Pratique du Shadowing: My Mom Raised Me Like a Gift - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo
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Hi, I'm Erin, and my mom raised me like I was some kind of gift-wrapped prize for a billionaire.
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Sit up straight.
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Rich guys like girls with good posture.
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Put this dress on.
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Rich guys like pastel colors.
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You need to take up tennis.
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Rich guys like girls who are athletic and elegant.
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All of this drove me crazy, but arguing with my mom was pointless, especially since my dad was a regular, hard-working man.
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He had a job at a warehouse and didn't earn much.
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We never had a luxurious home or went to lavish resorts.
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Two years ago, the doctors diagnosed him with an incurable illness and within a few months, he was gone.
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But there was one thing I could never understand.
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Why was my mom so obsessed with wealth when she had chosen a husband like him?
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When I got my first boyfriend in school, mom found out about it pretty quickly.
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She made me break up with him right away.
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You'll only date someone I approve of.
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From then on, I only talked to boys behind my mom's back.
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My love life turned into a full-blown spy novel.
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And then I met Ryan.
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We started talking, exchanged numbers, and a week later, I realized I was truly in love.
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Ryan never wore designer clothes or talked about money.
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We started dating, but I kept the whole thing a secret from my mom.
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One day, a new girl named Karen showed up at our school.
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I noticed her sitting alone in the cafeteria and felt sorry for her.
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I went over and offered to show her around the school.
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Karen gave me a shy smile and agreed.
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We became friends very quickly.
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Then, a couple of days later, Mom announced, We're attending a formal reception with some of my colleagues.
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Mom, I'm going to be bored.
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This is important for my career, and you need to be there.
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At the reception, Mom introduced me to Mr. and Mrs. Usher.
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They're extremely wealthy.
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They own the company I work for.
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Then, the Usher's son, Anthony, walked over, and I was introduced to him.
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Aaron, take a good look at Anthony.
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He's a nice boy.
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And that's when I finally realized what was going on.
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I wasn't here because of my mother's career.
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I was here to be paraded in front of some rich boy.
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I spent the whole evening with Anthony.
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And to my surprise, he wasn't arrogant or obnoxious at all.
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He joked around and even told me he hated these fancy social events just as much as I did.
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By the end of the night, we exchanged contact details just as friends.
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The next day at school, Karen mentioned she barely knew the city.
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She and her father had only recently moved there and she had no idea where she could go after school.
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Why don't we hang out today?
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I'll introduce you to my boyfriend.
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Of course, Karen agreed right away.
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After school, the three of us met up by the park.
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We walked around, laughed, and I showed Karen all the prettiest streets in town.
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I loved seeing my new friend fit right in with us.
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She even stopped being shy and started joking around too.
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As soon as I got home, mom started grilling me.
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Where have you been?
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I told her honestly that I'd been out with a friend, but that wasn't good enough for her.
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You should have gone out with Anthony instead.
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He's a good boy.
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Don't you understand what opportunities this could open up for you?
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I went up to my room and slammed the door behind me.
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Then I immediately texted Anthony to vent about my mom.
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Well, let's hang out then.
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Since your mom wants it so badly, I'm bored anyway.
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Anthony and I met up downtown.
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He picked me up in a fancy car, opened the door for me, and drove me to a restaurant.
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Ryan and I could never have afforded a car like that.
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Anthony paid for everything, and I caught myself thinking how nice it felt.
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Then we went to a movie theater with huge, plush reclining seats.
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I felt like a princess.
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And in that moment, I suddenly realized that I actually liked spending time with Anthony.
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That evening when I got home, Mom was already waiting for me in the living room.
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So, how was your first date with Anthony?
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I told her about the restaurant, the movie theater, and how polite he'd been the entire time.
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Mom, why does any of this matter to you?
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Why are you so set on me dating a rich guy?
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When I was your age, I dated a poor boy.
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We loved each other deeply.
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That boy was your father.
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But then, another boy took interest in me.
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He was a son of a millionaire.
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His name was Huey.
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He courted me in ways your father never could.
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Flowers, gifts, dinners at expensive restaurants.
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I was young and foolish, Erin.
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I thought love mattered more than money.
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So I chose your father.
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Mom told me that she and dad used to live in a tiny apartment.
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Every month she counted queens to make it to payday and imagined a different life for herself.
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Your father was a good man.
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But being a good man doesn't pay the bills when they come piling in.
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I would have been happier with money, Erin.
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And that's why you're not going to make the same mistake I did.
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You're only going to marry a rich man.
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Mom, but you were happy with dad.
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happiness, Aaron, is having a choice.
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And with money, I would have been even happier.
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That conversation gave me a lot to think about.
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Ryan was still my boyfriend.
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We took walks together in the park.
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At the same time, I kept seeing Anthony.
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Every date with him felt like a lovely little adventure.
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He treated me to expensive desserts and opened the car door for me.
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Yes, I was dating two guys at the same time, and I tried not to think about how it made me look.
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At one point, Anthony admitted that he saw me as more than just a friend.
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Of course, I didn't say a word about Ryan, and I never told Ryan about Anthony.
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One day, I introduced Anthony to Karen, but for some reason, he gave my friend a weird look, like he was trying to remember where he'd seen her before.
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Lately, I've been spending a lot of time with Karen.
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I even introduced her to my mom.
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I brought her home after school and the two of them had a lovely chat in the kitchen.
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What a polite, lovely girl.
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Karen covered for me whenever I snuck out to see Ryan, and yet she kept pressuring me to make my choice, Ryan or Anthony.
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This isn't right, Aaron.
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You're playing two guys at once.
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I have everything under control.
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I choose Anthony.
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He's polite, generous, and he has plans for the future.
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I didn't like these conversations, but I didn't argue with her.
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Karen was my friend, and I didn't want us to fall out.
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One weekend, Mom and I went to the mall.
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We were entering our third store of the day when I noticed someone familiar.
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It was Karen.
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She was standing next to a tall man in expensive clothes.
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Hi, Karen.
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Dad, this is Aaron, my best friend.
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Mom, meet Karen's dad.
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Mom looked at the man, and suddenly, her face went white as a sheet.
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Karen's dad froze for a second, too.
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Then slowly smiled.
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Hi, Judy.
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It's been a long time.
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I had no idea what was going on.
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The four of us started walking around the mall together.
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Karen and I popped into a few stores with nice clothes.
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Mom and her dad walked a little way behind us, talking about something.
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I noticed Mom occasionally fixing her hair and smiling.
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I was curious, but I decided not to ask any questions.
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That evening, my phone was blowing up with messages.
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Ryan texts first.
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Hey, Erin, how about we go to the park tomorrow after school?
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I'll meet you there at four.
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I was thrilled and about to say yes when a message from Anthony came through.
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Aaron, tomorrow at 4, let's meet at that Italian place you've been wanting to try.
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I stared at the screen and realized the moment I'd been dreading had finally come.
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They had both asked me out at the exact same time.
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I knew I couldn't keep lying anymore.
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I thought about it and realized I love Ryan.
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Not for gifts or fancy restaurants, but because of the way he held my hand when we watched stupid movies together.
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So I texted Anthony.
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I'm sorry, Anthony, but I can't be with you.
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I already have a boyfriend, and all I can offer you is friendship.
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A minute later, he texted back.
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I understand.
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It's okay.
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Let's stay friends.
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I exhaled and felt an enormous weight lift off my shoulders.
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The next morning, I walked into the living room and saw my mother twirling in front of the mirror.
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Mom, are you going somewhere?
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On a date, sweetheart.
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A date? With who?
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With your friend Karen's father.
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My jaw dropped.
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But you only met him yesterday.
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Aaron, that man is Huey.
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The millionaire son I turned down all those years ago.
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Only now, he's single and a millionaire in his own right.
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Running into each other again after all this time, it has to be fate.
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This feels strange and way too sudden.
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I don't like it.
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Don't ruin this for me.
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I've decided to give him and me another shot.
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And this time, I'm not going to blow my chance.
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The moment I got to school, I ran straight to Karen to tell her the news.
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Karen, I made my choice.
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I stayed with Ryan and turned Anthony down.
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I expected Karen to be happy for me, but instead, her face hardened and she looked furious.
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She shot me an icy stare, turned around, and walked away without saying a word.
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I was left standing there in the middle of the hallway completely baffled.
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Later that day, things really started going wrong for me at school.
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I answered all of the teacher's questions in history class, but somehow I still ended up with a bad grade.
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Your answers weren't detailed enough.
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I got all the answers right in math, but the teacher said there was an issue with the way I wrote it up and still gave me a low grade.
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After class, they made me stay for extra lessons in two subjects at once.
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Ryan, I can't go to the park with you today. That sucks.
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Okay, some other time then.
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That evening, I came home exhausted and upset.
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Why did Karen start acting so strangely when I brought up Ryan?
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And why were the teachers suddenly giving me such a hard time?
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Then mom came home, she was practically glowing.
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Huey is so thoughtful and so generous.
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We've already started planning our future together.
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Suddenly, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.
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I had a terrible feeling about this.
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Mom, be careful with him.
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Something doesn't feel right.
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Mom just laughed.
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The next day, I got to school early.
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I needed to talk to Karen.
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Why did you act like that yesterday?
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Aaron, I only hung out with you because I like Ryan.
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I thought you'd choose that rich boy, Anthony, but you chose Ryan, and now you're going to pay for it.
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I could barely breathe.
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I looked at Karen and hardly recognized the shy, quiet girl I used to know.
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So you're the reason I've been having problems at school?
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Money can buy anything, Aaron.
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Pay the teachers enough, and they'll do whatever you ask.
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She gave me a spiteful little smile and walked away, leaving me standing there with my mouth hanging open.
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I couldn't believe she betrayed me like that.
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My best friend, the girl I'd done so much for, turned out to be nothing but a conniving snake who'd been using me all along.
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I found Ryan right away and told him everything.
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He stared at me in shock, and then his expression turned furious.
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I never thought Karen was capable of something like that.
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I nodded and asked if he wanted to hang out after school that day because I really needed his support.
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I'm sorry, Aaron.
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I can't today.
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How about tomorrow?
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I sighed and agreed, even though deep down, I felt crushed.
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It seemed like this was exactly the moment when he should have been there for me.
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That evening, as soon as I got home, my mother stopped me.
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Aaron, I know everything.
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You're dating some poor boy named Ryan.
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I immediately knew who I told her.
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Karen, of course.
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Um, I- No excuses.
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You're grounded for a week.
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I turned around and stormed off to my room, slamming the door behind me.
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I called Anthony right away.
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He answered almost immediately, and I told him everything that had happened.
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His words were so warm and full of support that tears went up in my eyes.
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Erin, listen.
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I remember that Karen girl now.
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Her father, Huey, knows my dad.
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They fell out a few years ago because Huey turned out to be a complete scumbag.
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Like father, like daughter, I guess.
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Thank you, Anthony.
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You're a true friend, even after I rejected you.
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Later, he sent me a smiley face and simply wished me goodnight.
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There was no school the next day.
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Mom got all dressed up and went on another date with Huey.
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You're staying home.
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You're grounded.
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The moment her car pulled away from the house, I slipped outside.
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I needed to see Ryan.
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I wanted someone to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay.
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I went to Ryan's house and rang the doorbell.
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His mom answered.
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Ryan went out with his friends about an hour ago.
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I thanked her and headed to the abandoned building where Ryan usually hung out with his friends.
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But on my way, I saw Ryan through the window of some fancy restaurant serving $50 pasta.
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He was sitting at a table with Karen right across from him.
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She was telling him something and he was looking at her with a smile on his face.
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My heart sank.
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What's going on here?
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Karen turned to me with that same smug smile on her face.
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Haven't you figured it out yet?
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Ryan's my boyfriend now.
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I offered him something you could never give him.
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Money, gifts, a good life.
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Ryan lowered his eyes and wouldn't even look at me.
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Karen had simply bought him, and he hadn't had the courage to tell me the truth.
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I just turned around and walked out of the restaurant, seizing with anger and resentment.
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So when I went to Anthony's house, he opened the door, took one look at me, and immediately knew something was wrong.
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Come in.
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Anthony's mom saw how upset I was and bought me a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows.
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And Mr. Usher offered me some homemade cookies they just baked.
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It's not the end of the world.
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You find out who your real friends are when times get tough.
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I felt the pain gradually losing its grip on me.
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Anthony just sat there, holding my hand.
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I was so grateful to him and his family for making me feel so welcome.
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Anthony proved to be a true friend, and that meant more than any fancy restaurant or expensive gift ever could.
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When I got home, I immediately heard sobbing coming from the living room.
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Mom was sitting on the couch, crying her eyes out.
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What happened?
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I wanted to surprise Huey, so I went over to his house without telling him.
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And when I got there, he was kissing some woman.
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What did you say?
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I asked him what the hell was going on, and Huey said he'd only been having fun with me.
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He said if I didn't like it, I could get lost.
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See what would have happened if you had married him?
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Sure, you would have been rich, but you would have been miserable.
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You are absolutely right.
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You know what?
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You can date Ryan, even if he isn't rich.
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Thanks, Mom, but that ship has sailed.
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A few weeks went by.
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Anthony and I were still friends, and we often went for walks together.
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We weren't in any rush to become a couple.
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Anthony turned out to be more than just some rich boy.
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He was someone I could truly count on.
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We simply enjoyed being together.
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Ryan was dating Karen now, and I saw them at school sometimes.
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I didn't speak to either of them.
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Anyone can turn out to be a jerk, rich or poor.
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Karen was rich, but she turned out to be deceitful and cruel.
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Ryan was poor, but he couldn't stay honest.
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And Anthony was rich, yet he remained a good friend.
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Money has nothing to do with it.
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The only thing that matters is what kind of person someone is on the inside.
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So what would you choose?
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Money or love?
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you
About This Lesson
In this lesson, learners will engage with a compelling story about family dynamics and personal growth. By practicing with the transcript, students will enhance their English speaking skills while exploring themes of social expectations and personal identity. The focus will be on understanding the spoken language through the context of a relatable narrative. This lesson is particularly beneficial for those preparing for the IELTS speaking test, as it offers practical examples of conversational English, vocabulary, and context usage.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Obsessed - having an excessive preoccupation with something.
- Approved - regarded as acceptable or satisfactory.
- Paraded - displayed or showed off publicly.
- Elegant - graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.
- Career - a profession or occupation regarded as a long-term field of work.
- Incurable illness - a health condition that cannot be cured.
- Fancy social events - formal gatherings often associated with wealth or status.
- Introduce - to present someone formally to another person.
Practice Tips
To make the most out of this English speaking practice, utilize the shadowing technique with the video transcript. Begin by reading the lines aloud. Focus on the speed and tone of the narrator, aiming to mimic not just the words but the emotional inflections as well. Since the narrative carries a conversational tone, try to match the rhythm and pauses.
As you practice:
- Shadow Speak: Repeat phrases immediately after hearing them, which will help solidify pronunciation and fluency.
- Slow Down: If the video's pace is too fast, pause after each sentence, and practice shadow speech at a slower tempo, gradually increasing your speed as you become more comfortable.
- Incorporate Vocabulary: Use the key vocabulary within your own sentences, relating them to personal experiences or hypothetical scenarios, which can help improve retention and contextual understanding.
- Record Yourself: Listen back to your shadow speak to self-evaluate your progress in articulation and grammatical accuracy.
This targeted practice will not only enrich your vocabulary but also significantly enhance your English speaking skills, vital for excelling in IELTS speaking practice.
Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?
Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.