Shadowing Practice: CAE TEST9 P1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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109 sentences
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1
Now open your question paper and look at part one.
2
You'll hear three different extracts.
3
For questions one to six, choose the answer A, B or C, which fits best according to what you hear.
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There are two questions for each extract.
5
Extract one.
6
You hear two people talking about their work as website designers.
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Now look at questions one and two.
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As a kid, I was always messing around on computers, so ended up doing a degree in computer science.
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Though, strictly speaking, it isn't necessary for this job, it did mean I could walk straight into it.
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What companies want is people who can come up with ideas.
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I get a buzz from that side of it, even when it's hard.
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It's a fluid working environment, so hours aren't fixed and can be long in relation to the salary.
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I generally like to work on my own, but a web designer can't produce stuff in a vacuum because by its very nature,
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it's a collaborative effort.
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Well, I didn't go the university route, but worked part -time with different companies and made loads of contacts who've come in handy.
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Got my foot in the door, so to speak.
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Then I got a full -time job offer that got me on the ladder.
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It wasn't easy, and considering what you put in, the job's not the big earner that people assume it is.
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Well, at least not at the beginning.
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I supplement it by writing reviews of other people's sites, but I enjoy the flexibility.
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I like working with other people, and that's key.
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As a kid, I was always messing around on computers, so ended up doing a degree in computer science though strictly speaking
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it isn't necessary for this job it did mean
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I could walk straight into it what companies want is people who can come up with ideas
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I get a buzz from that side of it even
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when it's hard it's a fluid working environment so hours aren't fixed
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and can be long in relation to the salary I generally like to work on my own
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but a web designer can't produce stuff in a vacuum because by its very nature it's a collaborative effort
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Well, I didn't go the university route, but worked part -time with different companies and made loads of contacts who've come in handy.
30
Got my foot in the door, so to speak.
31
Then I got a full -time job offer that got me on the ladder.
32
It wasn't easy, and considering what you put in, the job's not the big earner that people assume it is,
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well, at least not at the beginning.
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I supplement it by writing reviews of other people's sites, but I enjoy the flexibility.
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I like working with other people, and that's key.
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Extract 2.
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You hear two cyclists talking about their sport.
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Now look at questions 3 and 4.
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how long have you been cycling then i started road cycling
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when i was six and got hooked immediately i'd practice sprinting between two streetlights over
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and over i've always been competitive and i work harder than anyone else
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if i don't win i need to know why i copy the person who beat me
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i won't stop till
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i'm better than them the stiff competition in the cycling world is what drives me
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you've been to the velodrome haven't you yeah the track itself is amazing such a steep angle
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and the bikes have no brakes
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if you stop pedaling
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it stops although i'm not such an experienced cyclist as you i jumped at the chance to try it
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and wow from the position of the start line, that steep slope looks like a mountain.
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I was told the faster you go, the safer you are, so I pedalled like mad and managed one lap.
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I kept going and started to enjoy it.
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So much so, I forgot to pedal and immediately fell off.
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So you'll be going back?
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You try stopping me.
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How long have you been cycling then?
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I started road cycling when I was six and got hooked immediately.
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I'd practice sprinting between two streetlights over and over.
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I've always been competitive, and I work harder than anyone else.
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If I don't win, I need to know why.
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I copy the person who beat me.
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I won't stop till I'm better than them.
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The stiff competition in the cycling world is what drives me.
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You've been to the velodrome, haven't you?
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Yeah, the track itself is amazing.
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Such a steep angle, and the bikes have no brakes.
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If you stop pedalling, it stops.
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Although I'm not such an experienced cyclist as you, I jumped at the chance to try it and wow,
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from the position of the start line that steep slope looks like a mountain.
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I was told the faster you go, the safer you are, so I pedalled like mad and managed one lap.
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I kept going and started to enjoy it.
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So much so, I forgot to pedal and immediately fell off.
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So you'll be going back?
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You try stopping me.
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Extract 3.
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You hear a man called Roy talking about bees on a phone -in programme.
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Now look at questions 5 and 6.
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So, Roy, what do you want to talk about on the programme today?
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I want to talk about bees.
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Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem.
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They're friendly creatures, and they're declining in numbers.
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For what it's worth, my own experience is much like that of other callers, who've reported near -normal numbers of bumblebees, but virtually no honeybees.
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I think there's a distinct lack of wasps, too.
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I'm at a loss to know why, though I've read interesting articles about the domestication of bees and poor practices of modern beekeepers.
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But it seems clear that we can't discount what others see as the number one culprit, the overuse of chemicals by gardeners.
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So what do you suggest gardeners do, Roy?
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Well, the best thing anyone lucky enough to have a garden can do is provide a bee -friendly area.
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And the good news is bees prefer lazy gardeners, which I suspect is most of us.
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A wild garden providing a natural habitat is the way forward.
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Choose what you plant carefully.
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It doesn't have to be hard work, but it could make a big difference.
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And buy your honey from local suppliers you know and trust.
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So, Roy, what do you want to talk about on the programme today?
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I want to talk about bees.
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Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem.
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They're friendly creatures, and they're declining in numbers.
96
For what it's worth, my own experience is much like that of other callers, who've reported near -normal numbers of bumblebees, but virtually no honeybees.
97
I think there's a distinct lack of wasps, too.
98
I'm utter lost to know why, though I've read interesting articles about the domestication of bees
99
and poor practices of modern beekeepers but it seems clear that we can't discount what others see as the number one culprit,
100
the overuse of chemicals by gardeners.
101
So what do you suggest gardeners do, Roy?
102
Well, the best thing anyone lucky enough to have a garden can do is provide a bee -friendly area.
103
And the good news is bees prefer lazy gardeners, which I suspect is most of us.
104
A wild garden providing a natural habitat is the way forward.
105
Choose what you plant carefully.
106
It doesn't have to be hard work, but it could make a big difference.
107
And buy your honey from local suppliers you know and trust.
108
That is the end of part one.
109
Now turn to part two.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “CAE TEST9 P1”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: bee, gardeners, cycling, extract, Roy. This video has 109 sentences and 1277 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:09. The speaker talks at a natural 157 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% 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:

WordPronunciationMeaning
bee noun/ˈbiː/A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for…
pedal noun/ˈpɛdəl/A lever operated by one's foot that is used to control or power a machine or mechanism, such as a bicycle or piano.
extract noun/ˈɛkstɹækt/Something that is extracted or drawn out.
steep adjective/stiːp/Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward or downward at an angle approaching vertical.
designer noun/dɪˈzaɪnɚ/A person who designs something, or who designs things as a profession.
cyclist noun/ˈsaɪ.klɪst/A person who rides a cycle, especially a bicycle, or who habitually engages in cycling.
carefully adverb/ˈkɛɹf(ə)li/With care; attentively, circumspectly.
decline verb/dɪˈklaɪn/To move downwards, to fall, to drop.
angle noun/ˈæŋ.ɡəl/A figure formed by two rays which start from a common point (a plane angle) or by three planes that intersect (a solid angle).
vital adjective/ˈvaɪtəl/Relating to or characteristic of life.
honey noun/ˈhʌni/A sweet, viscous, gold-colored fluid produced from plant nectar by bees, and often consumed by humans.
hook noun/hʊk/A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.
salary noun/ˈsæləɹi/A fixed amount of money paid to a worker, usually calculated on a monthly or annual basis, not hourly, as wages. Implies a degree of professionalism and/or…
discount noun/ˈdɪskaʊnt/A reduction in price.
relation noun/ɹɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/The manner in which two things may be associated.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordMeaning
come up with verbTo manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.
end up verbTo bring to a conclusion.
fall off verbTo become detached or to drop from.
go back verbTo return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

  • You'll hear three different extracts.
  • I like working with other people, and that's key.
  • So you'll be going back?
  • How long have you been cycling then?
  • You've been to the velodrome, haven't you?

Grammar in this video

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

StructureIn the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going onhave you been cycling
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowwho've come · i've always been · you've been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itaren't fixed · was told
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thingpeople who can · person who beat

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 45 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, can't, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

  • Long words — get the stress right: virtually /ˈvɚ.t͡ʃə.wə.li/, flexibility /ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/, collaborative /kəˈlæb.ə.ɹə.tɪv/, ecosystem /ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm/

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like bee, pedal, extract.

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 →