Shadowing Practice: Alice's Adventures Ch. 9-11 | Caterpillar, Duchess, Cheshire Cat | Alice in Wonderland | Little Fox - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Chapter 9 Advice from a Caterpillar
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Chapter 9 Advice from a Caterpillar
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At last the caterpillar spoke to Alice.
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Who are you?
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He asked in a sleepy voice.
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This was not the best way to start a conversation.
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Alice replied rather shyly.
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I hardly know, sir.
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At least, I know who I was when I got up this morning.
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But I've changed several times since then.
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What do you mean by that?
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Explain yourself.
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The caterpillar said.
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Alice tried to be polite even though the caterpillar seemed rather rude.
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I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly, sir.
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Being so many different sizes in one day is confusing.
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No, it isn't.
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Perhaps you haven't had the chance to find that out yet, Alice said.
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When you change into a butterfly,
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you'll probably feel quite strange.
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I will not, the caterpillar said.
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You may feel differently than I do,
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Alice said, still trying to be polite.
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But turning into a butterfly would feel very strange to me.
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You!
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The caterpillar's voice was full of scorn.
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Who are you?
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And that brought them right back to the beginning of their conversation.
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Alice felt annoyed by the caterpillar's remarks.
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She stood as tall as she could and looked straight at him.
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I think you should tell me who you are first.
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Why?
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This was another puzzling question that Alice couldn't answer.
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The caterpillar was in such a bad mood that she wanted to leave.
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She started to walk away.
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Come back!
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The caterpillar called after her.
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I have something important to say.
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This sounded interesting, so Alice walked back to the mushroom and waited for him to speak.
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Don't lose your temper, the caterpillar said.
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Is that all?
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Alice couldn't believe how angry he made her feel.
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No. For a few minutes,
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the caterpillar sat silently, ignoring Alice.
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She was going to leave,
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but she really had nothing else to do.
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So she decided to wait.
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Perhaps the caterpillar would have something interesting to say after all.
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Finally, he spoke to her again.
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So, you think you've changed?
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Oh, yes, Alice said, happy that he was listening at last.
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First I'm bigger, and then I'm smaller.
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I don't stay the same size for more than a few minutes.
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The caterpillar looked Alice up and down.
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What size do you want to be?
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I don't really care.
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I just don't like changing so often, you know?
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No, I don't know, the caterpillar replied.
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Alice said nothing.
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She never met such a disagreeable creature,
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and she was losing her temper.
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The caterpillar interrupted her thoughts.
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Are you happy now?
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I'd like to be larger because three inches is such a horrible size.
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Three inches is the perfect height.
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The caterpillar stretched upright as he spoke,
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showing that he was exactly three inches high.
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But I'm not used to it, Alice moaned.
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You get used to it in time, said the caterpillar.
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Alice waited, hoping the caterpillar would say something more.
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Eventually, he yawned twice and shook himself.
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Then he got down from the mushroom.
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One side makes you grow taller,
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the caterpillar said, crawling through the grass.
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And the other side makes you smaller.
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Alice wondered what in the world he was talking about.
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One side of what?
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The other side of what?
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She thought.
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Of the mushroom.
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The caterpillar replied as if Alice had asked her questions aloud.
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And in another moment, he was out of sight.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Chapter 10 Eating the Mushroom
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The caterpillar had said that one side of the mushroom would make Alice grow.
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The other side would make her shrink.
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Then he disappeared before Alice could ask any questions.
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Alice studied the mushroom.
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How am I supposed to know which side does which?
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The mushroom cap is round,
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so it doesn't have a left side or a right side.
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There was only one way to find out out Alice stretched her arms around the mushroom
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and broke off a piece with each hand but
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which piece makes me grow Alice looked from one hand to
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the other she finally decided to try the piece in her
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right hand the next moment her chin hit something hard it was her foot Alice was frightened
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but she managed to try the mushroom piece in her left
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hand that's better Alice said as her head started to rise
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but her delight changed to panic when she couldn't see her shoulders
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when she looked down all she saw were her long neck
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and some green leaves she didn't realize those were the tops of trees where have my hands gone Alice asked.
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She couldn't see them below the leaves,
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so she bent her neck.
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My neck is so flexible!
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It's almost like being a serpent.
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Alice exclaimed in surprise as a bird flew at her face.
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Serpent!
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The pigeon screamed.
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I'm not a serpent!
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Alice said angrily.
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Leave me alone!
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No matter where I make my nest, serpents bother me!
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The pigeon sounded angry.
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Night and day I must be on the lookout for serpents.
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I haven't slept in three weeks!
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I'm very sorry that you've been annoyed by serpents, Alice began.
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But...
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I made my nest in the tallest tree,
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thinking I'd be free of the serpents, the pigeons said.
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But then you came wriggling down from the sky.
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Go away, serpent!
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I'm not a serpent, Alice said.
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I'm a...
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I mean, I'm a...
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Well, what are you?
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The pigeon demanded.
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What are you trying to say?
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I...
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I'm a little girl, Alice finally said.
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She'd undergone so many changes,
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she wasn't sure what she was anymore.
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I've seen lots of little girls,
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but never one with such a long neck.
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The pigeon looked at her skeptically.
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No, you're a serpent, and you can't deny it.
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Next you'll be telling me that you've never eaten an egg.
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I have eaten an egg.
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Alice admitted, for she was a truthful child.
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Little girls eat eggs as often as serpents do.
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I don't believe that, the pigeon said firmly.
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And whether you're a girl or a serpent, you're looking for eggs.
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I'm not looking for eggs.
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But if I were looking for them, I wouldn't want yours.
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Alice stamped her foot and the ground shook.
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I don't like raw eggs.
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Then go away!
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The pigeon still sounded angry as she settled into her nest again.
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Alice tried to crouch among the trees,
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but her neck kept getting tangled in branches.
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I need to get back to my original size, she said to herself.
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Slowly and carefully, Alice nibbled from one piece of mushroom and then the other.
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At last, she was the correct size.
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That's much better, Alice said as she began to walk through the woods.
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Suddenly, she came upon a space surrounding a house about four feet high.
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I don't know who lives there, Alice said.
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But they're sure to be smaller than I am,
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and I'll frighten them at this size.
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So Alice ate some more from the mushroom until she was only nine inches high.
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
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Chapter 11.
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Pepper and Pig.
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Alice stood outside the house,
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unsure what to do next.
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Suddenly, a footman in uniform ran out of the woods.
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The footman had a face like a fish.
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He knocked on the door,
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which was answered by another footman.
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This one had a round face and eyes like a frog.
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Alice noticed that both wore curly powdered wigs.
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I wonder what's going to happen.
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Alice crept closer so she could listen.
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The fish footman was holding a letter almost as big as himself.
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He handed it to the frog footman.
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From the Queen, the fish footman said.
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An invitation for the duchess to play croquet.
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This must be the duchess's house, Alice said to herself.
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I wonder if she's the duchess that the white rabbit was talking about.
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The two footmen bowed low, tangling their curls together.
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Alice laughed so hard that she ran into the woods so they wouldn't hear her When she peeped out again,
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the fish footman was gone The frog footman was sitting on the ground staring at the sky
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Alice went to the door of the house and knocked quietly.
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There's no point in knocking, the frog footman said.
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First, I'm out here with you so I can't open the door.
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Second, they're making so much noise inside,
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no one can hear you.
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Alice put her ear on the door to listen.
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The frog footman was right.
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There was a constant howling and sneezing.
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Every once in a while came a great crash.
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That sounds like dishes breaking,
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Alice said to the frog footman.
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But how will I get inside?
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The frog footman had no idea.
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I'm gonna sit out here all day, he said.
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Just then the door opened,
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and a plate flew outside.
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It almost hit the frog footman before smashing against a tree.
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He continued to sit as if nothing had happened.
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Or maybe I'll sit here until tomorrow, he said quietly.
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Alice decided to open the door herself.
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The door led right into the kitchen,
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which was full of smoke.
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The Duchess sat on a stool, feeding a baby.
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The cook was leaning over the fire,
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stirring a pot of soup.
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Alice began to sneeze.
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There's too much pepper in that soup, she cried.
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The baby took turns sneezing and howling.
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The Duchess sneezed once in a while,
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but the cook didn't sneeze at all.
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A cat was lying on the hearth and grinning from ear to ear.
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It didn't sneeze either.
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I've never seen a cat grin like that, Alice said.
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Then you haven't been paying attention, The duchess said.
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All cats know how to grin,
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but this Cheshire cat is especially good at it.
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The duchess said this last word so loudly that Alice jumped.
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Then she realized the duchess was speaking to the baby.
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The baby had tiny eyes and a nose like a snout.
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Before Alice could say a word,
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the cook started throwing things.
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Watch what you're doing, Alice said.
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You're going to hurt the baby.
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The duchess tossed the baby to Alice.
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Here, you can feed the baby if you like.
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I must get ready to play croquet with the queen.
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And with that, the duchess hurried from the room.
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Alice tried to hold on to the wiggling baby while the Cheshire cats simply grinned.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Engaging with the video "Alice's Adventures Ch. 9-11 | Caterpillar, Duchess, Cheshire Cat" provides an excellent opportunity for learners to enhance their speaking skills through the immersive use of the shadowspeak technique. This method aims to practice speaking by mimicking the rhythm, intonation, and expressions of the speakers in the video. As Alice interacts with the caterpillar, students can effectively grasp dialogue dynamics and emotional expressions, which are essential elements in natural conversation.
Additionally, IELTS speaking practice benefits significantly from this approach. The characters' interactions present a variety of contexts and tones, helping learners develop their ability to respond to different speaking styles, making them more versatile communicators.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The following key structures from the transcript highlight useful grammatical forms and expressions:
- "I hardly know, sir." - This phrase shows a polite and formal way to express uncertainty, which is helpful in social and professional settings.
- "What do you mean by that?" - A great expression to request clarification, vital for effective communication.
- "I think you should tell me who you are first." - This provides an example of how to assert oneself politely, helping learners navigate conversations where establishing context is crucial.
- "So, you think you've changed?" - The use of indirect questions like this encourages learners to practice conversational flow and engage more deeply with others.
Utilizing these expressions in shadow speak practice helps enhance fluency by allowing learners to mirror native speakers closely.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you delve into the dialogue between Alice and the caterpillar, pay special attention to certain words and phrases that can be challenging for learners:
- "caterpillar" - The pronunciation requires careful attention to the syllable breaks: cat-er-pil-lar.
- "butterfly" - This word contains a schwa sound in the second syllable, which can often lead to mispronunciation if not practiced properly.
- "interesting" - Commonly pronounced incorrectly as “in-ter-est-ing,” it ought to be pronounced as “in-trest-ing” in fluent speech.
These pronunciation traps can significantly impact your spoken English. Integrating them into your shadowspeaks practice sessions will sharpen your skills, ensuring clearer and more confident speech during interactions.
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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