Shadowing Practice: C1 Advanced (CAE) Listening Test 1 with answers - Learn English Speaking with Video
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1
Test 1 Part 1
2
You'll hear three different extracts.
3
For questions 1 to 6, choose the answer A, B or C, which fits best according to what you hear.
4
There are two questions for each extract.
5
Extract 1 You hear two people talking about public speaking.
6
Now look at questions one and two.
7
I dread the experience.
8
It's the anticipation that gets me once I start I'm usually okay
9
but beforehand I panic I think that my mind will go blank
10
and everyone will stare at me this happened once I was trying to speak
11
and listen to my own voice at the same time
12
but all I could hear was silence I seem to have forgotten how to speak
13
and I felt my face go red I fumbled for my notes
14
and simply read out the rest of the speech well fear of public speaking
15
or what is called pre -presentational anxiety is normal
16
if you think about it public speaking is not a natural
17
thing to do you don't want to humiliate yourself in front of people
18
but with preparation
19
and practice even the most stressed public speakers can conquer their fears
20
there are very few people who are quick intelligent
21
and extrovert enough to just get up and deliver something spontaneously
22
if you're giving a speech you must carefully plan what you're going to say
23
i find it also helps not to think of yourself the whole time once
24
you shift the focus onto the people
25
you are speaking to you feel the pressure lift now you will hear the recording again.
26
I dread the experience.
27
It's the anticipation that gets me.
28
Once I start, I'm usually okay, but beforehand I panic.
29
I think that my mind will go blank and everyone will stare at me.
30
This happened once.
31
I was trying to speak and listen to my own voice at the same time, but all I could hear was silence.
32
I seemed to have forgotten how to speak and I felt my face go red.
33
I fumbled for my notes and simply read out the rest of the speech.
34
Well, fear of public speaking, or what is called pre -presentational anxiety, is normal.
35
If you think about it, public speaking is not a natural thing to do.
36
You don't want to humiliate yourself in front of people.
37
But with preparation and practice, even the most stressed public speakers can conquer their fears.
38
There are very few people who are quick, intelligent and extrovert enough to just get up and deliver something spontaneously.
39
If you're giving a speech, you must carefully plan what you're going to say.
40
I find it also helps not to think of yourself the whole time.
41
Once you shift the focus onto the people you are speaking to, you feel the pressure lift.
42
Extract 2 you hear part of a radio program about the London Underground now look at questions 3 and 4
43
As part of a huge publicity drive in the 1920s and 1930s, London Transport launched a poster campaign to persuade people to move into the suburbs
44
and make use of the rapidly expanding underground network.
45
Tell us about that, Zoe.
46
Well, the posters were used to encourage people to live in
47
and enjoy the quiet and domestic life of the suburbs and travel into London for work and leisure.
48
They helped to shape people's perceptions and expectations of London
49
and what it meant to live there in a period of great change.
50
As well as persuading people to move out to the suburbs,
51
there was a drive for people to make use of the city at a time when the leisure industry was expanding.
52
What kind of things did these posters show?
53
Well, despite the fact that many women worked in the 1920s and 1930s, the posters depicted a domestic ideal,
54
with pictures of women playing with their children in the park and preparing meals for their husbands' return.
55
More and more people were becoming middle class,
56
and part of this ideal was that the husband would go to work and the wife would stay at home,
57
even though this was not the case for many families.
58
Now you will hear the recording again.
59
As part of a huge publicity drive in the 1920s and 1930s, London Transport launched a poster campaign to persuade people to move into the suburbs
60
and to make use of the rapidly expanding underground network.
61
Tell us about that, Zoe.
62
Well, the posters were used to encourage people to live in
63
and enjoy the quiet and domestic life of the suburbs and travel into London for work and leisure.
64
They helped to shape people's perceptions and expectations of London
65
and what it meant to live there in a period of great change.
66
As well as persuading people to move out to the suburbs,
67
there was a drive for people to make use of the city at a time when the leisure industry was expanding.
68
What kind of things did these posters show?
69
Well, despite the fact that many women worked in the 1920s and 1930s, the posters depicted a domestic ideal,
70
with pictures of women playing with their children in the park and preparing meals for their husband's return.
71
More and more people were becoming middle class,
72
and part of this ideal was that the husband would go to work and the wife would stay at home,
73
even though this was not the case for many families.
74
Extract 3.
75
You hear two people discussing the news media.
76
Now look at questions 5 and 6.
77
Of course, the cliché is, don't believe everything you read in the papers, and I guess there's some truth in that.
78
But in many ways, that's not backed up by the evidence.
79
Look at all the times when stories would never have come out if it hadn't been for the much maligned news media.
80
I don't know about that.
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Personally, I'm always pretty sceptical when it comes to all these revelations.
82
I mean, look at medical stories.
83
It sometimes seems as if every day brings some new health scare.
84
You mustn't eat that, you should drink that, and most of these things you never hear about again.
85
I think it'd be really interesting to find out how many of these stories actually turn out to be true.
86
I reckon they just write these things to create a stir.
87
I mean, lots of them are in the entertainment industry, really, aren't they?
88
Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story is the joke in the trade, isn't it?
89
I think lots of them live by that.
90
I don't think that's really fair.
91
There are lots of investigative journalists who've done the public a great service by exposing things
92
they otherwise would never have known about.
93
Now you will hear the recording again.
94
Of course, the cliché is, don't believe everything you read in the papers.
95
And I guess there's some truth in that.
96
But in many ways, that's not backed up by the evidence.
97
Look at all the times when stories would never have come out if it hadn't been for the much -maligned news media.
98
I don't know about that.
99
Personally, I'm always pretty sceptical when it comes to all these revelations.
100
I mean, look at medical stories.
101
It sometimes seems as if every day brings some new health scare.
102
You mustn't eat that, you should drink that, and most of these things you never hear about again.
103
I think it'd be really interesting to find out how many of these stories actually turn out to be true.
104
I reckon they just write these things to create a stir.
105
I mean, lots of them are in the entertainment industry, really, aren't they?
106
Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story is the joke in the trade, isn't it?
107
I think lots of them live by that.
108
I don't think that's really fair.
109
There are lots of investigative journalists who've done the public a great service by exposing things
110
they otherwise would never have known about.
111
That is the end of part one.
112
Now turn to part two.
113
You'll hear part of a talk about the invention of the microwave oven.
114
For questions 7 to 14, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
115
You now have 45 seconds to look at part 2.
116
Thank you.
117
One day in spring 1945,
118
physics engineer Percy Spencer was walking past a switched -on piece of radar equipment when he felt something sticky in his pocket.
119
It turned out to be a chocolate peanut bar he had been saving for his coffee break.
120
Intrigued, he set out to discover why it had suddenly melted.
121
The equipment concerned was a magnetron tube, the heart of a radar set.
122
Radar had been invented by the British in World War II to detect enemy aircraft at night using short waves or microwaves.
123
But it wasn't until Spencer, an engineer at a small -time firm called Raytheon in Boston,
124
U .S., worked out a way of mass -producing the tubes that radar made a real difference in the war.
125
The day after the chocolate incident, Spencer sent a boy out to buy some popcorn.
126
He placed the kernels near the magnetron tube.
127
They immediately started popping round the lab.
128
His next experiment was with an egg, which he put inside a kettle.
129
Curious colleagues gathered round to watch it quaking.
130
One unlucky director bent down to take a closer look just at the moment the egg exploded.
131
Spencer came to realize that the microwaves were heating the food by agitating its water and fat molecules,
132
which meant that the inside cooked just as fast as the outside.
133
Raytheon engineers soon refined the idea.
134
The first microwave, 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighing 750 pounds,
135
was installed in a Boston restaurant for testing in 1946.
136
The first commercial microwave hit the market the following year.
137
It was named Radar Range, following a competition among Raytheon employees.
138
Spencer and his colleagues confidently expected a cooking revolution.
139
But the machine was primitive, enormous, and at $3 ,000, too expensive.
140
All too soon, chefs realized its main drawback.
141
Meat refused to brown, and food emerged limp and flabby.
142
The company chairman, Chef, quit in disgust
143
because he was told to use the radar range not until the 1960s
144
when the first countertop microwave was produced did sales at last
145
begin to take off the first model in 1967 was 100 volts
146
and cost just under $500 by 1975 sales of microwaves overtook gas cookers in the US
147
now nearly 90 % of households in Britain and the US use a microwave oven
148
Now you will hear part two again.
149
One day in spring 1945,
150
physics engineer Percy Spencer was walking past a switched -on piece of radar equipment when he felt something sticky in his pocket.
151
It turned out to be a chocolate peanut bar he had been saving for his coffee break.
152
Intrigued, he set out to discover why it had suddenly melted.
153
The equipment concerned was a magnetron tube, the heart of a radar set.
154
Radar had been invented by the British in World War II to detect enemy aircraft at night using short waves or microwaves.
155
But it wasn't until Spencer, an engineer at a small -time firm called Raytheon in Boston,
156
U .S., worked out a way of mass -producing the tubes that radar made a real difference in the war.
157
The day after the chocolate incident, Spencer sent a boy out to buy some popcorn.
158
He placed the kernels near the magnetron tube.
159
They immediately started popping round the lab.
160
His next experiment was with an egg, which he put inside a kettle.
161
curious colleagues gathered round to watch
162
it quaking one unlucky director bent down to take a closer look just at the moment the egg exploded
163
Spencer came to realize that the microwaves were heating the food by agitating its water
164
and fat molecules which meant that the inside cook just as fast as the outside Raytheon engineers soon refined the idea.
165
The first microwave, five foot six inches tall and weighing 750 pounds,
166
was installed in a Boston restaurant for testing in 1946.
167
The first commercial microwave hit the market the following year.
168
It was named Radar Range, following a competition among Raytheon employees.
169
Spencer and his colleagues confidently expected a cooking revolution.
170
But the machine was primitive, enormous, and at $3 ,000, too expensive.
171
All too soon, chefs realized its main drawback.
172
Meat refused to brown, and food emerged limp and flabby.
173
The company chairman, Chef, quit in disgust because he was told to use the radar range.
174
Not until the 1960s, when the first countertop microwave was produced, did sales at last begin to take off.
175
The first model in 1967 was 100 volts and cost just under $500.
176
By 1975, sales of microwaves overtook gas cookers in the U .S.
177
Now, nearly 90 % of households in Britain and the U .S use a microwave oven.
178
That is the end of part two.
179
Now turn to part three.
180
You'll hear a radio interview with someone who has been having ballet lessons.
181
For questions 15 to 20, choose the answer A, B,
182
C or D, which fits best according to what you hear.
183
You now have 70 seconds to look at part 3.
184
Thank you.
185
Thank you.
186
I'm talking to opera critic Rupert Christensen, who is in his forties and has recently started doing ballet classes.
187
It's a pretty unusual thing to do, isn't it?
188
Well, yes, but one consolation of growing old is that you cease to care what other people think of your views or activities.
189
So here I am, coming out on the radio as probably the only balding middle -aged man on the entire planet to take up ballet lessons.
190
Go on, Snigger.
191
I'm not laughing, I'm just interested.
192
Tell me, how did it all start?
193
Well, I have long been an infatuated ballet fan.
194
The way most men think about their football team, I think about the Royal Ballet Company.
195
They're my team, and I follow their every move with nerdy fascination.
196
recently i've become increasingly frustrated at my lack of technical knowledge um
197
but the thought of having a bash myself hadn't crossed my
198
mind since a schoolboy attempt at ballroom dancing culminated in disaster anyway many years after
199
that unfortunate event to stave off bodily decay
200
I discovered balance a wonderful physiotherapy gym in London where I began personal training with Hans et vet
201
and his colleagues Hans Nobly takes me through the necessary boring stuff,
202
weights, pull -ups, crunches, and his patience and good humour make it endurable and almost enjoyable.
203
So what led you from that to ballet lessons?
204
One day earlier this year, Hans mentioned a newcomer to the balance team and suggested I try him for some supplementary lessons.
205
His name is Julian Diaz, and he turns out to be a remarkable character.
206
A graduate of the Rambert Dance School, he ended up dancing professionally in Berlin and Amsterdam, before returning to England to set up as a trainer,
207
specialising in posture and the freeing up of body language.
208
He told me I should start doing ballet, and his disarming manner soon persuaded me to drop my inhibitions.
209
I was under no illusions about my abilities, but I wanted to find out about the art of ballet by trying it myself.
210
Isn't it a bit dangerous for someone of your age, if you don't mind me saying so?
211
Well, as Julian says, it's a superb form of exercise.
212
He'd like to see the whole world doing ballet.
213
It's only dangerous to muscles if you do it day in, day out at the very top level.
214
For almost anyone else, it's an injury preventative activity that tones and elongates every part of your body, from toes to fingers to head.
215
It's a training in balance, coordination and flexibility, which gets you to engage your body and brain at the same time.
216
It's fantastic for getting you to walk with a spring in your step, and it also cleanses the mind.
217
There's no way you can do a ballet class without concentrating 100 % on what you're doing.
218
So what do your lessons consist of?
219
The sessions last for 90 minutes.
220
We start with what are basically bending and stretching exercises.
221
Then we move on to the hopping, skipping and turning movements, finishing with some jumps in both the closed first and open second positions,
222
before cooling down with some excruciating but vital stretches.
223
This is basic stuff, but believe me, it isn't easy, and you have to take it slowly.
224
I'm not unfit, but I can't do more than a couple of minutes without gasping for rest.
225
and it's incredibly difficult to program it all into one's muscle memory.
226
You can't approximate, you have to get it right, and that involves focusing simultaneously on the correct angle of turnout, the complementary shaping of the arms,
227
a firm finish to any sequence of movements, and the fluent placing of the head, neck and shoulders.
228
Are you going to get really good at this?
229
What kind of progress are you hoping to make?
230
How much further can I get? well
231
i'm not expecting a call from my beloved royal ballet my
232
main aim is to find out something of what it feels like to dance from the inside already i find
233
that as a spectator my admiration for the professionals has sharpened
234
considerably julian has a potty notion of molding some of the movements i am painfully acquiring into a dance
235
and believes that most people of my age could reach a point at
236
which they could take the lower grades of Royal Academy of Dance exams.
237
And Hans has noticed that my work with Julian has resulted in improvements in my regular training.
238
He says that I'm moving better and walking taller with firmer core stability and more flexibility in my hips and back.
239
I wonder whether he's tempted to have a go himself.
240
So presumably you would recommend ballet lessons to anyone?
241
Now you will hear part three again.
242
Today I'm talking to opera critic Rupert Christensen, who is in his forties and has recently started doing ballet classes.
243
It's a pretty unusual thing to do, isn't it?
244
Well, yes, but one consolation of growing old is that you cease to care what other people think of your views or activities.
245
So here I am, coming out on the radio as probably the only balding middle -aged man on the entire planet to take up ballet lessons.
246
Go on, Snigger.
247
I'm not laughing, I'm just interested.
248
Tell me, how did it all start?
249
Well, I have long been an infatuated ballet fan.
250
The way most men think about their football team, I think about the Royal Ballet Company.
251
They're my team, and I follow their every move with nerdy fascination.
252
Recently, I've become increasingly frustrated at my lack of technical knowledge,
253
but the thought of having a bash myself hadn't crossed my mind since a schoolboy attempt at ballroom dancing culminated in disaster.
254
Anyway, many years after that unfortunate event, to stave off bodily decay, I discovered balance.
255
A wonderful physiotherapy gym in London, where I began personal training with Hans Eckvet and his colleagues.
256
Hans nobly takes me through the necessary boring stuff,
257
weights, pull -ups, crunches, and his patience and good humour make it endurable and almost enjoyable.
258
So what led you from that to ballet lessons?
259
One day earlier this year, Hans mentioned a newcomer to the balance team and suggested I try him for some supplementary lessons.
260
His name is Julian Diaz, and he turns out to be a remarkable character.
261
A graduate of the Rambert Dance School, he ended up dancing professionally in Berlin and Amsterdam before returning to England to set up as a trainer,
262
specialising in posture and the freeing up of body language.
263
He told me I should start doing ballet, and his disarming manner soon persuaded me to drop my inhibitions.
264
I was under no illusions about my abilities, but I wanted to find out about the art of ballet by trying it myself.
265
Isn't it a bit dangerous for someone of your age, if you don't mind me saying so?
266
Well, as Julian says, it's a superb form of exercise.
267
He'd like to see the whole world doing ballet.
268
It's only dangerous to muscles if you do it day in, day out at the very top level.
269
For almost anyone else, it's an injury -preventative activity that tones and elongates every part of your body, from toes to fingers to head.
270
It's a training in balance, coordination and flexibility, which gets you to engage your body and brain at the same time.
271
It's fantastic for getting you to walk with a spring in your step, and it also cleanses the mind.
272
There's no way you can do a ballet class without concentrating 100 % on what you're doing.
273
So what do your lessons consist of?
274
The sessions last for 90 minutes.
275
We start with what are basically bending and stretching exercises.
276
Then we move on to the hopping, skipping and turning movements, finishing with some jumps in both the closed first and open second positions,
277
before cooling down with some excruciating but vital stretches.
278
This is basic stuff, but believe me, it isn't easy, and you have to take it slowly.
279
I'm not unfit, but I can't do more than a couple of minutes without gasping for rest,
280
and it's incredibly difficult to program it all into one's muscle memory.
281
You can't approximate, you have to get it right, and that involves focusing simultaneously on the correct angle of turnout, the complementary shaping of the arms,
282
a firm finish to any sequence of movements, and the fluent placing of the head, neck and shoulders.
283
Are you going to get really good at this?
284
What kind of progress are you hoping to make?
285
How much further can I get?
286
Well, I'm not expecting a call from my beloved Royal Ballet.
287
my main aim is to find out something of what it feels like to dance from the inside
288
already i find that as a spectator my admiration for the professionals has sharpened considerably
289
julian has a potty notion of molding some of the movements i am painfully acquiring into a dance
290
and believes that most people of my age could reach a point at
291
which they could take the lower grades of Royal Academy of Dance exams.
292
And Hans has noticed that my work with Julian has resulted in improvements in my regular training.
293
He says that I'm moving better and walking taller with firmer core stability and more flexibility in my hips and back.
294
I wonder whether he's tempted to have a go himself.
295
So presumably you would recommend ballet lessons to anyone...
296
That is the end of part three.
297
Turn to part four.
298
Part four consists of two tasks.
299
You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking about people they know.
300
Look at task one.
301
For questions 21 to 25,
302
choose from the list A to H the description each speaker gives of the person.
303
Now look at task 2.
304
For questions 26 to 30, choose from the list A to H the feeling each speaker expresses about the person.
305
While you listen, you must complete both tasks.
306
You now have 45 seconds to look at part 4.
307
Speaker 1 I know people say he thinks a lot of himself, and, well, they've got a point.
308
He certainly isn't what you'd call modest.
309
He'll be the first one to tell you how brilliant he is, and how hard he's worked, and you certainly couldn't accuse him of lacking confidence.
310
Quite frankly, a lot of people think he's an absolute pain and steer clear of him, because he's always going on about himself.
311
Anything you've done, he can top it.
312
But the fact is, I know another side of him, the kind side that means he'll do anything for a friend.
313
And he's done me a lot of big favours, so I stand by him.
314
When other people have a go at him, I always defend him.
315
She's certainly had a lot of knocks in her life, but she keeps bouncing back.
316
She's definitely what you'd call resilient, and all these terrible things that have happened,
317
she just seems to take them in her stride and hardly talks about them.
318
I wish I could be like that.
319
I always seem to cave in at the slightest hint of trouble.
320
I don't seem to be able to just get on with life when something goes wrong.
321
But she's got this incredible strength that keeps her going.
322
It must be great to be like that.
323
She doesn't want anyone feeling pity for her.
324
She hates that and she doesn't need it.
325
Speaker 3 You never know what's going to happen with him because he's never the same.
326
One time you're with him he's cheerful and sociable, the next time he sits quietly in the corner and doesn't want to speak to anyone.
327
Some people find that very hard to handle and he often loses friends because of it.
328
I think that might well happen with me because, to be honest, it gets on my nerves.
329
You want your friends to be basically the same most of the time, not always up and down like he is.
330
I know it's not the nicest thing to say, but sometimes I just want to yell at him.
331
Speaker 4 He's one of those people who's always finding fault with things.
332
Nothing's ever good enough for him.
333
There's always something wrong.
334
He likes nothing better than to moan.
335
And my goodness, can he moan.
336
You've never heard anything like him when he gets going.
337
People wonder why I spend so much time with him, considering that he's always like that.
338
But the fact is, I find it hilarious.
339
Once he gets going, it's as much as I can do to keep a straight face.
340
And believe it or not, he sees the funny side sometimes.
341
He's not as serious about everything as most people think he is.
342
Speaker 5 You never know whether you can take what he tells you at face value or not, because he makes a lot of it up.
343
He'll tell you he's doing one thing, when in fact he's doing another, and he tells different people different things.
344
I sometimes wonder if he can remember all the different versions he's given.
345
He's always up to something, covering up something he shouldn't have done, or coming up with some cunning plan.
346
To be honest, I feel sorry for him.
347
It must be terrible to spend your whole life pretending.
348
He must be very unhappy at heart, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
349
Now you will hear part four again.
350
Speaker one.
351
I know people say he thinks a lot of himself, and, well, they've got a point.
352
He certainly isn't what you'd call modest.
353
He'll be the first one to tell you how brilliant he is, and how hard he's worked, and you certainly couldn't accuse him of lacking confidence.
354
Quite frankly, a lot of people think he's an absolute pain and steer clear of him, because he's always going on about himself.
355
Anything you've done, he can top it.
356
But the fact is...
357
I know another side of him, the kind side that means he'll do anything for a friend.
358
And he's done me a lot of big favours, so I stand by him.
359
When other people have a go at him, I always defend him.
360
She's certainly had a lot of knocks in her life, but she keeps bouncing back.
361
She's definitely what you'd call resilient, and all these terrible things that have happened.
362
She just seems to take them in her stride and hardly talks about them.
363
I wish I could be like that.
364
I always seem to cave in at the slightest hint of trouble.
365
I don't seem to be able to just get on with life when something goes wrong.
366
But she's got this incredible strength that keeps her going.
367
It must be great to be like that.
368
She doesn't want anyone feeling pity for her.
369
She hates that and she doesn't need it.
370
Speaker 3 You never know what's going to happen with him because he's never the same.
371
One time you're with him he's cheerful and sociable, the next time he sits quietly in the corner and doesn't want to speak to anyone.
372
Some people find that very hard to handle and he often loses friends because of it.
373
I think that might well happen with me because, to be honest, it gets on my nerves.
374
You want your friends to be basically the same most of the time, not always up and down like he is.
375
I know it's not the nicest thing to say, but sometimes I just want to yell at him.
376
He's one of those people who's always finding fault with things.
377
Nothing's ever good enough for him.
378
There's always something wrong.
379
He likes nothing better than to moan, and my goodness, can he moan.
380
You've never heard anything like him when he gets going.
381
People wonder why I spend so much time with him considering that he's always like that, but the fact is, I find it hilarious.
382
Once he gets going, it's as much as I can do to keep a straight face.
383
And believe it or not, he sees the funny side sometimes.
384
He's not as serious about everything as most people think he is.
385
Speaker 5
386
I feel sorry for him.
387
It must be terrible to spend your whole life pretending.
388
He must be very unhappy at heart, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
389
Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “C1 Advanced (CAE) Listening Test 1 with answers”. This video has 389 sentences and 4949 words to shadow. The speech runs for 38:19. The speaker talks at a steady 129 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ballet noun | /bælˈeɪ/ | A classical form of dance. |
| microwave noun | /ˈmaɪkɹoʊˌweɪv/ | An electromagnetic wave with wavelength between that of infrared light and radio waves. |
| radar noun | /ˈɹeɪˌdɑɹ/ | In full primary radar: a method of detecting a distant object and determining its position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysing radio waves… |
| lesson noun | /ˈlɛs.ən/ | A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided. |
| poster noun | /ˈpoʊstɚ/ | A picture of a celebrity, an event etc., intended to be attached to a wall. |
| tube noun | /tuːb/ | Anything that is hollow and cylindrical in shape. |
| colleague noun | /ˈkɒliːɡ/ | A fellow member of a profession, staff, academic faculty or other organization; an associate, a workmate. |
| suburbs noun | /ˈsʌbɝbz/ | The populated area surrounding a city. |
| ideal adjective | /aɪˈdi(ə)l/ | Pertaining to ideas, or to a given idea. |
| muscle noun | /ˈmʌs.əl/ | A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement. |
| expand verb | /ɪkˈspænd/ | To change (something) from a smaller form or size to a larger one; to spread out or lay open. |
| stretch verb | /stɹɛt͡ʃ/ | To lengthen by pulling. |
| bend verb | /bɛnd/ | To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means. |
| extract noun | /ˈɛkstɹækt/ | Something that is extracted or drawn out. |
| flexibility noun | /ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/ | The quality of being flexible, whether physically or metaphorically. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| back up verb | To move backwards, especially for a vehicle to do so. | |
| bounce back verb | To recover from a negative situation without seemingly any damage. | |
| come out verb | /ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/ | To be discovered; to be revealed. |
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| get on with verb | To proceed with; to begin or continue, especially after an interruption. | |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. | |
| read out verb | /ˌɹiːd ˈaʊt/ | To read something and say the words to inform other people; to call. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- You'll hear three different extracts.
- Tell me, how did it all start?
- Are you going to get really good at this?
- What kind of progress are you hoping to make?
- How much further can I get?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | who've done · i've become · has sharpened |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is called · had been invented · was installed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who are · someone who has |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 101 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: leisure /ˈlɛʒə(ɹ)/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, preparation /ˌpɹɛpəˈɹeɪʃ(ə)n/, chef /ʃɛf/, patience /ˈpeɪ̯.ʃəns/
- Long words — get the stress right: flexibility /ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/
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 ballet, microwave, radar.
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.