Shadowing Practice: Why the Monarchy Should Have Died With the Queen - Learn English Speaking with Video
בחר מצב תרגול
כל מצב פותח חדר תרגול במסך מלא.
185 משפטים
אם המשפטים קצרים או ארוכים מדי, לחץ על ערוך כדי להתאים אותם.
1
Like most of the country, these past two weeks, my thoughts have been with the Queen.
2
But also like most of the country, this has been through no choice of my own, and instead the result of an impressively unrelenting torrent of news coverage,
3
business disruptions, and obsessive displays of performative grief on a scale that would put even the most ambitious propagandist to shame.
4
You currently can't walk for two minutes anywhere in central London without being met with some morbid black
5
and white depiction of Her Majesty's face.
6
And if you've turned on any British news channel recently, you'll have seen a thin, delicate strip of text informing you of Russia's alleged war crimes against Ukraine,
7
the murder of an Iranian woman for refusing to cover her hair, or the search for missing people in Italian floods,
8
with these stories being relegated to the bottom of the screen to make room for the main feature,
9
rolling coverage of William and Charles shaking hands with members of the public.
10
Prince William, greasing people, having lots of chats with people,
11
conversations, asking them about how long they've been queuing, what kind of footwear they're wearing.
12
Too soon?
13
It's been suggested by a noble few
14
that it may be something of a cheap tactic to choose now of all times to criticise the monarchy, and that I should wait until later out of respect for the Queen and her family.
15
Well, for what it's worth, I did wait.
16
The Queen died more than two weeks ago now, and I even waited until after the funeral.
17
And so I would only ask, how long would you have me wait?
18
Another week?
19
Two weeks?
20
A year?
21
Let's not forget that the woman who just died claimed an entitlement to rule over us by birthright, and occupied the throne of the country I live in by virtue of inheritance.
22
So how long, in your view, do I have to wait before I'm once again allowed to criticise the head of state in my own country of birth.
23
And that's not to mention the fact that our entire news media has almost exclusively,
24
for weeks now, been an unceasing exhibition of fawning deference to the royal family.
25
And so if after all
26
that the British people can't handle a single critical voice like mine without getting teary -eyed with rage, then it may be suffering from royal hysteria,
27
and therefore all the more in need of hearing it.
28
Besides, I do respect the Queen.
29
What I don't respect is the institution of hereditary monarchy, which is not the same thing.
30
We've not just been asked these past weeks to respect a monarch as a human being, which is a perfectly reasonable request,
31
but to respect and celebrate the monarchy as a legitimate political
32
and cultural institution by recognizing the seriousness in the death of
33
this particular elderly lady as far more deserving of attention
34
and respect than any other of the few hundred thousand people who also died on the 8th of September.
35
We can see the evidence of this, of course, in the incessant referral to members of the House of Windsor as Highness and Majesty,
36
and not just by adorning sycophants either, but by news broadcasters, the papers, and even leaders of foreign states.
37
Think about that phrase for a moment, Your Royal Highness.
38
It's worth remembering that Highness is a relative term them.
39
Higher than what, exactly?
40
Who is it that these fellow homo sapiens deem themselves to be higher than, and on what grounds?
41
Usage of this excruciating label is at once a reminder and reinforcement of our position not as citizens but as subjects,
42
and subjects of a monarch whose political status has been inherited by virtue of mere bloodline.
43
This is what I'm being asked to respect, and I find myself simply incapable of such a thing.
44
But I understand, of course, why they keep up with this language.
45
It's clear to me that the linguistic submission, in using terms like majesty and highness,
46
are as essential to the continuation of the monarchy as are the crowns and the capes.
47
Why?
48
Because if you were to remove these things, what would this family be left with?
49
Without the deference, without the jewels, without the ceremony, who are these people?
50
The monarchy, especially that lukewarm and impotent form of British monarchy that doesn't anymore possess any real political power to speak of,
51
appears to me nothing more than thinly disguised celebrity.
52
An obsession over celebrities is tiresome enough when it isn't being funded by the taxpayer.
53
A moment's reflection reveals that their highness is our lowness.
54
And so when a news broadcaster refers to His Royal Highness King Charles III, they're not just asserting their own position as a subordinate,
55
which they're welcome to do if they wish, but also mine, and yours, and subordinate to a controversial hereditary dynasty whose right to rule is still,
56
I'll remind you, officially legitimized by the authority of a god that doesn't exist.
57
How is this not more controversial? our only lawful and rightful liege lord.
58
Charles III, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of his other realms and territories,
59
King, Head of the Commonwealth,
60
Defender of the Faith, to whom we do acknowledge all faith and obedience with humble affection,
61
Beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless his majesty with long and happy years to reign over us.
62
God save the king!
63
God save the king!
64
Of course, I'm not this month's only royal critic.
65
You may have seen that some sullen individuals decided to protest the monarchy in person.
66
And what happened?
67
One woman in Scotland was arrested and charged with breach of the peace for simply holding up a sign in Edinburgh reading, Fuck imperialism, abolish the monarchy.
68
Arrested and charged.
69
Or consider Simon Hill.
70
Hill attended the proclamation of Charles as King in Oxford, a ceremonial event with no royalty present,
71
and after remaining perfectly silent during the first part of the event concerning the death of the Queen, simply heckled who elected him, as Charles was declared the new king.
72
Naturally, he was also arrested.
73
One man in Edinburgh decided to heckle Prince Andrew, former friend and alleged fellow hobbyist of convicted paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein,
74
calling him a sick old man.
75
The protester was dragged away by the police, not before being assaulted twice by members of the public, public, and has since also been charged with an offence.
76
The men who attacked the protester, of course, were not even questioned.
77
Later, a barrister in London was accosted by the police for, get this, holding up a blank piece of paper in Parliament Square for fear
78
that he might write something offensive on it in the future, like, not my king, which may amount to a crime.
79
Can somebody explain to me why it is
80
that peacefully protesting this decrepit institution must be put on hold
81
out of respect for the death of a woman who I really don't wish to insult, but frankly never met and just don't care that much about.
82
I hope you'll excuse my boldness in refusing to be considered as lesser on account of my bloodline,
83
my hesitation to respect a weeks -long national ceremony predicated on that natural inequality of birth,
84
and my assertion of the right to criticise the monarchy even at a time when people are sad.
85
The fact that protesters are being arrested, however, shouldn't really come as that much of a surprise, given our monarch's exceptional status within the law of the UK.
86
You might not be aware of the fact
87
that our new king is exempt from a considerable number of laws that the rest of us commoners are bound by. For example,
88
our new king won't be paying a single penny's worth of
89
tax on the £650 million estate he just inherited from his mother.
90
The rest of us have to pay 40 % of any inheritance over £325 ,000 to the government, meaning that because of this immunity,
91
Charles has avoided paying £260 million of inheritance tax.
92
He also isn't liable to pay income tax or capital gains tax.
93
Since the 90s, the monarch has paid income tax voluntarily, but why on earth is that choice up to them?
94
Perhaps most controversially, the king is also exempt from racial, ethnic, and sexual equality laws.
95
Meaning that it is impossible for any of the king's employees to make a complaint to the courts
96
if they experience sexist or racist discrimination.
97
In fact, it's actually impossible to bring any civil or criminal proceedings against the king.
98
Why is the monarch exempt from the law in this way?
99
Now there's a good question.
100
But fear not, because the royal family's official website has the following to say.
101
Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the sovereign as a person under UK law, the monarch is careful to ensure that all their activities,
102
in a personal capacity, are carried out in strict accordance with the law.
103
Well that's good, as long as he tries his best, I suppose.
104
Now some have objected to me
105
that since the monarchy doesn't have any real power to speak of anymore and is mostly symbolic, it's not really worth all the fuss that I'm making over it.
106
Well, aside from the myriad legal immunities, financial benefits, cultural significance and one -to -one influence over the Prime Minister, perhaps this is right.
107
But then in the same breath I'm told
108
that the monarchy is somehow integral to our political system and we couldn't hope to abolish it.
109
These two thoughts are difficult to reconcile.
110
If the monarchy does have this power and significance, then it holds both, in my view, illegitimately.
111
And if it doesn't have these, then it becomes a redundant institution and there's not much point in keeping it around.
112
You can't have it both ways.
113
The monarchy can't both be completely powerless and inert, and yet simultaneously integral to the upkeep of our political system.
114
Now, if you still insist on asking, why now, to make this criticism of mine, consider
115
that one of the primary republican critiques of the monarchy is
116
exactly the kind of obsessive display of civility most evident in times like these.
117
Look at how, for instance, the Speaker of the House of Commons recently said on television that the funeral of the Queen is,
118
quote, the most important event the world will ever see, to absolutely no objection from the panel.
119
We should not allow anything to overshadow the most important event the world will ever see, and that's the funeral of her majesty.
120
Or consider how upset you might be
121
if you were the child of this mother who said
122
that attending the queen's lying in state was a more important event in her life than the birth of her own children.
123
I think it's the best thing I've ever done in my life.
124
Even having my children, Lily and Luca, I think this tops that.
125
It's like a bizarre neurosis has taken over the nation.
126
When I see footage of North Koreans tripping over themselves to
127
wail in the streets over for the death of Kim Jong Il, I think at least they're being forced to do it.
128
I'm sure the new monarch would hate to be seen as some kind of despot who won't allow or can't handle criticism,
129
so if anything, I'm doing him a favour by offering at least one dissenting voice against the Niagara of complacence
130
that currently floods our news media.
131
I also made reference earlier to performative grief, and how dare I?
132
Well of course I recognise that not all of the grief is performative.
133
Far from it.
134
Naturally, many of those who knew the Queen personally are genuinely heartbroken.
135
Then I see
136
that even some members of the public who never knew the Queen personally at all are nonetheless genuinely upset by her passing.
137
But then I see members of the press, news presenters, journalists, television companies, expressing, as if nobody is capable of coming up with original phrasing,
138
how deeply saddened they are about the passing of the Queen.
139
Okay, maybe they too really are sad about it.
140
But how about Ladbrokes, the gambling company, who also claimed to be in mourning?
141
Or as I saw in Leicester Square in London, the Hippodrome Casino's Magic Mike Live show, who were also paying their respects?
142
Or FunkyPigeon .com, who were equally devastated?
143
Or perhaps Ann Summers, the sex shop, who proudly displayed their grief for the Queen just above their lingerie and dildo collections?
144
All of this is a tad evocative of the corporate rebranding that takes place every June, when companies create a rainbow logo to demonstrate their support of Pride Month,
145
as if anybody actually believes that these companies care about anything other than profit.
146
Why do these companies, who are about as disconnected from royalty as it's possible to be, feel the need to publicly affirm their fictional grief?
147
Because they think it's what's expected of them.
148
Only by having the temerity to suggest that such displays of obviously manufactured sentiment not only ridiculous,
149
but also offensive to those who are genuinely mourning, can we let these companies, and the public more broadly, know that it's perfectly permissible to not actually care
150
that much about the passing of a woman who you've never met nor interacted with?
151
And all of this would be true even
152
if the person in question didn't claim to rule over me by right of blood, and didn't demand to be called Highness and Majesty on account of that birthright,
153
and didn't ground their authority in a fictional god, and the ceremonies weren't subsidized by the taxpayer.
154
Once these things are factored in, I believe that it becomes not only permissible to refuse to partake in this circus of performative grief,
155
but permissible and even advisable to also criticize it.
156
Of course, a great many people chose to show up in their thousands and watch the procession, and queued for up to 24 hours just to catch a glimpse of the cloth
157
that covers the box in which the queen's body is lying.
158
Naturally, I defend anybody's right to do this.
159
If you want to grieve, then by all means grieve.
160
I'm just asking you to understand that not everybody shares this compulsion, nor thinks it an event worthy of a national shutdown, non -stop rolling news coverage,
161
and a bizarre taboo on having anything negative to say about the existence of hereditary monarchy in the 21st century,
162
to the extent that its protesters are being arrested in the streets and to relatively little objection.
163
Some of us, in fact, are quite insulted by the suggestion that God has elected some people as rulers and others as subjects,
164
and that there's no amount of personal achievement that can alter one's category.
165
Support this mythical state of affairs publicly if you choose, but please be aware of the elitist, aristocratic principles you're thereby legitimizing.
166
and why not everybody takes too kindly to them.
167
I've thought for a long while now that it's high time
168
that we did away with this surreal and mystifying element of our country's constitution.
169
And now that the Queen is dead, and Charles is taking her place, we've been met with a perfect opportunity to discuss its future, or non -future, in British politics.
170
And if you want my view, I think the monarchy should have died when the Queen did.
171
But if calling for the abolition of the monarchy is too much to ask for, and by the way, calling for the abolition of the monarchy is still technically illegal in the UK,
172
so whoops, I guess, then can we at least stop obsessing over it, and can its supporters, at the very,
173
very least, recognise the controversy of their position?
174
Finally, please don't interpret what I'm saying as in any way hostile to the Queen personally.
175
I'm constantly reminded, when I raise my democratic concerns, of what a wonderful woman she reportedly was,
176
and how much she did to unify our country and engender unprecedented national spirit.
177
It troubles me not at all to accept that she did these things and did them well, but let's not pretend as if these are relevant qualifications in determining who should rule a nation.
178
If providing national unity and community spirit
179
and just generally being a good person are sufficient warrant for being the head of state, then we may as well declare Harry Kane or Gareth Southgate to be the King of England.
180
It's nothing against them personally to suggest that, despite their achievements in this regard, heads of state in the 21st century ought to be elected by the people.
181
I've been Alex O 'Connor, or Cosmic Skeptic.
182
If you like my videos, please do consider subscribing.
183
A special thanks as always to my top tier supporters on Patreon, without whom I simply couldn't make these videos.
184
If you want to support the channel, the link to my Patreon is in the description.
185
Thank you for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.
הורד אפליקציה
כל מה שאתה צריך כדי לדבר בשטף
הגיית AIציון לכל משפט
תרגול IPAשלוט בכל צליל
אוצר מיליםבנה את מאגר המילים שלך
משחק אוצר מיליםלמד תוך כדי משחק
אותו ערוץ
C11
Every Argument For Atheism
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
God is a Delusion | Oxford Union Speech - Alex O'Connor
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
C14
This is Why I Don't Believe in God
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B2Is Trump Using Christianity For His Own Benefit? - Rhett McLaughlin
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
FOR YOU
המלץ על סרטון
C11
80 משפטים
THB that the Monarchy Died with the Queen - Hugo Vickers - Opp
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
C12
160 משפטים
UNCENSORED: should the West be suspicious of Islam? Jonathan Sacerdoti, at the Oxford Union
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C14
194 משפטים
Why the British Empire Fell Apart - Won Two Wars, Then Lost Its Empire
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C12
49 משפטים
Lady Hale: Do We Have The Right To Die?
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C13
40 משפטים
3 MINUTES AGO: Prince William Just Shared A Devastating Message About The Succession PART 3
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C15
102 משפטים
The day you died (and didn't notice)
British AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
190 משפטים
British High Streets Were Perfect... Until We Let This Happen
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B21
321 משפטים
English Learning Podcast: New UK Prime Minister?
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepDaily Conversation
C11
144 משפטים
Toby Young | Woke Culture HAS Gone Too Far - 3/8 | Oxford Union
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C11
31 משפטים
The Queen's live broadcast re Diana's Death (BBC1, 1997)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C120
112 משפטים
Why you can't quit social media (and the Romans knew it)
British AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
320 משפטים
The Sussexes prepare for UK life, but will that include security?
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
אוצר מילים והערות הגייה לשיעור הזה
שיעור הדיבור הזה ברמה C1 מבוסס על הסרטון “Why the Monarchy Should Have Died With the Queen”. המילים שחוזרות הכי הרבה: monarchy, Queen, king. בסרטון הזה יש 185 משפטים ו-2881 מילים לתרגול Shadowing. הדיבור נמשך 16:44. הדובר מדבר בקצב טבעי של כ-172 מילים בדקה, קרוב לשיחה יומיומית. רק 80% מהמילים נמצאות בין 3,000 המילים הנפוצות ביותר באנגלית, כך שאוצר המילים מאתגר.
אוצר מילים מרכזי בסרטון הזה
15 המילים המתקדמות ביותר בסרטון, עם ההגייה והמשמעות שלהן:
| מילה | הגייה | משמעות |
|---|---|---|
| monarchy שם עצם | /ˈmɑnɚki/ | מוֹנַרְכְיָה |
| monarch שם עצם | /ˈmɑnɚk/ | מוֹנַרְךְ |
| grief שם עצם | /ɡɹiːf/ | אֵבֶל |
| majesty שם עצם | /ˈmæd͡ʒ.əs.ti/ | הוד, הָדָר |
| protester שם עצם | /pɹəˈtɛstəɹ/ | מוחה |
| criticize פועל | /ˈkɹɪtɪsaɪz/ | ביקר |
| exempt שם תואר | /ɪɡˈzɛmpt/ | פָּטוּר |
| abolish פועל | /əˈbɑl.ɪʃ/ | ביטל |
| inherit פועל | /ɪnˈhɛɹɪt/ | יָרַשׁ |
| mourning שם עצם | /ˈmoɹnɪŋ/ | אֵבֶל |
| objection שם עצם | /əbˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/ | הִתנַגְדוּת |
| royalty שם עצם | /ˈɹɔɪəlti/ | מַלְכוּת, מלוכה |
| taxpayer שם עצם | /ˈtakspeɪə/ | משלם מיסים |
| virtue שם עצם | /ˈvɝt͡ʃu/ | מַעֲלָה, מַעֲלַת טֻכֹּות |
| integral שם תואר | /ˈɪntəɡɹəl/ | אִינְטֶגְרָלִי |
משפטים שכדאי לחזור עליהם
משפטים קצרים ושלמים מהסרטון שאפשר להשתמש בהם בשיחה יומיומית:
- Of course, I'm not this month's only royal critic.
- You can't have it both ways.
- I also made reference earlier to performative grief, and how dare I?
- Naturally, I defend anybody's right to do this.
דקדוק בסרטון הזה
המבנים שהדובר משתמש בהם הכי הרבה, עם המילים המדויקות מהסרטון:
| מבנה | בסרטון |
|---|---|
| הווה מושלם (Present perfect) have/has + past participle — פעולה שקרתה בעבר ועדיין יש לה חשיבות או השפעה עכשיו | have been · has been · you've turned |
| סביל (Passive voice) be + past participle — הדגש הוא על מה שקורה, לא על מי שעושה את הפעולה | being met · being relegated · been suggested |
| משפטי זיקה (Relative clauses) who / which + clause — מידע נוסף על אדם או דבר | woman who just · monarchy, which is · being, which is |
הגייה ששווה לשים לב אליה
הדובר משתמש ב-51 קיצורים וצורות מקוצרות, כמו I'm, can't, doesn't. אמרו אותם בצורה הקצרה, כפי שאתם שומעים אותם.
- הצלילים של “th”: birthright /ˈbɝθ.ɹaɪt/, thereby /ðɛɹˈbaɪ/, cloth /klɒθ/, nonetheless /ˌnʌnðəˈlɛs/
- הצלילים של “sh” ו-“zh”: abolish /əˈbɑl.ɪʃ/, abolition /ˌæb.əˈlɪʃ.ən/, objection /əbˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/, fictional /ˈfɪkʃənəl/, assertion /əˈsɜɹʃən/
- מילים ארוכות — שימו לב להטעמה: hereditary /həˈɹɛdɪˌtɛɹi/, inheritance /ɪnˈhɛɹɪtəns/, subordinate /səˈbɔːdɪnət/, abolition /ˌæb.əˈlɪʃ.ən/, continuation /kənˌtɪnjʊˈeɪʃ(ə)n/
צלילים שדוברי עברית מתקשים בהם:
- /w/ — שפתיים מעוגלות, לא /v/: linguistic /lɪŋˈɡwɪstɪk/, qualification /ˌkwɑlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, inequality /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/
- /æ/ — פתוח יותר מה-“אֶ” העברית, לא כמו “a” ב-“cup”: majesty /ˈmæd͡ʒ.əs.ti/, abolition /ˌæb.əˈlɪʃ.ən/, broadcaster /ˈbɹɔdˌkæstɚ/, tactic /ˈtæktɪk/, ambitious /æmˈbɪʃ.əs/
- /r/ — הלשון לא נוגעת בשום מקום, לא ה-“ר” הגרונית: grief /ɡɹiːf/, protester /pɹəˈtɛstəɹ/, criticize /ˈkɹɪtɪsaɪz/, hereditary /həˈɹɛdɪˌtɛɹi/, inheritance /ɪnˈhɛɹɪtəns/
איך לתרגל עם הסרטון הזה
- הקשיבו לכל הסרטון פעם אחת בלי לדבר, ורשמו את המילים שאתם לא מכירים.
- התחילו במהירות 0.75×, תרגלו Shadowing משפט אחר משפט, וחזרו למהירות רגילה כשזה מרגיש קל.
- הקליטו את עצמכם והשוו למקור, תוך תשומת לב למילים כמו monarchy, monarch, grief.
מהי טכניקת השאדואינג?
שאדואינג היא טכניקת למידת שפה מבוססת מדע שפותחה במקור להכשרת מתורגמנים מקצועיים ופופולרית על ידי הפוליגלוט ד"ר אלכסנדר ארגואלס. השיטה פשוטה אך עוצמתית: אתה מקשיב לאודיו באנגלית ילידית וחוזר עליו בקול רם מיד — כמו צל העוקב אחרי הדובר עם עיכוב של 1–2 שניות בלבד. בניגוד להאזנה פסיבית או תרגילי דקדוק, שאדואינג מכריח את המוח והשרירים בפה לעבד ולשחזר דפוסי דיבור אמיתיים בו זמנית. מחקרים מראים שזה משפר משמעותית את דיוק ההגייה, האינטונציה, הקצב, הדיבור המחובר, הבנת השמיעה ושטף הדיבור — מה שהופך אותו לאחת השיטות היעילות ביותר להכנה לIELTS Speaking ולתקשורת באנגלית בעולם האמיתי.