Shadowing Practice: 5 "Impossible" Things That Can Happen On Other Planets - Learn English Speaking with Video

There are some things that are just not possible on our planet.

It would certainly be understandable that you would think that if it's impossible here on Earth, then it would be impossible everywhere else in the universe.

But that's simply not the case, and the universe is far stranger than any of us can actually believe.

Let's begin with shadows.

Your shadow on Earth is always alone

and you're always used to seeing it this way as it follows you around during the day.

You're also used to seeing everybody else with just one shadow, but this isn't a universal thing that would be experienced elsewhere.

You have one shadow because our primary light source on Earth is our sun.

But what would happen if there were two suns?

A planet that orbits two stars would look much like Tatooine from Star Wars, with two brilliant sunsets each day and two shadows instead of one for each person.

It used to only be science fiction until the planet Kepler -16b was discovered, which is a place that orbits two different stars.

If you were suddenly teleported to the surface of the planet, you would likely die from the extreme temperatures and lack of air to breathe, but assuming that you were teleported in a suit that could help you survive,

then you would experience having two different shadows, a friend for your always lonely shadow that you experience on Earth.

Our next extremely bizarre place is a planet that is likely completely covered in water, an ocean planet named GJ 1214 b.

The planet is several times larger than the Earth, which makes the Pacific Ocean on our planet seem like a puddle in comparison.

Even though water covers over 70 % of the Earth's surface, water only accounts for 0 .05 % of the Earth's total mass.

On GJ 1214 b, however, water may account for up to 10 % of the planet's total mass,

planet would be covered in an ocean hundreds of kilometers deep.

Our own ocean goes down only a mere 11 kilometers,

and we already have terrifying monsters like this and this or huge whales like this So,

one's imagination can run absolutely wild with what fantastical monsters could

exist in an ocean that's over ten times deeper than our own.

Who knows what could be lurking there if you crash -landed your ship on the surface, but what is known is that at the very bottom of this massive ocean, hundreds of kilometers beneath the surface,

The pressure would be so intense

that the water at the bottom would be transformed into an exotic form of ice known as ice Seven.

This ice wouldn't be like ice that you know on Earth it wouldn't be cold at all, but would remain in a solid form.

This doesn't happen naturally on Earth, but neither does our next bizarre example.

Weather on Earth is often violent and unpredictable, but it's extremely tame compared to other places in the universe.

Take the planet C -O -R -O -T -7 -B for example, where instead of raining water, it rains down rocks.

This is because half of the planet is scorching hot at 2 ,600 degrees Celsius, while the other half is far cooler at 177 degrees Celsius.

so too will rocks condense into rock clouds on this planet.

These strange rock clouds will then rain liquid rock or magma back onto the surface.

But since the atmosphere is cooler the further up it goes and the temperature on the cool side is far lower, the magma rain will often harden into rocks before striking the ground.

This planet seems like the closest place to hell that a place in the universe could get, but another planet has perhaps even more bizarre weather.

This planet, known as HD 189773 b, is located 63 light years away from us, is a little larger than Jupiter,

and looks stunningly beautiful from space, but that beauty is hiding a terrifying secret.

It looks this way because the planet's atmosphere is made up primarily of silicate particles.

Winds on the planet can scream at 5 ,400 miles per hour, equal to 2 kilometers every second, or seven times the speed of sound.

Temperatures can soar up to 930 degrees Celsius,

but most terrifying of all is that the planet rains glass, sideways in its extremely violent 2km /s winds.

This is so fast and scary that if a storm like that happened to appear on Earth,

it would travel across the entire planet at the equator in just 5 hours and 33 minutes, and leave behind a shredded trail of glass.

But even this storm pales in comparison to the mightiest wind so far known in our entire universe, the wind on the planet HD 189733 b.

degrees Celsius, but the temperature on the dark side is still very hot at 688 degrees Celsius.

So, how does the dark side remain so hot still?

The answer is extremely, wickedly fast wind, possibly up to 22 ,000 miles per hour, equal to 10 kilometers per second,

or nearly 29 times the speed of sound.

For reference, the fastest ever recorded wind on the earth happened during a tornado in Oklahoma back in 1999,

and that was only 301 miles per hour

or 73 times less than the nightmare storm on this giant that's raging right now as you are watching this video.

If you made yourself a kite and flew through the wind, then you could zip around the entire Earth in a mere one hour and eight minutes.

But perhaps the most interesting place is somewhere that's much closer to home, specifically this place called Titan, which is a moon of Saturn.

It has such a thick atmosphere that we didn't even know what its surface looked like until 2005, which if you're curious it looks like this.

But Titan is a very bizarre place.

It has an atmosphere, rivers, and lakes, and it even rains like on Earth.

But the temperature is a bone -shattering negative 179 degrees Celsius,

which is so cold that water is as hard as rocks and the chemical methane exists in a liquid state.

The clouds, rivers, and lakes on the moon are made of methane, which is the primary component of natural gas.

Only 20 % of Titan's surface has ever been mapped, but it is estimated that in that region alone,

there is hundreds of times more natural gas and oil than is located on all of Earth.

There is so much gas on Titan that it literally rains it.

It's an oil tycoon's dream, and maybe the best way to encourage space travel is to let a few countries know about Titan.

But even more strange, you could actually theoretically fly on Titan.

The atmosphere is thick enough and the gravity is weak enough

that if you attached a pair of wings to your arms and made a running jump, then you could actually flap around the moon like a bird, taking in all the alien sights of rivers and lakes.

Of course you would need a suit to protect yourself, but still, you could fly just like in your dreams and achieve something that's impossible here on Earth.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with the fascinating topic of extraterrestrial phenomena provides a unique context for english speaking practice. This video, titled "5 'Impossible' Things That Can Happen On Other Planets," explores intriguing concepts that challenge our understanding of the universe, making it an excellent choice for learners to enhance their verbal skills. By discussing ideas like multiple shadows on planets with two suns or the bizarre weather conditions of distant worlds, you can practice articulating complex ideas while also expanding your vocabulary.

Additionally, speaking about such captivating subjects encourages deeper thinking and boosts confidence in using English in both casual and academic settings. Listening to and repeating phrases can also lead to improved fluency, enabling you to become more approachable during discussions about science or fantasy topics—perfect for conversations in a shadowing site or any learning environment.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the transcript, several structures and expressions stand out. Here are a few key examples:

Conditional Clauses: The video uses sentences starting with "if" often, such as "What would happen if there were two suns?" This structure allows learners to understand how to create hypothetical situations, which is essential in conversational English.
Descriptive Language: Phrases like "scorching hot," "bizarre place," and "extremely violent" provide vivid imagery. Incorporating descriptive adjectives can enhance your speaking by making it more expressive and engaging.
Comparative and Superlative Forms: The speaker contrasts Earth with various exoplanets, using comparisons like "larger than Earth" and "the mightiest wind." Learning to compare different contexts is crucial for effective communication.

These structures can be practiced through shadow speak exercises, where you mimic the speaker, enhancing your understanding of grammar in real-time.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you refine your English skills, pay attention to certain tricky words or phrases in the video:

Phrase "screaming winds": The word "screaming" may require careful pronunciation, ensuring the 'sc' sound is clear to avoid confusion.
"Magma" and "condense": These terms are vital to the scientific context and may pose challenges for pronunciation due to their syllable structure. Practice saying them slowly, emphasizing the correct stresses.
Speed-related terms: Phrases like "5,400 mph" and "22,000 mph" can be challenging, as the numbers in rapid succession can trip you up. Focus on enunciating each component clearly.

By incorporating these elements into your learn English with youtube activities, you can confront and overcome these pronunciation challenges, ultimately enhancing your speaking abilities.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to seeing · used to only
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	would be experienced · was discovered · were teleported
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	discovered, which is · Earth, which makes · Titan, which is

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: 5 "Impossible" Things That Can Happen On Other Planets - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?