Text 3. Disaster strikes

I. Read the text.

Make sure you understand the words below:

to bring in	to ask for help
devastating	damaging, destroying
eventually	finally
extent	size, level
subsequent	following

Early on the evening of 15 February, 1996 the Sea Empress, a single hull oil tanker, began to enter the mouth of the Cleddau Estuary on her way to Milford Haven.

Sailing against the outgoing tide, at 2007 GMT she hit rocks in the middle of the channel, holing her below the waterline. The ship's cargo of 130,000 tonnes of crude North Sea oil started to spill into the sea.

During the following seven days salvage teams battled the elements¹ as they tried to bring the vessel under control, but 72,000 tonnes of light crude oil escaped.

Planes were brought in to spray chemicals to try to disperse the rapidly-developing oil slick.

The spill had a devastating effect on the local shellfish² and some lobster fishermen claim the industry has never recovered.

After seven days the Sea Empress was eventually brought under control and taken into dock at Milford Haven.

She remained there until the end of March when she was towed across the Irish Sea. Only when she was in dry dock in Belfast could the extent of the damage be seen.

The tanker Sea Empress after it ran aground in February, 1996

120 miles of Welsh coastline were contaminated and the total cost of the clean-up operation was put at ₤60m.

One positive to emerge from the disaster was a review of safety at British ports and subsequent improvements.

Vocabulary

to hole	пробивать
to disperse	рассеивать
to contaminate	загрязнять, отравлять
to emerge	появляться

II. Comprehension Check

Answer the questions to the text.

1. When did the Sea Empress hit rocks?

2. How long did it take the salvage team to bring the ship under control?

3. What measures were taken to remove the oil slick?

4. What was mostly affected by the disaster?

5. What actions would be taken regarding safety at British ports?

III. Vocabulary Practice

1. Find an odd word.

1. condemn, contaminate, pollute, poison;

2. emerge, release, appear, arise;

3. hole, break, rupture, encounter;

4. disperse, spill, break up, split;

5. escape, leak, pour out, seek.

2. Find the words from the text which mean the following:

• four substances (earth, air, fire, and water) from which people used to believe that everything was made;

• to discharge a liquid from an aerosol;

• a substance used in chemistry or produced by a chemical process;

• a sea animal with eight legs, a shell, and two large claws;

• the act of making something better.

Read and translate the sentences in which they are used.

IV. Speech Practice

1. Rephrase the following sentences:

1.	Sailing against the outgoing tide, the ship hit rocks in the middle of the channel.
	The ship hit rocks when…
2.	The spill had a devastating effect on the local shellfish grounds.
	The local shellfish grounds were badly … by…
3.	Only when she was in dry dock in Belfast could the extent of the damage be seen.
	It was possible to inspect…
4.	After seven days the Sea Empress was eventually brought under control.
	It took the salvage team seven days to…
5.	One positive to emerge from the disaster was a review of safety at British ports and subsequent improvements.
	The disaster resulted in…

2. Explain the underlined parts in your own words.

1. Salvage teams battled the elements as they tried to bring the vessel under control.

2. Some lobster fishermen claim the industry has never recovered.

3. Speak about the accident.