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Shell Makes Big Profit from Oil

businessMay 8, 2026·141 words·2 min read

This is a A2 (elementary) English article about shell makes big profit from oil. Read the article below, then check the key words and test your understanding with 5 exercises. You can also listen to the audio and tap any word to see its meaning.

How to practice
Key Vocabulary

Tap any underlined difficult word to see its definition in your language and hear it pronounced.

Exercises

Multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and ordering tasks check that you understood what you read.

Dictation Practice

Listen to each sentence, then type what you hear word by word. Trains your ear and spelling.

Memorize Practice

Read a sentence, then reconstruct it from memory by filling in the blanks. Active recall locks vocabulary in.

Read & Listen

0:00 / 1:04
Shell Makes Big Profit from Oil
Shell is a big oil and gas company in Europe. It made $6.9billion in profit in three months. This is much more than last year. The Shell boss said the company did well in a difficult time.
Oil prices went up because of the Iran war. Before the war, oil cost about $73a barrel. After the war started, the price went above $120. Now it is about $101. The Strait of Hormuz, where many oil ships go, has been closed. So Shell made more money from buying and selling oil.
Many people are angry. They say oil companies make too much money. They want a special tax on these profits. In the United Kingdom (UK) , energy bills will go up about £200 in July. Shell's oil and gas production also went down. Attacks damaged its gas plant in Qatar.

Key Vocabulary

n.
money a company earns
n.
a big round container; the unit for selling oil
n.
the amount made or taken out
n.
violent fighting acts
v.
broke or hurt
n.
a big building where things are made
n.
money you pay to the government
Vocabulary Translations· 7 words · 12 languages

Every definition is context-aware — translated based on how the word is used in this article, not a dictionary.

profitn.

money a company earns

lợi nhuậnlucro利益kârgananciazyskربحwinstприбыль利润이익
barreln.

a big round container; the unit for selling oil

thùng (đơn vị đo dầu)barrilバレル(樽)varilbarrilbaryłkaبرميلvatбаррель桶(石油单位)배럴
productionn.

the amount made or taken out

sản lượngprodução生産量üretimproducciónprodukcjaإنتاجproductieдобыча产量생산량
attackn.

violent fighting acts

các cuộc tấn côngataques攻撃saldırılarataquesatakiهجماتaanvallenатаки袭击공격
damagev.

broke or hurt

đã làm hư hạidanificou損傷させたhasar verdidañóuszkodziłyأضرتbeschadigdeповредили损坏손상시켰다
plantn.

a big building where things are made

nhà máyfábrica工場tesisplanta (fábrica)zakładمنشأةfabriekзавод工厂공장
taxn.

money you pay to the government

thuếimposto税金vergiimpuestopodatekضريبةbelastingналог세금

Check Your Understanding

Question 1: True or False

1

The Strait of Hormuz is open as usual.

2

Shell is a big oil and gas company in Europe.

3

Shell made less money than last year.

4

Energy bills in the UK will go up about £200 in July.

Question 2: Multiple Choice

Why did the price of oil go above $120 a barrel?

Question 3: Multiple Choice

What does the article say about Shell's gas plant in Qatar?

Question 4: Matching

Tap a word, then tap its meaning.

Question 5: Fill in the Blank

Many people want oil companies to pay a special ______ on these profits.

Dictation Practice

Sentence 1 / 160/10 words

Memorize Practice

Sentence 1 / 16

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