Pratica di Shadowing: My Stepdaughter Hates Me - Impara a parlare inglese con i video

Creazione lezione...
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Hi, my name is Marina, which means from the sea.
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Before I tell you my story, please like and subscribe.
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I was born in a small fisherman's town, and even though my parents didn't have much, I had the happiest childhood.
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The sea air made me strong, and I could outrun and out-swim any boy around.
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I loved going out with Dad to catch the day's haul, and I'd spin the wildest tails for Mom at night.
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I saw the sea monster's tentacles, Mom, and then he just ripped our boat, ready to turn it upside down.
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Then I leaned over, and I just talked to him nicely.
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I figured he must get angry and lonely by himself out there.
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We became friends, and he let us go.
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Really?
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How come your dad didn't see him?
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Because monsters only show themselves to kids, duh!
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Grown-ups just start shouting and hitting them with stones without listening to their side.
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Ow!
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Mom, can you let me go now?
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It's not my fault your lovely hair is always a mess.
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Just sit still.
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When I was nine, my twin brothers were born, and I was excited to be a big sister.
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I stayed up at night when they cried, changed their gross nappies, and I told them all my stories.
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They believed every word.
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Life was good, but when I was 13, everything changed.
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Dad told us one day
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that the town had been bought up by a billionaire who was gonna convert the whole place to a seaside vacation spot.
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All the families were given some money to relocate, and even though it broke our hearts, we had no choice but to move to the city.
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Dad took up a job as a carpenter, and I joined a public school.
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I put on my bravest face as Mom left me on my first day, But inside, I was shaking like a jellyfish.
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I just wasn't used to so many people.
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The first week, I hardly looked up in class and just learned to identify everyone by their shoes.
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And during recess, I ate lunch alone in the janitor's closet.
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But one day, I was walking home when I saw a few older kids laughing and surrounding someone.
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Just then, I caught sight of those Ant-Man sneakers, and those definitely belonged to Tom from my class.
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Hey, you!
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Knock it off and let him go!
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Are you little Tommy's girlfriend?
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Did you know he's a freak who talks to insects?
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Yeah, so?
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I-I talk to crows, and if you don't let him go right now, I'll summon them to attack you!
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Why did I even say that?
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Oh, really?
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Come on then, let's see you do it!
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I had no freaking idea what I was doing, but I just started lapping my arms and cawing like a horse crow!
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The boys were howling with laughter as I kept cawing desperately, and then suddenly, a flock of crows appeared!
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I was as shocked as anybody else!
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Attack them!
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Claw their eyes out, my lovelies!
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Caw!
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Caw!
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The boys ran off screaming without looking back, even though the crows weren't chasing them.
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This was just the best coincidence ever!
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Wow, how cool are you?
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Um, so here's the thing.
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Actually, never mind.
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I am pretty cool.
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Yeah, wanna be friends?
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I am your humble servant forever, ma'am.
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That's how I made my first friend in the city, and he was obsessed with insects.
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But he was smart and sweet and helped me a lot with schoolwork.
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He also loved hearing about my life before, and I felt less homesick with Tom around.
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But soon after high school started, I came home with him one day to find my brothers having a huge food fight.
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Jeez, just stop it you guys!
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Where's mom?
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Mom!
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When she didn't reply, I ran up to her room to find her collapsed on the floor.
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Tom called an ambulance and we rushed her to the hospital.
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Is.. is mom gonna be okay?
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Of course, sweetie.
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I feel scared.
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Don't be.
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Everything will be just fine.
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Except that it wasn't.
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Mom came home from the hospital a week later, but she needed special care.
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Dad couldn't afford a full-time nurse, so I helped out the best I could.
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Every day after school, I raced home to give Mom her medicine, fluff her pillows, and rub her feet.
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Dad worked long hours, so I cooked and cleaned and took care of my brothers, too, who drove me nuts.
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But then they'd do something to melt my heart.
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Like once they collected enough coins from a park fountain to order pizzas for three days so I didn't have to cook.
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Mom felt better.
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She'd knit us sweaters and dad would tell us stories and some days weren't bad at all.
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But other days were much harder.
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One night, I found dad sitting up late with bills piled up around him and I desperately wanted to help.
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So the next day, I slipped out of the house and returned a few hours later.
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Dad, here's some money just to help out a bit.
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$500?
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Marina, where'd you get this from?
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I slowly took my cap off and everyone gasped.
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I sold the only thing I had.
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You look like our ugly brother now.
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Oh, Marina, your beautiful long hair.
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Why would you?
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Mom, it's okay.
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It's just hair.
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It'll grow back.
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Dad's eyes were filled with tears and he pulled me into a hug.
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Marina, my love, you are the most amazing daughter.
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I know things are hard right now, but one day life will pay you back tenfold for everything you do for us.
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I just know it.
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But the next day at school, I suddenly burst into tears during lunch.
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Hey, is everything okay?
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Is it your mom or...
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No, no, I know this sounds really vain, but I just miss my hair.
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Tom let me cry it out and then he wiped my face with his sleeve.
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You'd look lovely even if you were bald, Marina.
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You're beautiful inside and out.
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I was lucky to have Tom, and I loved my family more than anything.
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But over time, I couldn't help wishing that my life would just get easier already.
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I was only 17, but I felt 57.
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But then on my 18th birthday, Tom took me out to a fancy restaurant for dinner.
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Wow, Tom, this place is amazing.
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How can you afford this?
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Don't worry about that.
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I just want to do something special for you.
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The food was spectacular, and I'd never seen so many beautiful people in my life.
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Just the end of the dinner, Tom excused himself for the restroom.
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As I sat there watching people dancing on the patio, a cute boy joined me.
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Please tell me the guy who just deserted you isn't your boyfriend.
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He didn't desert me, he just went to pee.
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And no, he's not.
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Phew.
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You know how long I've been holding my breath?
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You're kinda melodramatic, aren't you?
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It's endearing, isn't it?
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Would you like to dance?
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I have no idea how to do the tango.
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Trust me, no one does.
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I'm Lance, by the way.
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His smile was infectious, and I couldn't say no. He did know how to tango, and I just followed his instructions blindly.
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When the music ended, I laughed as I caught my breath, and I spotted Tom waiting for me.
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This was fun.
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Thanks.
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I gotta go.
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I'd love to see you again.
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Call me, please.
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Also, let your friend know the bill's been taken care of.
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But Tom was furious.
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That Lance is such a jerk, throwing his money around.
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Who asked for his charity?
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I'll give him a piece of my mind.
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It's okay, Tom.
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Don't make a scene.
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Do you know him? Who doesn't?
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His dad owns half the city, and Lance is set to inherit millions.
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I googled Lance that night, but I didn't call him.
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He and I were worlds apart.
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Plus, I didn't have time to date, but Lance somehow tracked down my address and started sending me flowers and chocolates every day.
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Then one evening, mom had a relapse and she was back in the hospital, but the doctors just couldn't figure out the problem this time.
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After several sleepless nights, I walked out of the hospital for some air and ran straight into Lance.
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You weren't answering my calls and you weren't home.
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I'm sorry.
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I had someone track you down because I was just worried.
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Suddenly, I just broke down and told him everything about mom's illness.
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Lance made a few phone calls and then said my mom was being transferred to a private hospital.
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What?
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We can't afford that?
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But I can.
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Your mom will be examined by the best doctors who will figure out her treatment.
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Don't you want that?
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Of course I do, but how can I accept this?
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It's too much.
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It's already done.
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I really do like you, Marina.
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I'm not just chasing you for fun.
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Let me take care of you.
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It felt like such a relief to hear those words.
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There was someone to take care of me.
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The new doctors enrolled mom in an experimental treatment program, and after only three months, her illness was completely gone.
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I can't even believe this.
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It's a miracle.
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Lance, thank you so much.
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And without another thought, I kissed him.
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Soon after, Lance and I started dating, and every moment with him was a dream.
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Then one day, he gave me a diamond necklace and asked me to move in with him, and I said yes.
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What?
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You've just been dating Lance for a few weeks, but I've known him for a few months now.
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Mom's doing well, and the twins are a bit older, and Tom, he can give me the life I deserve.
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If that's what you want, then I'm happy for you.
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Where will you be going for college?
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Um, I'm not sure I'm going to college at all.
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I moved in with Lance after high school and spent a year in the lap of luxury.
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But then things took a turn.
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Lance and his parents got into a huge fight and they stopped giving him money.
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He was angry and stressed all the time now.
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Maybe I could get a job and help with money.
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You help me?
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What a joke.
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You barely passed high school.
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So what job would you get?
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You don't have to be a jerk, Lance.
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I was just trying to...
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You're the entire problem.
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My parents are cutting me off because they want me to be with their business partner's daughter.
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And you know what?
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I'm not sure you're worth losing everything for.
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Lance broke up with me and gave me two days to move out, and I felt humiliated.
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I didn't want to tell anyone what had happened, so I went home and pretended I was just visiting till I figured something out.
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I was happy to see my family again, but being home made me feel even more desperate not to fall back into this life again.
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But then something unexpected happened.
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Tom called me up.
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Marina, I need your help.
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I'm a finalist for this prestigious science scholarship, and I have to give a speech at a gala?
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That's fantastic.
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It's gonna be a disaster.
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I hate fancy parties and I suck at speeches.
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Please, come with me.
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I agreed to go and even helped him pick out a nice suit and practice his speech.
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On the night of the gala, he looked really good.
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But the moment we walked into the building, I knew I'd hit the jackpot.
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This place was full of rich men.
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Tom and I were seated next to a business tycoon who donated millions to universities every year.
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Yeah, he was 15 years older than me, but I didn't care.
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A couple of weeks later, Tom invited me for dinner to celebrate his scholarship win.
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Thanks for coming to the gala.
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I couldn't have done it without you.
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You didn't need me at all.
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You're amazing, Tom, and you deserve a lot more than you think you do.
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Um, are you okay?
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Your eye is twitching a lot.
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Marina, I'm in love with you.
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Tom, please don't say more.
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No, I have to say it now.
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I've loved you since the eighth grade.
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You just never seemed to take the hint.
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And then Lance came along, but you're single now, right?
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I heard he's with someone else.
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Yes, but I still can't.
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Why?
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Because I'm not good enough for you?
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No, it's not that.
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You're too good for me, Tom.
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And you deserve better.
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I just don't feel the same way about you.
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I'm so sorry.
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Also, I was gonna tell you tonight, I'm engaged.
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What? To whom?
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William, you know, the guy we were sitting next to at the gala?
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That rich guy who's like twice our age?
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Seriously?
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Are you telling me you're in love with him?
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Look me in the eye and say so.
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I don't need to explain myself to you.
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It's about the money, isn't it?
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Marina, can't you wait and give me a chance?
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No, I can't wait.
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I don't want to leave anything to chance.
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If there's one thing I've learned, it's that money is the only thing that gives you security.
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If you're poor, you can be forced to leave your home and you can't take care of the people you love.
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And you can only work yourself to death like me and dad and it still won't be good enough.
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No one can survive on just love.
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Money can make things happen and I don't intend to be without it again.
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You know what?
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If someone had told me you'd grow up to be a gold digger, I would have never believed them.
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I would have punched them in the face.
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But I guess I was just really wrong about you.
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I was so mad, I slapped Tom hard and ran away in tears.
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He had no right to judge me.
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A week later, I married William and found out that he had an eight-year-old daughter, Allison, who lived with him.
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Well, he was mostly away, so she was raised by nannies.
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She seemed to resent my presence and had some pranks pulled on me in the first few weeks.
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I still kept trying to be friends and even got her an adorable cat.
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Ew, I hate cats.
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I'm allergic to them.
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Wait, maybe we can name her Marina because she smells like you and I'm allergic to you too.
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But the next morning, I found Allison sleeping with the cat snuggled close to her.
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And then one night, there was a huge thunderstorm and I suddenly found Allison at my door.
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I- I'm really scared of thunder.
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Would you feel better if you slept here today, sweetie?
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She jumped onto my bed
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and I distracted her from the storm by telling her all the stories I used to make up for my brothers.
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After that, Allison and I became really close.
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Over the next few years, I grew to love her like my own and my days revolved around making her happy.
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Then one day, I came home to find William in the main hall next to a foreign-looking woman holding Allison's hand.
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What's going on here?
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This is Allison's mother and she's taking her to France.
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Allison will be living with her now.
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What?
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France?
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No!
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You can't just come and take her away like that!
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Where were you all these years?
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I am not going to allow some nanny to question me.
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Allison, let's go.
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Allison, please.
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Wait, sweetie.
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Is this really what you want?
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Aren't you happy here with me?
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Yeah, I am.
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But Marina, she's my mom.
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I want to be with her.
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But there has to be another way.
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You don't have to go so far.
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Please, I beg you.
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William held me back as Allison looked at me sadly one last time and left, and my heart broke into a million pieces.
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After that, it just felt like I was living in a huge, cold house full of things, but with no happiness or meaning.
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Something inside me felt broken, and I missed my old life.
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Even if I didn't have much back then, I always used to wake up with purpose and people who loved me.
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A month later, I asked William for a divorce and went back home.
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It was lovely to be back with my family, and my heart began to heal.
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I started looking up community college courses and part-time jobs.
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I found one as a sales assistant in a flower shop shop, and one evening, as I walked out after closing up, I ran straight into someone.
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Oh my god!
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Tom?
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Marina?
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Okay, I'm just acting shocked.
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I already knew you were here.
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I just threw my arms around him and cried like a kid, and he held me close.
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It was amazing catching up with Tom, and I felt so proud of him.
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He was a famous entomologist now, and he even had his own TV show where he traveled the world discovering new insects.
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But we kept seeing each other every time he visited, and I found myself falling in love with him.
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After I graduated college, he proposed and I said yes.
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He whisked me off to a beautiful seaside house for the weekend, but I was shocked when he gave me the key.
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This place is yours, Marina.
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You can even move your family here if you want.
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What?
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Tom?
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No, I've changed, really.
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I just want you, not your money or a fancy beach house.
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I know.
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Even when I said all those awful things to you years ago, it's only because I was hurt.
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I could actually understand why you felt that way, and all I ever wanted was to make your life better.
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I didn't before, but I can now.
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You used to tell me about your childhood, and I always imagined we'd live by the sea one day.
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Well, here we are, and some dreams really do come true.
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I love you so much, Tom.
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I love you too, Marina.

Vocabolario e note di pronuncia per questa lezione

Questa lezione di conversazione di livello B2 si basa sul video “My Stepdaughter Hates Me”. Le parole che ritornano più spesso: Tom, mom, Lance, Marina. Questo video contiene 322 frasi e 3071 parole da ripetere con lo shadowing. Il parlato dura 14:30. Chi parla va veloce, circa 212 parole al minuto: aspettati suoni legati e ridotti. Il 82% delle parole rientra nelle 3.000 più comuni dell’inglese; conviene studiare le altre prima di iniziare. 57 delle sue 322 frasi sono domande: un buon esercizio per l’intonazione interrogativa e le risposte brevi.

Vocaboli chiave di questo video

Le 15 parole più avanzate del video, con pronuncia e significato:

ParolaPronunciaSignificato
crow sostantivo/kɹoʊ/cornacchia, corvo
insect sostantivo/ˈɪn.sɛkt/insetto
caw sostantivo/kɔː/gracchio
allergic aggettivo/əˈlɝ.d͡ʒɪk/allergico
scare verbo/skɛɚ/spaventare, impaurire
scholarship sostantivo/ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/borsa di studio
blindly avverbio/ˈblaɪndli/alla cieca, a tentoni
endearing aggettivo/ɪnˈdɪɹɪŋ/tenero, gentile
enroll verbo/ɪnˈɹəʊl/iscriversi
entomologist sostantivoentomologo
finalist sostantivofinalista
homesick aggettivo/ˈhoʊ̯m.sɪk/nostalgico
humiliate verbo/hjuːˈmɪliˌeɪt/umiliare, avvilire
jellyfish sostantivo/ˈd͡ʒɛliˌfɪʃ/medusa
melodramatic aggettivo/ˌmɛl.ə.dɹəˈmæt.ɪk/melodrammatico

I phrasal verb che sentirai

ParolaSignificato
figure out verboscoprire, rendersi conto
help out verboessere d'aiuto
find out verboscoprire
go back verbotornare
pile up verboimpilare, impilarsi
take up verbosollevare, prendere
track down verborintracciare, scovare

Frasi da ripetere

Frasi brevi e complete del video che puoi riutilizzare nella conversazione di tutti i giorni:

  • How come your dad didn't see him?
  • Marina, where'd you get this from?
  • You know how long I've been holding my breath?
  • You're kinda melodramatic, aren't you?
  • Because I'm not good enough for you?

La grammatica di questo video

Le strutture che chi parla usa di più, con le parole esatte del video:

StrutturaNel video
“Used to” used to + verbo — un’abitudine o uno stato passato che non è più veroused to so · used to make · used to wake
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — un’azione iniziata prima e ancora in corsoI've been holding · You've just been dating
Frasi condizionali if + frase, will/would + verbo — una condizione e il suo risultatoIf someone had told me you'd grow
Forma passiva be + participio passato — conta ciò che accade, non chi lo fawas born · were born · had been bought

Pronuncia a cui fare attenzione

Chi parla usa 100 contrazioni e forme ridotte, come I'm, didn't, don't. Pronunciale nella forma breve, così come le senti.

  • I suoni “th”: thunderstorm /ˈθʌn.dɚˌstɔɹm/, thunder /ˈθʌndɚ/, eighth /eɪtθ/
  • I suoni “sh” e “zh”: scholarship /ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/, jellyfish /ˈd͡ʒɛliˌfɪʃ/, infectious /ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/, shout /ʃaʊt/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/
  • Parole lunghe — attenzione all’accento: desperately /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹət.li/, humiliate /hjuːˈmɪliˌeɪt/, melodramatic /ˌmɛl.ə.dɹəˈmæt.ɪk/, coincidence /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/, spectacular /spɛkˈtæk.jə.lɚ/

I suoni difficili per chi parla italiano:

  • /h/ — va soffiata, non è muta: homesick /ˈhoʊ̯m.sɪk/, humiliate /hjuːˈmɪliˌeɪt/, inherit /ɪnˈhɛɹɪt/, haul /hɔl/, hint /hɪnt/
  • Consonante finale — senza aggiungere una vocale dopo: insect /ˈɪn.sɛkt/, seaside /ˌsiːˈsaɪd/, allergic /əˈlɝ.d͡ʒɪk/, scholarship /ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/, homesick /ˈhoʊ̯m.sɪk/
  • /æ/ — più aperta della “e”: gala /ˈɡælə/, tango /ˈtæ̝ŋɡoʊ̯/, melodramatic /ˌmɛl.ə.dɹəˈmæt.ɪk/, relapse /ɹɪˈlæps/, jackpot /ˈd͡ʒækpɒt/

Come esercitarsi con questo video

  1. Ascolta tutto il video una volta senza parlare e annota le parole che non conosci.
  2. Inizia a velocità 0,75×, fai shadowing frase per frase e torna alla velocità normale quando diventa facile.
  3. Registrati e confronta con l’originale, facendo attenzione a parole come crow, insect, caw.

Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?

Shadowing è una tecnica di apprendimento delle lingue supportata da studi scientifici, originariamente sviluppata per la formazione dei traduttori professionisti e resa popolare dal poliglotta Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Il metodo è semplice ma potente: ascolti un audio in inglese di madrelingua e lo ripeti immediatamente ad alta voce — come un'ombra che segue il parlante con un ritardo di solo 1–2 secondi. A differenza dell'ascolto passivo o degli esercizi di grammatica, lo shadowing costringe il tuo cervello e i muscoli della bocca a elaborare e riprodurre simultaneamente i modelli di discorso reale. La ricerca dimostra che migliora significativamente la precisione della pronuncia, l'intonazione, il ritmo, il discorso connesso, la comprensione dell'ascolto e la fluidità del parlato — rendendolo uno dei metodi più efficaci per la preparazione alla prova di speaking dell'IELTS e per la comunicazione reale in inglese.

Tecnica dello shadowing: leggi la guida completa passo dopo passo →