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What makes this oil field special is the quality of its oil. It’s so pure that it doesn’t need refining before use. The TV show demonstrated this by filling a motorcycle’s engine with oil directly from the ground – and it ran perfectly! Imagine that – nature’s own ready-to-use fuel.
In the past, this area was dotted with nearly 300 small drilling towers, all working to bring up the precious oil bubbling deep underground. It’s amazing to think about how this landscape must have looked back then.
The program got me thinking about the words we use for oil. Did you know that:
1.The English word “oil” comes from the Greek word for “olive”? In ancient times, olive oil was one of the most important oils people used.
2.”Petroleum” combines two ancient words: “petros” (Greek for rock) and “oleum” (Latin for oil). So it literally means “rock oil”!
3.Many common names in Europe, like Peter, Pierre, and Pedro, all come from the same root word as “petrol.” They all mean “rock” or “stone.”
Interestingly, this oil field is the only one in eastern Japan. It’s becoming quite famous now – it will appear in a popular comic called “Dr. Stone” and in a big NHK historical drama next year. The drama will show how a samurai leader tried to use the oil to improve the local economy about 200 years ago.
I find it fascinating how searching for oil is similar to studying the history of words. Both involve digging deep to find the source of something valuable. Whether it’s oil hidden in rock layers or the origins of words we use every day, there’s always something exciting to discover!
I hope you found this as interesting as I did. Until next time, keep exploring the world around you!
Best wishes, Jiro
私立学校に英語教師として勤務中、40代半ばに差し掛かったころ、荒れたクラスを立て直す策として、生徒に公言して英検1級に挑戦することを思い立つ。同様の挑戦を繰り返し、退職までに英検一級（検定連合会長賞）、TOEIC満点、国連英検SA級、フランス語一級、スペイン語一級（文科大臣賞）、ドイツ語一級、放送大学大学院修士号などの成果を得る。
アメリカで生徒への対応法を学ぶ為に研修（地銀の助成金）。最新の心理学に触れた。4都県での全発表、勤務校での教員への研修を英語で行う。現在も特別選抜クラスの授業を全て英語で行っている。「どうやって単語を覚えればいいですか？」という良くある質問に答える為、印欧祖語からの派生に基づく「生徒には見せたくない語源英単語集」を執筆中。完成間近。常日頃洋書の読破で様々な思考にふれているが、そうして得た発想の一つを生かして書いた論文がコロナ対策論文として最近入賞。賞品の牛肉に舌鼓をうっている。元英検面接委員