Shadowing Practice: Listening Test 3. Part 4: Microplastics - Learn English Speaking with Video
Les maken...
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Part 4.
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You will hear part of an environmental science lecture about microplastics.
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First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40.
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Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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In today's lecture, I'm going to be talking about microplastics.
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Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic smaller than 5 mm in size.
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Recently, there's been a greater awareness that there are large quantities of plastic waste, big and small, in the environment.
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The amount of plastic waste in the oceans has received widespread attention,
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but far less is known about the effects of microplastics in freshwater and particularly in soil oil.
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Microplastics can enter the environment via a number of different sources.
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Threads and microfibres detach from synthetic clothing every time they're put in a washing machine,
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and these find their way into the water system.
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Other sources include big pieces of plastic waste that are already in the environment,
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and these break down into microscopic particles over a period of time.
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On a larger scale, factory waste is another route, as our tyres, which wear down as cars,
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lorries and so on, travel along road surfaces.
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We already understand some of the impacts of microplastics from studies involving fish and other animals.
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There is evidence that microplastics harm small creatures in a variety of ways, such as by damaging their mouths,
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or by impairing their ability to feed, for example when microplastics get lodged in their digestive system.
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Surprisingly, perhaps, it is likely that humans consume microplastics, as these have been detected in a wide range of food and drink products,
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including bottled water, as well as in water that comes direct from the tap.
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What's more, salt and many kinds of seafood have also been found to contain microplastics.
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However, it's important to underline that there is not yet conclusive proof that microplastics cause significant harm to people.
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In many countries, including here in the UK, there is legislation which prevents manufacturers from adding plastic microbeads to shower gels,
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facial cleansers and toothpaste.
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It is very difficult to accurately estimate the total amount of
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microplastic particles in the soil as they can be hard to detect
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but we do know they are carried in the air and deposited in the soil by rain.
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What's more many of the fertilizers used by both farmers and gardeners contain microplastics.
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A team from the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge has carried
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out a study of the effects of microplastics on the digestive tracts of earthworms.
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These worms, which live in topsoil, are an essential component of our agricultural system.
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By feeding on soil, they mix nutrients into it, thereby making it more fertile.
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The researchers set out to discover whether the introduction of microplastics into the soil
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and the subsequent ingestion of these by earthworms would impact soil quality and ultimately inhibit plant growth.
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The short answer was yes, it did.
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After placing three different types of microplastic particles into the soil, they planted perennial ryegrass.
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The particles of microplastic, which included biodegradable PLA and conventional high-density polyethylene,
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or HTPE, were then ingested by the earthworms in the soil.
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The result was that the worms lost weight rapidly.
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What's more, a lower percentage than normal of the ryegrass seeds germinated, and the researchers concluded
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that this was a direct result of the earthworms being unable to fulfil their normal role in making soil more fertile.
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The team also discovered that there was an increase in the amount of acid found in the soil,
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and this was attributed mainly to the microplastic particles from conventional HDPE plastic.
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The conclusions of the study make for very interesting reading.
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I've included the reference in the notes to give you at the end of this session.
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To summarise, the authors proposed the idea that we need to regard soil as we would regard any other process in nature.
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This means we should accept the implications of soil being dependent on decaying
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and dead matter constantly being passed through the bodies of earthworms.
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That is, when soil becomes impoverished by the presence of microplastics,
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not only ecosystems but also the whole of society are negatively impacted.
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That is the end of part four.
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Thank you.
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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les
Deze spreekles op niveau C1 is gebaseerd op de video “Listening Test 3. Part 4: Microplastics”. Deze woorden komen het vaakst terug: microplastic, soil, plastic, earthworms, particles. Deze video bevat 53 zinnen en 698 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 5:39. De spreker praat in een gelijkmatig tempo van ongeveer 124 woorden per minuut, prettig om te shadowen. Slechts 77% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden, dus de woordenschat is pittig.
Belangrijke woorden in deze video
De 15 moeilijkste woorden uit de video, met uitspraak en betekenis:
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| microplastic zelfstandig naamwoord | microplastic | |
| earthworm zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/ | aardworm, regenworm |
| particle zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈpɑɹtək(ə)l/ | deeltje, partikel |
| ryegrass zelfstandig naamwoord | raaigras | |
| fertile bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /ˈfɝːtəl/ | vruchtbaar |
| worm zelfstandig naamwoord | /wɝm/ | worm, pier |
| researcher zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈɹiˌsɝ.t͡ʃɚ/ | onderzoeker |
| detect werkwoord | /dɪˈtɛkt/ | detecteren |
| biodegradable bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /(ˌ)baɪoʊdəˈɡɹeɪdəbl̩/ | biologisch afbreekbaar, bioafbreekbaar |
| conclusive bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /kənˈkluːsɪv/ | sluitend |
| impair werkwoord | /ɪmˈpɛɹ/ | beschadigen, verzwakken |
| impoverish werkwoord | /ɪmˈpɒv(ə)ɹɪʃ/ | verarmen |
| inhibit werkwoord | /ɪnˈhɪbɪt/ | remmen |
| microscopic bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɑ.pɪk/ | microscopisch |
| polyethylene zelfstandig naamwoord | polyetheen |
Phrasal verbs die je zult horen
| Woord | Betekenis |
|---|---|
| wear down werkwoord | verslijten |
Grammatica in deze video
De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:
| Structuur | In de video |
|---|---|
| Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet | is known · have been detected · been found |
| Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt | has received · have been detected · have also been found |
Uitspraak om op te letten
De spreker gebruikt 3 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals I'm, I've, they're. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.
- De “th”-klanken: earthworm /ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/, toothpaste /ˈtuθpeɪst/, synthetic /sɪnˈθɛtɪk/, thereby /ðɛɹˈbaɪ/
- De klanken “sh” en “zh”: impoverish /ɪmˈpɒv(ə)ɹɪʃ/, freshwater /ˈfɹɛʃˌwɔːtə(ɹ)/, implication /ˌɪmpləˈkeɪʃən/
- Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: biodegradable /(ˌ)baɪoʊdəˈɡɹeɪdəbl̩/, impoverish /ɪmˈpɒv(ə)ɹɪʃ/, microscopic /ˌmaɪ.kɹəˈskɑ.pɪk/, implication /ˌɪmpləˈkeɪʃən/, ecosystem /ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm/
Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:
- Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: digestive /daɪˈdʒɛstɪv/, conclusive /kənˈkluːsɪv/, summarize /ˈsʌməˌɹaɪz/, seafood /ˈsiːfuːd/, conclude /kənˈkluːd/
- /æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: detach /dɪˈtæt͡ʃ/, tract /tɹækt/, attribute /ˈæt.ɹɪˌbjut/, accurately /ˈæk.jə.ɹɪt.li/
- /w/ — met ronde lippen: earthworm /ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/, worm /wɝm/, freshwater /ˈfɹɛʃˌwɔːtə(ɹ)/, quantity /ˈkwɑn(t)ɪti/
Zo oefen je met deze video
- Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
- Spreek zin voor zin na op normale snelheid en herhaal elke zin tot je ritme gelijk is aan dat van de spreker.
- Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als microplastic, earthworm, particle.
Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?
Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.