The Story of an Oil Company
This video tells the story of how John D. Rockefeller built the biggest oil company. His business, Standard oil, grew very big. It became an important company in the world.
Rockefeller was born in 1839. He was smart and good with numbers. He started working at 16. Then, people found oil in Pennsylvania. This was a big discovery. Many people wanted oil for lamps.
Rockefeller saw a chance to make a lot of money. He decided to control how oil was cleaned and moved. He worked with other people and made his business very good at cutting costs. He made the oil better and cheaper.
Soon, Standard Oil bought many other small companies. This made his business very powerful. People were angry because one company had too much power. The government made a law to stop this. This law was called the Sherman Antitrust Act.
In 1911, the government broke Standard Oil into many smaller companies. But Rockefeller still made a lot of money. Later, some of these companies became Exxon.
Today, ExxonMobil is still a very big company. It has business all over the world. But now, people worry about climate change. ExxonMobil is looking for new energy ideas. The future of oil companies is changing.
Vocabulary Table
| Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Used in sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| oil | /OIL/ | A dark liquid from the ground, used for fuel. | oil giant Exxon Mobile accurately |
| business | /BIZ-nes/ | A company that buys and sells things. | feller’s future business empire were |
| company | /KOM-puh-nee/ | A group of people working together to make money. | business to a rival company this |
| numbers | /NUM-burz/ | Words or symbols that show quantity. | aptitude for numbers he displayed a |
| discovery | /DIS-kuh-ver-ee/ | Finding something new. | news of a remarkable Discovery back in |
| cutting costs | /KUT-ing KAWSTS/ | Spending less money. | No specific sentence found in the transcript. |
| power | /POW-er/ | Ability to control or influence. | acquisition his power grew by 1870 a new |
| law | /LAW/ | A rule made by the government. | signed into law this gave the federal |
| climate change | /KLY-muht CHAYNJ/ | Changes in Earth’s weather patterns. | concerns about climate change and the |
| energy | /EN-er-jee/ | Power that makes things work. | position as a global energy superpower |
| forecast | /FOR-kast/ | To say what will happen in the future. | forecast how bornet burning fossil fuels |
| global | /GLOH-buhl/ | Relating to the whole world. | mobile has risen to become a global |
| stability | /stuh-BIL-uh-tee/ | The state of being steady and not changing. | of stability and instability his mother |
| industrial revolution | /in-DUS-tree-uhl REV-uh-loo-shuhn/ | A time when many new machines were invented. | No specific sentence found in the transcript. |
| transportation | /trans-per-TAY-shuhn/ | The act of moving people or things from one place to another. | qualities and the transportation of this |
Vocabulary Flashcards
Lexical Focus: Collocations & Chunks
Don’t just learn isolated words—learn chunks of language. These patterns will help you speak more naturally.
- oil giantNoun PhraseExxon Mobile is an oil giant.
- fossil fuelsNoun PhraseBurning fossil fuels causes the planet to warm.
- global behemothNoun PhraseExxon Mobile became a global behemoth.
- strong senseNoun PhraseHis mother instilled in him a strong sense of discipline.
- business empireNoun PhraseRockefeller built a business empire.
- sharp mindNoun PhraseThe young Rockefeller possessed a sharp mind.
- first real jobNoun PhraseAt 16, he secured his first real job.
- black goldNoun PhraseColonel Edwin Drake struck black gold in Titusville.
- make moneyVerb PhraseRockefeller saw a chance to make money.
- climate changeNoun PhrasePeople are concerned about climate change today.
De-chunking
1. Exxon Mobile is an .
2. Burning makes the Earth warmer.
3. Rockefeller built a big .
4. He had a for business.
5. People found in Pennsylvania.
While Viewing Tasks
Guided Notes: Fill in the Gaps
Complete the sentences with words from the video.
1. John D. Rockefeller built a big company.
2. He was good with and business.
3. Standard Oil bought many other small .
4. The government made a to stop big companies from having too much power.
5. Today, ExxonMobil is still a very big .
True or False
Decide if the statements are True or False.
1. John D. Rockefeller built the world’s biggest car company.
True False
2. He started his first job when he was 16 years old.
True False
3. Standard Oil had problems with the government.
True False
4. ExxonMobil is a small company today.
True False
Checklist
Check these items as you watch the video.
Embedded Video:
Fill in the Blanks Exercise
1. Exxon Mobile is a big company.
2. John D. Rockefeller built the .
3. He had a strong sense of .
4. Rockefeller was good with .
5. He started his first at 16.
6. Oil was discovered in .
7. Oil was used for oil.
8. Rockefeller focused on and distribution of oil.
9. He aimed for efficiency and cutting.
10. He negotiated for low on materials.
11. Standard Oil became very .
12. The government passed the Sherman Act.
13. Standard Oil was broken into 34 smaller .
14. Some of these became the modern-day .
15. Today, ExxonMobil faces concerns about change.
Vocabulary Quiz
Fact or Fiction Quiz
Extension Activities
Individual Activity Easy
Draw a picture of an oil company or an oil well.
Pair Activity Medium
Talk with a friend about John D. Rockefeller. Was he a good man or a bad man? Why?
Group Activity Hard
Discuss as a group: Should big companies be broken up by the government? Why or why not?