BBC Learning English
Words in the News
20th April 2011
Gulf oil leak recovery continues
It's a year since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven people
were killed in the accident and huge amounts of oil poured out into the water nearby. Many
people continue to struggle with life after the disaster. Andy Gallacher reports.
When President Obama stood on the beaches of Louisiana and Florida last year, he was as
powerless as just about everyone else. The fate of the Deepwater Horizon rig was in the
hands of BP engineers and for almost three months, it gushed crude oil out into the Gulf of
Mexico in almost unimaginable volumes.
By the time the pipeline was capped, BP's reputation was in ruins. Tourism across three states
had ground to a halt and the livelihood of countless fishermen was threatened.
Twelve months later, the healing process has been slow; tourists are beginning to return. But
for many still seeking compensation, there's continued frustration and a loss of faith in both
BP and the Obama administration. Almost $4 billion has been paid out to those who lost
business, but many view the process as confusing, unfair and far too slow.
Many questions also remain about the environmental damage. Most scientists agree it wasn't
as severe as first thought, but the long-term effects of such a huge catastrophe will take years
to unfold. The last of the fishing waters that were closed last year have finally been re-opened,
but for the people of the Gulf states, the scars have far from healed.
Andy Gallacher, BBC News
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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Vocabulary and definitions
the fate of the future of
in the hands of being managed by
gushed poured, spilled
crude oil fuel that has not been changed by chemicals
capped covered to stop the leak
ground to a halt completely stopped
livelihood income, money earned from working
a loss of faith a situation where there is no longer any trust or confidence
to unfold to become clear or fully known
far from healed not become better yet, not recovered yet
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13123036
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/04/110420_witn_gulf_oneyearon_page.shtml
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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