Shadowing Practice: Bài 6 - Cà Chua Tím - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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This is 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.
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Hello, I'm Rob.
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Welcome to 6 Minute English.
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With me today is Finn.
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Hello, Finn.
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Hello, Rob.
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Now, Finn, I'd like to start by asking you a question.
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Would you eat a purple-coloured tomato?
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Purple.
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Well, that depends.
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Is it a naturally-coloured tomato?
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Where does it come from?
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Is this an artificial tomato?
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Rob, tell me more.
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Artificial, yes.
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You mean, is it man-made and trying to copy something that is natural?
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Well, in a way, yes, because scientists have developed a genetically modified purple tomato.
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They took red tomato plants and changed their genetic patterns, so they now produce new purple tomatoes.
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Yes, so this would be an example of GM, genetically modified food.
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It's something we'll be discussing more soon and, of course, looking at some related vocabulary.
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But here's another question for you, Finn, that hasn't been modified or changed in any way.
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Not a GM question.
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No. GM food has been researched and experimented with for many years,
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but do you know when the first genetically modified food was first sold commercially? Was it in A.
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1974, B.
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1984 or C.
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1994?
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Well, we think of GM food as a recent thing, so I'll say the opposite.
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A 1974.
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Okay we'll find out if you're right later on.
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Now let's talk more about genetically modified food or GM food.
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It's called this because the food's genes have been changed.
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This means the way it grows is different from the way it grows when it isn't touched by humans.
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Yes so growing GM food or crops is quite controversial.
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Some Some scientists think it's needed to meet the world's growing demand for food.
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Yes, GM food can resist or stop the effects of some pests or bad weather.
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It can grow more quickly, meaning even more crops can be cultivated or grown.
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But opponents of GM food, people who argue against it, say we don't know enough about its effect on the environment.
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And then there are the fears about who controls what's grown.
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Yes, but despite this, GM food has become an important part of food production.
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Crops like sweet corn, rape plants, wheat and tomatoes have all been genetically modified.
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Yes, like the purple tomato, which was recently developed in the UK.
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It has a dark pigment or colour which gives it the same potential health benefits as blueberries.
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Well, that sounds like a good thing.
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And not only that, it has an antioxidant.
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That's a substance that stops the decaying process, which tests show could help fight cancer.
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One day we could see these purple tomatoes on pizzas or in our tomato ketchup.
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Let's hear from Professor Cathy Martin, who's a plant biologist from the John Innis Centre, who developed this tomato.
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What does she say is good about this new food?
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So with these purple tomatoes you can get the same compounds
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that are present in blueberries and cranberries that give them their health benefits,
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but you can apply them to foods that people actually eat in significant amounts and that are reasonably affordable.
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So, she says, the good thing about this development is we can get health benefits from something we eat significant amounts of,
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so lots of, and they will be reasonably affordable, so it'll be cheap.
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Yes, but there's still maybe a problem with the colour.
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We are affected by the colour of stuff we put in our mouths.
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I mean, who eats blue food?
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That's true.
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And also, because the European Union has restrictions on growing GM food, this tomato has to be grown in Canada,
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where rules are more supportive of GM foods.
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OK.
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Well, Professor Nick Pidgeon, who is an environmental psychologist, says In the UK, there is some distrust of GM food.
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He says some people are concerned all this is messing with nature, it's not natural, and maybe we don't know what the long-term consequences are.
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And a big concern is that large corporations will have control over the technology,
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and this could mean they control food prices too.
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You know, Rob, I think this is a debate that will just go on and on and on.
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Indeed.
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But it's now time to reveal the answer to today's question.
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OK.
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Earlier, I asked you if you knew when the first genetically modified food was first sold commercially.
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I said A 1974.
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Interesting.
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The answer is actually 1994.
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Oh, come on.
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OK.
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A company called Calgene sold a product that delayed the ripening of tomatoes.
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Oh, OK.
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Well, I guess that means the fruit could last longer and it would stop it going soft.
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That was the idea.
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Now, before we go, Finn, could you remind us of some of the vocabulary that we've heard today?
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Yes, I will.
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Artificial.
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Genetically modified.
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Genes.
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Resist.
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Pests.
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Cultivated.
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Pigment.
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Antioxidant.
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Significant.
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Affordable.
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Distrust.
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Ripening.
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Well, that brings us to the end of today's Six Minute English.
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We hope you've enjoyed today's programme.
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Please join us again soon.
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Bye-bye.
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Bye.
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That was Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.
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What You'll Learn

This video is a goldmine for English speaking practice! You’ll master discussing scientific topics like genetically modified (GM) food with clarity—perfect for IELTS speaking practice. Learn to ask follow-up questions naturally (e.g., “Is it naturally-coloured?”) and explain complex ideas simply, like defining “GM food” as “food whose genes have been changed.” You’ll also pick up how to transition between topics smoothly, a key skill for real-world conversations.

Listen For These Sounds

Pay attention to connected speech! In the dialogue, “depends. Is it” links to “depends Izit” with a soft “z” sound. Notice how “genetically modified” shortens to “jenet’ically mod’ified” (reducing the “i” sound in “genetically”). Also, “opponents of GM food” flows into “opponents uhv GM food” with a schwa sound replacing “of.” These small links make your speech sound more natural—great for improving English pronunciation.

Say It Like a Native

Mirror the speakers’ rhythm: stress key words like “purple tomato,” “genetically modified,” and “health benefits” to emphasize meaning. Notice how Rob and Finn pause before important points (e.g., “Well, that depends…”). Practice shadowing—repeat the dialogue aloud right after the speakers—to copy their pace and intonation. Use this video as a shadowing site to build fluency quickly. With consistent practice, you’ll sound more confident in no time!

Ready to level up? Hit play, repeat, and watch your English speaking skills grow—learn English with YouTube and turn short clips into big progress!

Grammar in this video

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

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itbeen modified · has been researched · have been changed
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhave developed · hasn't been modified · has been researched
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thingpeople who argue · tomato, which was
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionwe'll be · I'll say · we'll find

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 →