks or explosions. Thumper trucks
are vehicles equipped with systems for generating
seismic vibrations by hitting the ground with heavy
plates and making shock waves. The layers of rock
reflect the shock waves back to the recording truck,
a vehicle equipped with computer equipment to
record and analyse the data from the reflected
waves. The language input of this section is Whats
this?/What are these? and What does it/do they do?, as
well as word partnerships related to this subject (for
example, thumper truck).

At sea
This section consists of a description of the
exploration for oil at sea. The first sea water oil wells
were drilled in the USA, off the California coast,
around 1869. Here, operators work on a seismic
ship and the energy source is a compressed air gun.
The compressed air gun sends seismic waves to the
layers of rock beneath the sea, where they are
reflected to hydrophones, receivers near sea level.
The language focus here is on word partnerships
and word stress.

Seismic operators
This section examines exactly what seismic
operators do and how they work (in crews or
teams). Each crew can consist of seismic operators,
surveyors, who determine accurate positions in the
earths surface, and shooters, who handle
explosives. Common verbs in this process are clear
(obstacles from the land), remove (trees or bushes),
drill (holes in the land), detonate (explosives) and
send (shock waves into the rock). The language
focus in this section is on the different pronunciation
of regular plural nouns and how some irregular
plural nouns are formed (for example, foot feet).

Numbers
This section reviews cardinal numbers from 1 to 100
and draws particular attention to the pronunciation
problems that students might encounter (for
example, thirteen vs thirty, etc).

Where is it?
As well as a review of certain vocabulary items
(safety manual, boots, helmet, safety glasses, etc.),
this section covers more familiar words (mobile
phone, keys, cupboard, etc.) in order to introduce
prepositions of place (on, under, next to, between,
behind, in front of, in), which are the main language
input.

Health and safety: Instructions

This section introduces health and safety
instructions in the context of using explosives, and
an exchange between a shooter, who gives orders,
and an assistant, who obeys. Vocabulary includes
cable, an assembly of electric wires, and flask. The
language focus here is on affirmative and negative
imperatives (turn on vs dont turn on, etc.).

Giving personal information

This section deals with giving your telephone
number, name, address, age, as well as other
personal information in answer to questions such as
How old/tall/heavy are you?

Further reading
Use the following keywords to search the internet
for websites which give more in-depth information
about the topics covered in this unit: reflection
seismology, World Petroleum Council,
rigzone.com, oil and gas news, seismic operators.

Looking for oil

12

Listening

Teachers notes
3

Warm-up
With the whole class, review closed questions about
jobs and PPE (for example, Do you work on an oil rig?
Do you drive a truck? Do you wear a helmet?). Put
students in A/B pairs and give out slips of paper
with one job and one item of PPE written on each
one. Give the slip of paper to A students. B asks
questions in order to guess the job and item of PPE
on As slip. Then ask students to swap roles and
give a different slip to each pair. During the activity,
circulate and encourage students. Afterwards, have
a whole-class review of the questions and PPE
vocabulary if necessary.

Reading
1

1 recording truck 2 shock waves 3 heavy

plates 4 thumper truck 5 energy source
6 seismic operators

Speaking
4

On land

With in-work classes, tell students that they are

going to see a diagram about looking for oil on
land. Ask them to anticipate what they will see
and note any correct words/ideas on the board.
Ask the class to look at the diagram for a minute,
then get two or three students to describe it in
their own words (for example, the thumper truck
sends shock waves through the rock; the rock reflects
the shock waves to a receiver in the recording truck).
Ask students to read the text in pairs to check
their general understanding, then go through it
with the whole class, checking vocabulary. Then
ask them to work individually to reread the text,
this time underlining words from the diagram
before comparing answers with their partner.

14 Tell students that they should write down

the words they hear, then play the recording. If
necessary, play it a second time and pause
between each item to give students time to write.
Then ask students to read the words aloud do
some choral and/or individual repetition here.
Check for correct stress on each of the
partnerships.

Ask students to form new pairs for this exercise,

taking turns to ask and answer the questions
and using the diagram in Exercise 1 for
reference. Before they begin, make sure they
understand the difference between the singular
Whats this? What does ? and the plural What
are these? What do ? Circulate, checking for
correct intonation and stress.

Extra activity
For further practice in asking and answering
questions about what things are and what they
do, you could bring in photos from oil industry
magazines (oil fields, tankers, rigs, etc.) for
students to work on in pairs or small groups.

The following words should be underlined:

heavy plates, shock waves, layers of rock,
receiver, reflected waves, recording truck

Vocabulary
2

Explain that word partnerships (also known as

collocations) are two or sometimes three words
(usually nouns) which are often found together.
We form plurals by changing only the second
word (for example, thumper trucks). Ask students
to do the matching task in pairs, then check
answers with the whole class.
2b

3e

4d

5a

6c

Looking for oil

13

At sea
Reading
1

Tell students that this section deals with

searching for oil at sea and ask how they think
this might differ from searching on land. Before
they read, write seismic ships on the board and
ask the class what they think these ships are,
what they do and how they might work. Note
any (correct) vocabulary/suggestions on the
board.
Ask students to open their books. Study the
diagram and go through the vocabulary with the
class. Ask students to complete the text in pairs
and then check answers with the whole class.
2 seismic

3 hydrophones

4 This activity reviews vocabulary from Exercise

1 on this page, as well as Exercise 1 on page 12
in the first section. Ask students to work
individually, then to compare answers with
a partner.
Seismic, heavy, compressed, layers, record

Speaking
5

Ask students to work in pairs here, each saying a

sentence at a time. One student explains the
search for oil on land, then the other explains the
search for oil at sea. With stronger classes,
encourage students to draw a quick diagram
first, then proceed with the explanations with
books closed.

4 rock

Listening
2

15 Play the recording while students listen

and mark the stress on the words individually,
before comparing their answers with a partner.
Play the recording a second time for choral
repetition.
2 reflected 3 receiver 4 energy
5 explosives 6 different
If the class needs more practice, ask individual
students to repeat the words out of order after
your prompt (for example, Teacher: 5; Student:
explosives).

Writing
3

This is a good opportunity to remind students of

the basic word order in English (subject
verb object) and also that preposition phrases
(at sea) or different but linked nouns (explosives
or air gun) have no fixed place in the sentence.
Ask students to do this exercise individually and
compare their answers in pairs. Then check
answers with the class.
1 At sea we use a seismic ship./We use a
seismic ship at sea.
2 The energy source is explosives or a
compressed air gun/a compressed air gun
or explosives.
3 The waves are reflected to receivers.
4 The receivers are hydrophones.
5 The layers of rock give different data.

Looking for oil

14

Seismic operators
Listening
1

16 Ask the class to look at the photo and tell

you what they can see (thumper trucks, seismic
operators, etc). Before students listen, get them
to skim-read the conversation and underline any
unfamiliar words. Then ask them what the
conversation is about and check vocabulary.

Ask students to underline the questions in the

conversation individually, before asking and
answering the questions in pairs. Go round
listening for clear intonation, especially on the
questions.
1 They search for oil.
2 They survey the land.
3 They handle the explosives.

Play the recording while students listen and

read. Ask them to listen out for the verbs (do,
operate, send, etc.) and to the intonation of the
questions.
Ask students to work in A/B pairs, reading
aloud the first part of the conversation (up to
Then we do our tests.).
2

This exercise focuses on word partnerships with

verb + noun. Ask students to reread the
conversation quickly to find the verb + noun
partnerships and to compare answers with a
partner. Check answers with the class.
2 survey/clear 3 do
6 record 7 drill

4 operate

5 send

Language
Go through the Language box with the class,
looking at the different ways of making regular
plurals. Explain that with most nouns, we
simply add -s. With nouns that end in -sh, we
add -es. If appropriate to your class, tell them
that this is also the case with nouns which end in
-s, -ss, -ch, and -x. With nouns that end in
consonant + y, we change -y to -i and add -es:
Tell students that a few plural nouns are
irregular and draw their attention to foot feet.

Pronunciation
Ask students to close their books. Remind them
that the regular plural form -s is always
pronounced in English but there are three ways
to pronounce it. Explain that these
pronunciation rules are simply a function of the
spelling. Write the words rocks, operators and
inches on the board and ask how they are
pronounced. Then go over the examples in the
Language box.

Looking for oil

15

Play the recording again, asking students to tell

you about the different contexts (crew, super
tanker, PPE, simple arithmetic (plus/minus),
age, height, weight).

Numbers
Language
Ask students to close their books. Write
numbers 120 on the board, then go through
them in order, chorally and individually if
necessary. Then, saying nothing but pointing to
different numbers in random order, ask
individual students to say them. Build up speed,
paying attention to pronunciation. Add 21 and
22 and do the same, then do the same in tens
40, 50, etc., up to 100.

Writing
3

b9
4

Ask students to open their books and read the

numbers as figures and words. Point out that
numbers such as twenty-one are hyphenated.

Ask students to study the pronunciation

differences and say the numbers out loud, with
the stress on the underlined letters. Check also
that they pronounce the -n at the end of thirteen,
fourteen and sixteen clearly, as these numbers are
easy to confuse with thirty, forty, etc.

d 22

e9

If students need more practice, ask them to write

down their own lists of ten random numbers
between 1 and 100, dictate them to a partner,
then swap roles. They check each others
answers, which will also provide a check on the
accuracy of their pronunciation.
2

e 50

f 16

c 39

d 13

e 12

f 74

Ask students to do this with a partner. Then

write on the board some words that the class
finds difficult to pronounce and change some of
the numbers in the tongue twisters (for example,
ten heavy plates, sixteen shooters). Ask individual
students to say them aloud.
Help any students who are having difficulty
making up their own tongue twisters. Ask pairs
who have come up with some good ones to
demonstrate them for the rest of the class.

17 Ask students to do this exercise

individually, then check answers with the class.
c 16

d 12

Speaking

Listening

b 13

c8

Ask students to do this exercise individually,

using the Language box if necessary. Then ask
individual students to read the numbers out
loud. Check that they are pronouncing them
accurately and clearly.
b 23

Pronunciation

Ask students to do this individually first, then to

compare answers with a partner.

Note that it is easier to count forwards than

backwards, so go slowly with students here,
asking them to work in pairs.

18 Tell students that they will hear eight

short statements and brief conversations, some
of which have several numbers in. Play the
recording and ask students to write the numbers
as words. With weaker classes, it may help to
pause the recording after each item. Check
answers with the class.
b twenty-four c four, thirteen d one, four,
five e three, two, one f forty-seven,
thirty-six g six, five, nine h seventy-nine,
ninety-eight

Looking for oil

16

Where is it?

Extra activity

Vocabulary
1

Ask students to look at the illustration and labels

and go through the vocabulary (hook, door, etc.).
With stronger classes, ask students where each
item is (for example, Wheres the helmet/coffee
cup/jacket) to elicit on the floor/table, behind the
door, etc.
Ask students to read the sentences in pairs and
check for any vocabulary problems. Explain that
the words on, under, etc. are prepositions of
place, which tell us where something is.

Extra activity
Designate one of the more confident pairs in
the class to demonstrate the activity and give
them a prompt (for example, boots). One asks
Where are the boots? and the other replies Under
the table. Continue in this way with the rest of
the items, using different pairs of students.

Ask one (or several) of your stronger students

to draw a simple map of an imaginary oil
refinery (or similar installation). Alternatively,
ask the student(s) to draw a room (for example,
an office or bedroom).
Ask the student(s) to sit in front of the class and
tell the rest of the students the different
locations they put on their map. They then
answer questions from the other students
about the location of each thing in their
drawing (for example: A: Wheres the main
entrance? B: Its behind the control room.).
Each student has to draw their own version of
the map, then compare it with a partner.
Circulate, helping and encouraging where
necessary.

Writing
2

Ask students to complete the sentences in pairs,

using the appropriate prepositions.
1 between 2 behind, on
5 under 6 on

3 in

4 next to

Speaking
3

First clarify that these photos are suggestions of

what might be in an average classroom. Ask
students to look around and tell you what they
see in your classroom and note any usable
suggestions on the board.
Then ask students to work with a partner to ask
and answer questions using the prepositions
from Exercise 1.
A variation on this would be to make use of a
few simple props you have brought in and
placed strategically around the classroom (for
example, a bottle of water, a mobile phone, a
novel or other book, a cup, any PPE items you
can locate).

Looking for oil

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Health and safety: Instructions

Vocabulary
1

Ask students to read the sentences and then to

take turns to give and follow the instructions. Go
round the class, helping where necessary.
Ask students to look at the box below Exercise 1.
It shows how do not is normally contracted to
dont in imperatives. Explain that this remains
the rule for instructions for both an individual
and a group of people.

Listening
2

19 First write explosives, spare cables and flask

on the board and check that students
understand their meaning. Then play the
recording and ask students to read the
conversation as they listen.
Ask students to close their books and to listen
out for the instructions in the conversation. Play
the recording again and ask what instructions
they heard (be careful, turn off that phone, etc.).

Ask students to do this exercise individually,

then compare their answers with a partner.
Check that they understand keep an eye on
which means watch carefully.
2 Bring

3 Be

4 Put

5 Keep

6 touch

Language
Ask students to look at the verbs in the
instructions in Exercises 2 and 3 and tell you
what they notice about them (they leave out the
pronoun you). Explain that this form of a verb is
used for orders and instructions and is known as
the imperative form.
Go through the Language box with the class.
Explain that in instructions, the verb usually
comes at or near the beginning and that we use
the infinitive without to.
4

This is a game in which one student gives simple

instructions (stand up, sit down, touch your
head, etc.), all preceded by Simon says (for
example, Simon says stand up. Simon says sit
down.), with increasing speed, and then slips in
an instruction without Simon says. The students
who fail to follow an instruction or who follow
an instruction without Simon says in it are out.

Looking for oil

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Speaking

Giving personal information

5

Listening
1

20 Ask students to listen with books closed

and repeat the telephone numbers chorally, then
individually. Play the recording. Then, with
books open, ask them to read and say each
number aloud. Play the recording again for
students to check their answers.

21 Make sure students understand that the

numbers in their books are incorrect. Ask them
to correct the numbers individually, then
compare their answers in pairs.
b 0071 253 528 998
c 0049 756 463 339
d 030 455 347 328
e 0786 747 636 461

Read the example conversation aloud with a

confident student taking one of the parts. Ask
students to practise asking and answering
questions with a partner, then to swap roles.
They can give true information about
themselves or invent it if they prefer. Pay
particular attention to questions, spelling and
numbers.

Extra activity
Ask students to construct an identity for
themselves with new given and family names,
new nationalities (if necessary) new addresses,
new ages, etc. Then tell them to exchange this
information in pairs, making notes and asking
for repetition if anything is not clear. Note
down any errors or misunderstandings for
whole-class feedback afterwards.

Extra activity
Ask students to note down their (real or
invented) telephone numbers, then to mingle
with their classmates and ask each other:
Whats your phone number, please? while
exchanging and noting down telephone
numbers. They then compare answers to check
for any errors.
3

22 Tell students that they are going to hear

conversations in which two oil rig workers are
asked for personal information. Before listening,
ask the class what questions they think might be
asked. Then play the recording and ask students
to work with a partner to fill in the gaps in the
two conversations. Go over any unfamiliar
vocabulary.
2 live 3 please
6 address 7 56

4 driller 5 spell
8 explosives

Ask students to complete the three columns in

the table (and reassure them they do not have to
give their real ages, phone numbers, etc). Go
round the class, helping where necessary.
Jason
Family name: Henley; Address: 27 Port Drive;
Age: 27; Job: driller
John
Family name: Karuett; Address: 45 Julienne
Street; Age: 56; Job: shooter; Height: 6 foot 1;
Weight: 93 kilos

Looking for oil

19

Review
Writing
1

This exercise reviews different plural forms. Ask

student to complete it individually, then check
answers with the class.

If necessary, introduce this exercise by asking

the class to spell two or three simple numbers
written on the board (for example, 12 twelve,
27 twenty-seven). Then ask students to work in
pairs.
1 fifteen 2 sixteen 3 thirty-four
5 seventy-three 6 ninety-eight

Dont turn on the phone./Turn off the phone.

Dont touch the table.
Dont point to the door.
Dont wave.
Dont put the book on the table./ Take the
book off the table.

Preparing for the next unit

1 flasks 2 bushes 3 explosives

4 operators 5 inches 6 shooters
7 countries
2

2
3
4
5
6

In Unit 3, students will practise asking and

answering questions about different items of oil
field equipment and what they are used for. To
introduce this, you could bring in small items (for
example, a set of keys, tools from a tool box) or
illustrations/photos of similar objects from a
catalogue or magazine.

4 fifty-six

Ask students to label the diagrams individually,

then check answers with the class.
A
1 seismic ship 2 compressed air gun
3 hydrophones 4 sea 5 seismic waves
6 reflected waves 7 layers of rock
B
1 thumper truck 2 recording truck 3 heavy
plate 4 receiver 5 shock waves
6 reflected waves 7 layers of rock

Ask students to describe what shooters do in

short sentences. There are four possible
sentences.
Three sentences from the following:
1 Shooters handle explosives.
2 Shooters drill holes in the ground.
3 Shooters prepare sites.
4 Shooters detonate explosives.

This is an open exercise. Ask students to write

either about the room you are in at the moment
or to choose/imagine a room, then do the
exercise individually. Remind them that they
need to use prepositions of place. Share feedback
with the whole class.

Ask students to work in pairs for this activity,

then to compare their instructions with those of
another pair.

Looking for oil

20