Shadowing Practice: 5.7K - Learn English Speaking with Video
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The Peacock Princess Welcome, dear visitor, to Eldoria.
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Our kingdom is beautiful, fantastical, and mysterious.
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In our marketplace, you can find luxurious clothing, shimmering jewels, and decadent delicacies.
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In the castle, you'll find our dedicated King Lancaster and Queen Maribel.
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But what you won't find in Eldoria, my friend, is our princess, Ivia.
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Another year has passed, my husband.
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I know, dear queen.
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Will our daughter ever come home?
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It has been five years now since she disappeared.
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I don't want to say I've lost hope.
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Then don't.
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Besides, we have plenty to do before the celebration.
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Some celebration.
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Princess Ivia is next in line for the throne.
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As the only daughter to the queen and the only child of direct blood, her claim is strong.
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However, the queen's evil sister, Matilda, would not accept it.
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She believed she was the rightful heir and summoned dark magic to curse Ivia and banish her from the kingdom.
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The King and Queen never learned what became of their daughter, only that she disappeared thanks to a curse from Matilda.
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Matilda was banished from the Kingdom as well, but where was Princess Ivia?
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Your Majesty, forgive me.
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I did not see you standing there.
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Do not fret, Everett.
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What can I do for you?
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As you know, Princess Ivea's Disappearance Day celebration is tomorrow evening.
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Yes, Your Majesty.
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We have high hopes that this year the celebration will draw enough attention from neighboring kingdoms that she may just come home.
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That would be wonderful, sir.
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I need you to find an exotic animal, something we have never seen here in this kingdom.
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My hope is that the people from all around will come to view this animal, and even more attention will be brought to Eldoria.
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Any animal, sir?
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Make it fantastical and mysterious, Everett.
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Now, carry on.
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I'll be eager to see what you bring.
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Your Majesty.
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Circulus Rotundus I'm going to go.
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Circulus rotundus.
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Gotcha!
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I am no stranger to magic.
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Show yourself.
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I've got nothing to show!
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Who are you and why are you here in the Kingdom of Eldoria?
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If you pose a threat to the King and Queen, I'll have to...
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I pose no threat!
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Tell me your name.
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Ivya!
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Princess Ivya?
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Who did this to you?
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My mother's evil sister Matilda turned me into a peacock
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and banished me to the other side of the mountain in an attempt to steal the throne from me.
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I've been searching for the kingdom ever since.
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And I found you.
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I could tell you I was getting close, but I didn't know how close.
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I had stopped to take a breath.
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I must tell the king and queen.
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They'll be thrilled.
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Tomorrow is your disappearance celebration.
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Imagine their surprise when...
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My what?
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No, you cannot tell them.
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Not yet.
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They can't see me like this.
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You're beautiful.
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They'll understand it's a curse.
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No, not until the curse is broken.
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Very well, Princess.
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I'll leave you to sleep.
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No, please, stay with me.
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I've been alone for so long.
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Princess Ivia and Everett sat in the hay and talked until dawn.
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After hours and hours of exchanging stories, they realized very quickly that they were falling for one another.
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Princess Ivia, is it too bold to tell you that I think I'm falling in love with you?
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I...
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I feel the same way, Everett.
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But their happiness wouldn't last very long.
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Gliese!
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Contra in Petum.
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You know, the dark magic I see.
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Give me the princess and I won't hurt you.
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I know the dark magic all right.
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I'm so sorry.
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That must have been terrifying.
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Matilda, no!
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But you.. you.. you?
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You didn't tell me!
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I know, I...
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How could you keep this from me?
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Ivia, I...
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I didn't.
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You're a monster!
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It was clear that Princess Ivia was frightened of the Dark Prince, Everett.
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His reputation was that of terror and pain.
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But what she didn't know, he had long since foregone that life and his throne.
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You found our daughter?
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Where is the princess?
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What have you done with her?
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Nothing.
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I've done nothing.
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But she isn't here.
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How can we trust you if you've lost her?
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I promise you, I know how to find her again.
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She's.. she's been cursed.
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Cursed?
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Your sister, Matilda, turned her into a peacock.
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Dastardly.
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I know the dark magic.
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When I find her, I can transform her back.
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And then you'll leave our kingdom forever?
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If that's what you wish.
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Savior or not, you know dark magic.
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You're incredibly dangerous.
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Why are you here, boy?
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Everett told them his story.
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The king and queen learned about his banishment.
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How his father, angry about Everett's choice to leave his home and powers behind,
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banished him from the kingdom and forced him to find a job working as a stable hand.
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The king and queen accepted his tale and sent him on his way to find Princess Ivia.
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Transformatio Pao Hello?
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Hello?
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Hello?
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Hello?
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Hello?
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Hello?
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Hello, I was calling you.
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Another peacock in these woods?
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How?
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Fate, I believe.
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Thank you to fates.
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How do we get out of this forest?
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Why would you want to escape?
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Revertera ad humanum.
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Hello, princess.
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You again?
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You do know the dark magic.
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You know it better than anyone I've ever met.
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But why did you become a peacock, Everett?
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For you, princess.
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I would do anything for you.
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Well...
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I can change you back.
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What?
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I know the spell, but in order for it to work, you have to want to turn back.
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This is all too much!
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That's the easiest part.
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You just feel the desire in your heart.
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When I cast the spell, you'll transform back.
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It's not that easy.
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It's not what...
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I'd be more cautious if I were you. But Tilda!
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If you change back into a human princess, I will be there to haunt you until the day you die.
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I'll assure you never take the throne,
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you never become queen, and you live a terrible, unfortunate life.
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I'd like to see you try.
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And what are you going to do about it, kid?
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You surprised me earlier with that cute little counter spell.
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But there's not much else you can say or do that would scare me now.
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I'm stronger and more determined than ever to end things for sweet little princess Ivia.
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You're the Dark Prince.
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The only.
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Your Majesty, I'm sorry.
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I didn't mean to cross your path.
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They said you were gone.
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I didn't know.
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I'm so sorry.
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If you ever step foot in this kingdom again, I'll assure that you don't have feet to use.
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Yes, your majesty.
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Whatever you say.
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Leave. Do not be afraid.
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Although I wield one of the greatest dark powers aside from my father, the Dark King, I do not wish to harm you.
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You've kept so much from me.
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No. Everything I've told you is the truth.
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I do love you, Princess.
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What do you want to do?
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I don't know.
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Yes, you do.
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It's okay.
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You can tell me.
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I want to stay a peacock.
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The freedom I've felt all of these years has been incredible.
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The second I become a human again, the kingdom will require that I take the crown.
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I don't want to be queen, but I would turn back into a human for you, Everett.
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Princess, I would turn into a peacock for you.
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Truly?
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Fully?
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Fully.
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I'd give up my magic.
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I'd give up my life as a human if it meant I could be with you for the rest of my days.
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And your throne?
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Gone.
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Give it to my brother.
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I don't care.
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Oh, Everett.
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Transformatio Pablo.
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Repeat after me.
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Transformatio.
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Transformatio.
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Perpetua.
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Perpetua. Is it done?
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Yes, my powers are gone.
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I'm a peacock for eternity, as are you.
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A beautiful bird for the rest of our days.
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Together.
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What about my parents?
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They'll want to know you're safe.
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Come, I have an idea.
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Ready?
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Ready.
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Prince Everett and Princess Ivia gave up their thrones to be together.
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Everett never cast another spell, and Ivia never returned to the beautiful kingdom of Eldoria.
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It is said that the king
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and queen were heartbroken to learn their daughter wished to give up her duties to remain a peacock,
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but after time passed, they accepted her fate and were nothing but happy for her love and new life.
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The kingdom of Eldoria saw a new queen after the birth of Ivia's younger sister,
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and she ruled the kingdom in her older sister's honor.
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The Disappearance Celebration continues every year on the day of Ivia's disappearance, but no longer in search of her,
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but to celebrate her happiness.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
The speaker keeps coming back to these words: princess, kingdom, Ivia, queen, Everett. This video has 216 sentences and 1458 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:44. The speaker talks at a steady 115 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 39 of its 216 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| peacock noun | /ˈpikɑk/ | A male peafowl, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail. |
| curse noun | /kɝs/ | A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane. |
| throne noun | /θɹəʊ̯n/ | An impressive seat used by a monarch, often on a raised dais in a throne room and reserved for formal occasions. |
| celebration noun | /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The formal performance of a solemn rite, such as Christian sacrament. |
| majesty noun | /ˈmæd͡ʒ.əs.ti/ | The quality of being impressive, great, dignified, powerful, sovereign, or any combination thereof. |
| banish verb | /ˈbænɪʃ/ | To send (someone) away and forbid them from returning. |
| disappearance noun | /dɪsəˈpɪəɹəns/ | The action of disappearing or vanishing. |
| circulus noun | A social group of reptiles where there is interaction and personal exchange between individuals. | |
| fantastical adjective | /fænˈtæstɪkəl/ | Of or pertaining to fantasy. |
| transform verb | /tɹænsˈfɔɹm/ | To change greatly the appearance or form of. |
| assure verb | /əˈʃʊɹ/ | To make sure and secure; ensure. |
| disappear verb | /dɪsəˈpɪɹ/ | To vanish. |
| pose verb | /poʊz/ | To place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect. |
| mysterious adjective | /mɪˈstɪɹi.əs/ | Of unknown origin. |
| banishment noun | /ˈbænɪʃmənt/ | The act of banishing. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| give up verb | To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone). |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| turn back verb | To reverse direction and retrace one's steps. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Will our daughter ever come home?
- What can I do for you?
- Who did this to you?
- How could you keep this from me?
- How can we trust you if you've lost her?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been searching · have been terrifying |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has passed · has been · I've lost |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was banished · will be brought · be thrilled |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was getting · were falling · was calling |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 54 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, I'm, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: throne /θɹəʊ̯n/, thrill /θɹɪl/, breathe /bɹiːð/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, banish /ˈbænɪʃ/, assure /əˈʃʊɹ/, banishment /ˈbænɪʃmənt/, shimmer /ˈʃɪm.ɚ/
- Long words — get the stress right: celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, disappearance /dɪsəˈpɪəɹəns/, fantastical /fænˈtæstɪkəl/, mysterious /mɪˈstɪɹi.əs/, delicacy /ˈdɛlɪkəsi/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like peacock, curse, throne.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.