Shadowing Practice: Alice's Adventures Ch. 18-20 | Queen Senteces Perople to Death | Lobster Dance | Children's Classics - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 18, More Croquet and Creatures.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 18, More Croquet and Creatures.
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Alice followed the queen back to the croquet game.
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The players were taking a break and resting in the shade.
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As soon as they spotted the queen,
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they leaped to their feet.
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Why were you lying down, you lazy things?
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The queen demanded Start playing again at once I'm warning you,
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a moment's delay will cost you your life The players quickly followed the queen's orders,
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but she still wasn't happy She kept shouting Off with his head!
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Off with her head!
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Every time the queen shouted,
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a soldier took someone to prison.
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The prison must be filling up, Alice thought.
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And we're losing wickets again, too.
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The soldiers had to stop being the wickets to follow the queen's orders.
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Soon there were no wickets,
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and all the players were in jail.
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That is, all the players except the king, the queen, and Alice.
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There's nobody left for her to punish except the king and me, Alice thought.
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But the queen had finished sentencing people to death.
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Out of breath, she turned to Alice.
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Have you seen the mock turtle today?
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The queen asked.
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I've never seen one in my life, Alice said.
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Come with me, the queen said.
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We'll find him, and he'll tell you his story.
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As they walked away, Alice heard the king talking to himself.
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I'm going to the prison to pardon everyone, he said.
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Well, that's good, Alice thought.
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Alice and the queen soon saw a strange winged creature sleeping in the sun.
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The animal had the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.
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Oh, that's a griffon, Alice exclaimed.
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I never thought I'd see one in real life.
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The creature moved but didn't wake up.
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The queen took care of that.
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Get up right now, the queen bellowed.
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Take this young lady to see the Mock Turtle and hear his story.
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I must go and check on my prisoners.
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As the queen walked away,
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the griffon sat up and rubbed his eyes.
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He watched the Queen until she was out of sight.
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Alice was a little afraid of this odd animal.
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But I guess I'm safer with him than with the Queen, she thought.
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The Queen is always so amusing,
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the Griffon said as he got to his feet.
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The Executioner never cuts off anyone's head, you know.
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It's all in her imagination.
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Let's go!
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Alice was glad that no one was ever put to death.
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But she was annoyed that yet another creature was telling her what to do.
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They had not walked far before they spotted the mock turtle sitting on a rock.
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As they approached, Alice could hear him sighing and sobbing.
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What's wrong with him?
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Alice whispered.
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Nothing, the griffon said.
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His problems are all in his imagination.
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The mock turtle looked at them with eyes full of tears.
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This young lady wants to know your story, the griffon said.
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The mock turtle nodded.
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Sit down and don't say a word until I've finished.
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So Alice and the griffon sat down.
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They waited and waited for the Mock Turtle to speak.
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If he's ever going to finish,
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he needs to begin, Alice thought.
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At last, the Mock Turtle started his story,
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which was mostly about his lessons at school.
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Once he began, he went on and on.
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That's enough about lessons.
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The griffon finally interrupted in a firm voice.
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Tell Alice about the lobster dance.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 19, The Lobster Dance.
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The Mock Turtle sighed deeply and wiped his eyes with his slippers.
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He looked at Alice and tried to speak,
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but he started sobbing instead.
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Don't worry, the griffon said to Alice.
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He's always like this.
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The mock turtle soon recovered and began to explain the lobster dance.
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You probably haven't ever lived under the sea.
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No, I haven't, Alice said.
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And perhaps you've never been introduced to a lobster.
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Alice started to say that she had eaten a lobster, but stopped.
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So you don't know how delightful a lobster dance is?
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The Mock Turtle said.
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Alice shook her head.
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No, I don't.
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The griffon joined the conversation.
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First, you stand in a line along the seashore.
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Two lines!
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The Mock Turtle corrected him.
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Then, after you've cleared all the jellyfish out of the way...
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That usually takes some time, the griffin interrupted.
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You take two steps forward with a lobster as a partner, the griffin said.
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Of course, the mock turtle said.
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You step forward twice, face your partner, and...
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Change lobsters, the griffin said.
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Then, you throw the lobsters.
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As far out to sea as you can, the Mock Turtle said.
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And swim after them, the Griffin said.
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Then do a summer salt in the sea.
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The Mock Turtle danced wildly about.
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And change lobsters again, the Griffin yelled at the top of his lungs.
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Go back to land again, the Mock Turtle said.
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And the first part of the dance is over.
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Both creatures had been jumping around while they described the dance.
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Now they sat down and looked at Alice.
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She wasn't sure how to react.
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It must be a very pretty dance, she finally said.
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Would you like to see some of it?
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The mock turtle asked.
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Oh, yes!
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We can do the first part without lobsters.
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The mock turtle said to the griffin.
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Do you want to sing?
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You should sing, because I've forgotten the words.
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The griffon replied.
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So the mock turtle sang about a snail doing the lobster dance.
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Where you want you, where you want you,
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where you want you, join the dance.
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The two creatures began to dance around Alice,
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sometimes stepping on her feet by mistake.
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When they finished dancing, Alice clapped.
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Now we want to hear about some of your adventures, the griffon said.
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He and the mock turtle sat on either side of Alice.
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Well, if you're sure you want to hear my story.
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First, I chased the white rabbit and fell down the rabbit hole, she began.
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By the time she told them about meeting the caterpillar, they looked bored.
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That's enough of your story, the griffin said.
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But I'm not at the end, Alice said.
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Once again she thought how rude everyone was.
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Let's try more of the lobster dance, the griffin said.
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He turned to Alice.
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Or would you like the mock turtle to sing another song?
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Another song, please, Alice replied so quickly that the griffin frowned.
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Well.
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He sniffed.
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That's not what I'd have chosen.
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But if that's what you want.
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The griffin looked at the mock turtle.
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Sing turtle soup for her, old fellow.
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The mock turtle sighed and began to sing a song in a voice choked with sobs.
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He was interrupted by a voice calling.
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The trial's beginning.
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Come on, the griffon cried.
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Without waiting for the mock turtle,
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he grabbed Alice by the hand and ran off.
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Whose trial is it?
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Alice asked.
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But the griffon only repeated.
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Come on!
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And ran faster.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
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Chapter 20.
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The Trial Begins.
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The End
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Alice said to the griffon as they sat down.
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Oh, look!
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There's the white rabbit!
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The white rabbit seemed to be a court official.
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Holding a trumpet in one hand,
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he clutched a scroll of paper in the other.
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Alice noticed a dish of tarts on a table.
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Those tarts are making me hungry,
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she said to the griffon.
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I wish this trial was over so we could eat them.
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That won't happen for quite a while, the griffin replied.
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Alice looked around the room.
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Although she'd never been in a courtroom before, she'd read about trials.
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The king is wearing a long wig,
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so he's the judge, she said to herself.
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And over there is the jury box,
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and those twelve creatures are the jurors.
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The jurors were busy writing on slates.
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What are they doing?
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Alice whispered to the griffon.
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The trial hasn't started, so there's nothing for them to write down.
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They're writing their names.
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They don't want to forget their names before the end of the trial.
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What?
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Alice said in a loud voice.
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Stupid creatures!
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She stopped talking because the white rabbit cried.
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Silence in the court!
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The king put on his glasses and looked around to see who was still talking.
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Alice stayed quiet.
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From her seat, she could see the drawers writing.
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Stupid creatures!
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Their slates will be full before the trial starts, Alice thought.
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White Rabbit, tell us what the prisoner is accused of.
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The king said.
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The white rabbit blew three blasts on his trumpet.
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Then he unrolled his scroll and began to read.
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The queen of hearts, she made some tarts all on a summer day.
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The knave of hearts, he stole those tarts and took them quite away.
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What is your verdict?
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The king asked the jury.
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Not yet, the white rabbit said.
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We need to hear from the witnesses.
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Call the first witness, the king said.
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The white rabbit blew three more blasts on his trumpet.
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First witness, he called.
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The first witness was the hatter.
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He arrived with a teacup in one hand.
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He held bread and butter in the other.
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I beg your pardon for bringing these, your majesty, he said.
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But I hadn't quite finished my tea when I was sent for.
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You should have finished your tea, the king said.
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When did you begin drinking it?
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The hatter looked at the march hare and the doormouse,
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who had followed him in.
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I think it was March 14th, the hatter said.
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15th, the March Hare corrected him.
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16th, the doormouth said.
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Write that down, the king said to the jury.
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The creatures in the jury box eagerly wrote down all three dates.
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Then they added them together and divided by five.
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Meanwhile, the queen put on her glasses.
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She stared at the hatter, who turned pale.
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Tell your story, and don't be nervous,
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the king said to the hatter.
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Or I'll have your head cut off.
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This didn't help the hatter.
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He nervously took a bite from his teacup instead of his bread.
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Just then, Alice felt a strange sensation.
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What's going on? she thought.
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But then she realized what was happening.
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I'm growing again, and I haven't even eaten a bite of those tarts!
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Thank you.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills through the captivating story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, specifically focusing on Chapters 18 to 20. As you engage with the text, you will improve your comprehension and pronunciation while also expanding your vocabulary. This section is filled with whimsical characters and intense interactions, such as the Queen's command to punish players during a croquet match. Use this unique content to enhance your IELTS speaking practice by applying the insights gained from this enchanting narrative.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Leaped to their feet - quickly stood up, often from a seated or lying position.
  • Sentencing people to death - declaring a punishment, usually for a serious wrongdoing.
  • Mock turtle - a fictional creature that symbolizes a complicated, nonsensical idea.
  • Griffon - a mythical creature part lion and part eagle, showcasing the blend of power and majesty.
  • Executioner - a person tasked with carrying out sentences of death (in stories, often depicted as a menacing figure).
  • Imagination - the ability of the mind to form new ideas, images, or concepts not present to the senses.
  • Bellowed - shouted loudly, often to convey authority or urgency.

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning experience with this video, consider employing the shadowing technique. This method involves listening to the audio while simultaneously repeating what you hear, essentially "shadowing" the speaker's voice. Given the animated tone and varied speeds of dialogue in this particular chapter, timely pacing is key. Start by listening to small sections, then pause and repeat the phrases aloud, focusing on intonation and clarity. This approach not only helps you improve your pronunciation but also allows you to practice shadow speech— replicating the emotional nuances expressed by the characters.

To further enhance your language skills, try to incorporate the vocabulary words into your own sentences during the shadowing practice. For example, while practicing the phrase "leaped to their feet," visualize a scene where someone enthusiastically stands up in response to good news. This technique solidifies your knowledge and helps your brain make stronger connections to the words you're learning, ultimately aiding in your goal to learn English with YouTube.

Remember, the key to effective shadow speaking is consistency. Dedicate time to repeat this exercise regularly, and don't hesitate to explore more chapters or different material to keep your learning fresh and engaging!

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.

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