Shadowing Practice: Everything You Didn't Know About Fluorescent Animals - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

C1
Inside this box is...
⏸ Paused
96 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Inside this box is...
2
The skull of a rat.
3
If I place this rat skull underneath a UV blacklight, nothing will happen.
4
But I have another skull, and something different will happen with this one.
5
This is a squirrel skull.
6
And if I place this skull under a UV black light, something very unusual happens.
7
Ultraviolet light hits the squirrel skull and is absorbed by special compounds called porphyrins.
8
After absorbing the UV light, the porphyrins gain a ton of energy, which they release as a different kind of light.
9
Notice how the released light has a longer wavelength than the UV light.
10
That means instead of being invisible UV light, it's visible light.
11
That's pink.
12
Here's what the rat skull looks like.
13
This is what most bones look like under a a UV light.
14
But here's what a squirrel skull looks like.
15
It's pink.
16
When things do this, we say they're fluorescent.
17
Squirrels are fluorescent pink under UV lights.
18
Well, just their insides, actually.
19
But there are many other fluorescent animals that glow on the outside.
20
To find our next fluorescent animal will take a trip to the desert.
21
Ah, what a nice view.
22
What was that?
23
Over there.
24
A scorpion.
25
Now, if we place a scorpion under a UV blacklight, Just like the squirrel, something unusual happens.
26
Ultraviolet light hits the scorpion's exoskeleton, is absorbed, then released back into the world at a different wavelength that we can see.
27
This is just like the squirrel skulls, but there's one big difference.
28
Notice how the light released by the scorpion has a shorter wavelength than the light released by the squirrel.
29
Well that means instead of glowing pink like a squirrel skull the scorpion will glow a different color.
30
It's green.
31
There aren't any scorpions that live around me but I bet we can still find some fluorescent animals outside using this.
32
This is a special flashlight.
33
Take a look at the top.
34
You see those bulbs?
35
Those are a bunch of UV light bulbs.
36
This is a UV flashlight.
37
So let's go outside and search for some fluorescent animals.
38
It's nighttime.
39
Let's search in this forest.
40
You never know what you'll find out here at night.
41
Just like you never know who might be watching you on the internet.
42
Well that's why I'd like to tell you about this video's sponsor, CyberGhost VPN.
43
What is a VPN?
44
while your job, school, and even the websites you visit can track everything you do on the internet.
45
CyberGhost reroutes your internet traffic through secure servers so it's completely private, and no one can see what you do online.
46
Your information is safe.
47
CyberGhost also unlocks geo-restricted content on 4D streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, And you can even get better deals online by simply changing your virtual location using CyberGhost.
48
It works on your phone, computer, TV, and one subscription can be used on seven devices so you can share with family and friends.
49
With over 38 million users and 20,000 excellent reviews on Trustpilot, CyberGhost is one of the best.
50
And now, using the link in the description, you can get 84% off in four months free with a 45-day money-back guarantee so you have nothing to lose.
51
If you're interested, give it a try.
52
So I found a few very fluorescent animals.
53
We'll start with this one.
54
This is a caterpillar.
55
But what kind?
56
Notice the white slashes on the caterpillar's side.
57
They kind of go right up to the caterpillar's spiracles, those holes that they breathe out of.
58
Then, look here on the end.
59
There's a long extension on the caterpillar's backside Like a horn, almost If you come across a caterpillar with white slashes And a long horn on its rear end It's likely
60
A tobacco hornworm caterpillar These can eat up your tomato plants throughout the summer But this was the star of the walk.
61
No other plant glowed like this in the entire forest.
62
So what plant is it?
63
Alright, I got it.
64
So notice how the leaf is shaped like a heart.
65
All of the veins start at one point, and the surface of the leaf is kind of shiny and waxy.
66
This is a vine called Smilax.
67
But there's something strange about this fluorescence.
68
Can you tell what it is?
69
Squirrel skulls, scorpions, hornworms, they fluoresce everywhere.
70
But Smilax only fluoresces in some places.
71
Let's take a closer look.
72
Do you notice how the most fluorescent parts of the leaf are the veins?
73
Smilax doesn't have fluorescent compounds all over its entire surface, like a scorpion.
74
Instead, its fluorescent compounds are concentrated in its veins.
75
And that's why it looks like a Jackson Pollock painting.
76
All of these organisms are naturally fluorescent.
77
But scientists have created fluorescent animals too.
78
To find out how, we'll take a trip into the ocean.
79
This is a crystal jellyfish.
80
Inside these jellyfish are a bunch of special proteins that fluoresce.
81
of like porphyrins on squirrels.
82
So under a UV light, crystal jellyfish naturally glow green.
83
In the 1990s, scientists looked at the crystal jelly's DNA and found the specific sequence that made those special glowing proteins.
84
Then they cut it out and added it into the DNA of...
85
a zebrafish.
86
Normal zebrafish look like this under a UV light.
87
But the new fish that they created with a tiny bit of jellyfish DNA looked like this.
88
It glowed green.
89
The scientists had created a brand new fluorescent green fish.
90
Naturally, they were very excited, so they did the same thing with fluorescent coral and sea anemones.
91
They sliced out pieces of of their DNA and put them into fish.
92
So the fish fluoresced too.
93
And that's how they created fluorescent fish that look like this.
94
To protect your data while you browse and get access to blocked content on the internet, stay private and stay secure with CyberGhost VPN.
95
84% off in four months free, risk-free.
96
Link in the description.

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play

Why practice speaking with this video?

This engaging video about fluorescent animals not only sparks curiosity but also provides an excellent opportunity for english speaking practice. By discussing fascinating topics like the glowing abilities of different animals, you can learn to express your thoughts and ideas in English. When you practice speaking along with the video, you will enhance your vocabulary and improve your fluency by using the shadowing technique. This method involves listening to and repeating the spoken content, allowing you to absorb new expressions and sentence structures naturally.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, the speaker employs various grammatical structures and expressions that are useful for learners:

  • Conditional Clauses: Phrases like "If I place this rat skull underneath a UV blacklight, nothing will happen" exemplify the first conditional tense, ideal for discussing hypothetical situations.
  • Descriptive Language: The use of adjectives such as "unusual," "different," and "fluorescent" enhances the vividness of descriptions. Practice using similar adjectives to explain your surroundings or interests.
  • Comparative and Superlative Forms: The speaker compares the luminosity of different skulls, showing the importance of clear contrast. For instance, “Notice how the light released by the scorpion has a shorter wavelength than the light released by the squirrel." Mimicking this structure helps in discussing similarities and differences in various contexts.

Common Pronunciation Traps

When practicing, pay special attention to some pronunciation challenges that arise in the video:

  • Fluorescent: Ensure you pronounce each syllable clearly: fluo-res-cent. This word is crucial for discussions around biology and science.
  • Porphyrins: This technical term may be difficult. Break it down into parts: por-py-rins, and focus on the 'r' sounds which can vary significantly across accents.
  • Ultraviolet: The flow of this word needs more attention. Split it into ‘ul-tra-violet’ to pronounce it accurately.

Utilizing the shadowspeak technique while repeating these terms will help you overcome common pronunciation traps and improve your speaking confidence. By integrating vocabulary and structures from this video into your daily conversations, you will effectively learn English with YouTube. Make it a habit to practice regularly for the best results!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

☕ Buy us a coffee