Shadowing Practice: Academy Stars 5. Unit 1. READING TIME 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Track 1 .8 Reading Time 1 Activity 1 The Trick
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Moussa and Hakan lived next door to each other in a small village.
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They were good friends, but there was one problem.
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Money was very important to Hakan and, unfortunately, it was sometimes more important than his friends.
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One day, Hakan noticed that his horse, Atik, wasn't well.
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I think we should sell Atik, he told his wife, Pinar.
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He isn't strong and healthy anymore.
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Pinar was surprised.
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Sell a sick horse, she said.
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That isn't honest.
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And who will buy a sick animal anyway?
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Well, said Hakan, I don't know if Atik is sick, but he used to be stronger.
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Musa needs to travel to the city soon and he hasn't got a horse.
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But Musa is your friend, said Pinar angrily.
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You shouldn't sell an unhealthy horse to anyone, and certainly not to your friend.
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But Musa hasn't got enough money to buy a horse, explained Hakan.
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I'll give him a very good price for our teak.
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So I think I'm doing a good thing for my friend."
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Musa was watering the plants in his garden next door
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when he heard the last part of the conversation through the open window.
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Aha, he thought.
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So Hakan is going to try and sell me a sick horse.
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It's time to teach my friend a lesson.
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The next day, Musa and Hakan were drinking coffee together when Musa asked, Do you know anyone who is selling a horse?
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Why do you need a horse? asked Hakan.
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I need to travel to the city soon to see my family, explained Musa.
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Well, it's your lucky day.
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I'm thinking of selling a teak, said Hakan.
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He's the strongest and fastest horse in the village.
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I paid a lot of money for him, but I will sell him to you, my friend, for a very good price.
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Musa loved his friend like a brother, so he didn't say anything, but he had a plan.
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Okay, he said, tomorrow I'll come to your house to buy the horse.
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That evening, while Hakan was having dinner, Moussa took a chair and broke it against the kitchen wall.
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Then he shouted, Help!
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Very loudly and lay down on the floor next to the broken chair.
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Hakan heard his cries and ran to Moussa's house.
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Moussa!
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Moussa!
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What's happened?
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He shouted, running into the kitchen.
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I've had an accident, replied Moussa.
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I was taking food from a shelf when I fell off the chair.
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I think I've broken my leg.
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You need to go to hospital immediately, said Hakan worriedly.
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The nearest hospital is 30 kilometers away, said Moussa.
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But how lucky we are to have Atik.
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You can take me there on the strongest and fastest horse in the village.
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It will only take three hours."
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Hakan knew that this was an emergency and that Atik couldn't carry his friend for three hours.
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It was time to tell Musa the truth.
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He explained that Atik wasn't strong and healthy anymore
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and offered to buy Musa the strongest and fastest horse in the whole country to take him to hospital.
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Musa knew that Hakan was truly sorry.
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He stood up and showed Hakan that his leg wasn't broken.
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Hakan understood that Musa had tricked him too.
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He laughed and laughed and then he hugged his friend.
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I'm so sorry, Musa.
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You're the best friend in the world and I will never try to trick you again.
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Soon after that, Atik got better and Hakann gave the horse to his friend as a present
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to show him how truly sorry he was.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Academy Stars 5. Unit 1. READING TIME 1”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Hakan, Musa, horse, Atik, Moussa. This video has 60 sentences and 599 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:49. The speaker talks at a steady 124 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| trick noun | /ˈtɹɪk/ | Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle. |
| shout verb | /ʃaʊt/ | To utter a sudden and loud cry, as in joy, triumph, exultation or anger, or to attract attention, to animate others, etc. |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| hug verb | /hʌɡ/ | To cling closely together. |
| shelf noun | /ʃɛlf/ | A flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to a wall or forming a part of a cabinet, desk, etc., and used to display, store, or support objects. |
| loudly adverb | /ˈlaʊdli/ | In a loud manner; at a high volume. |
| unhealthy adjective | /ʌnˈhɛl.θi/ | Characterized by, or conducive to poor health. |
| teak noun | /tiːk/ | An extremely durable timber highly valued for shipbuilding and other purposes, yielded by Tectona grandis (and Tectona spp.). |
| angrily adverb | /ˈæŋ.ɡɹə.li/ | In an angry manner; under the influence of anger. |
| worriedly adverb | In a worried manner. | |
| laugh verb | /læf/ | To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and… |
| kitchen noun | /ˈkɪt͡ʃ(ə)n/ | A room or area for preparing food. |
| teach verb | /ˈtiːt͡ʃ/ | To pass on knowledge to. |
| unfortunately adverb | /ʌnˈfɔɹ.t͡ʃə.nɪt.li/ | Happening through bad luck, or because of some unfortunate event. |
| cry verb | /kɹaɪ/ | To shed tears; to weep, especially in anger or sadness. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| fall off verb | To become detached or to drop from. |
| stand up verb | To rise from a lying or sitting position. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- It's time to teach my friend a lesson.
- Why do you need a horse?
- I think I've broken my leg.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the strongest · The nearest · the best |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was watering · were drinking · was having |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should sell · shouldn't sell |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will buy · I'll give · will sell |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 19 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, wasn't, hasn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shout /ʃaʊt/, shelf /ʃɛlf/
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 trick, shout, lesson.
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.