Shadowing Practice: CAE9 O TEST1 PART1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Part 1.

You'll hear three different extracts.

For questions 1 to 6, choose the answer A, B or C, which fits best according to what you hear.

There are two questions for each extract.

Extract 1.

You hear two friends talking about what it's like being an identical twin.

Now look at questions 1 and 2.

I can't understand why anyone moans about being a twin.

I love it.

Me too.

Everyone thinks you're automatic soulmates, and there is something in that.

I know twins who are chalk and cheese and don't get on great, but do admit sharing an irreplaceable bond.

The flip side's the absence of individuality.

Though we've chosen very different paths in life, my brother and I are always the twins, and our success or failures treated jointly.

I've never consciously competed with him, but I've always pushed myself to achieve things on my own merits.

As kids, it was fun.

Teachers were always mistaking my sister for me, and I let them.

I enjoyed strangers' reactions, too.

You know, like, we were these rare creatures, extra deserving of attention.

My sister hated it, though, and was very direct in letting people know.

Can't say anyone fussed over me.

But it was useful blaming my brother for things.

I can't believe how often I got away with it.

We couldn't hide anything from each other, though, so we always knew what the other had done, evening it out.

We know one another inside out.

I feel like I'm transparent whenever he's around.

I can't understand why anyone moans about being a twin.

I love it.

Me too.

Everyone thinks you're automatic soulmates, and there is something in that.

I know twins who are chalk and cheese and don't get on great, but do admit sharing an irreplaceable bond.

The flip side's the absence of individuality.

Though we've chosen very different paths in life, my brother and I are always the twins, and our success or failures treated jointly.

I've never consciously competed with him, but I've always pushed myself to achieve things on my own merits.

As kids, it was fun.

Teachers were always mistaking my sister for me, and I let them.

I enjoyed strangers' reactions, too.

You know, like, we were these rare creatures, extra deserving of attention.

My sister hated it, though, and was very direct in letting people know.

Can't say anyone fussed over me, but it was useful blaming my brother for things.

I can't believe how often I got away with it.

We couldn't hide anything from each other, though, so we always knew what the other had done, evening it out.

We know one another inside out.

I feel like I'm transparent whenever he's around.

Extract 2 You hear two friends discussing sleep and dreams.

Now look at questions 3 and 4.

Hey John, did you see that programme on dreams?

Yeah, fascinating.

Especially the bit about remembering them.

I've always been able to do that, even as a kid.

When I dream, I could do fantastic things, you know, like flying.

Me too.

And I love talking about dreams.

On holiday, when I can lie in and get a bit more snooze time, my recall's even clearer.

No wonder the families sigh when I start going on at breakfast time.

Mind you, it's hardly exceptional.

Some people say they never remember dreams, but the majority, when asked, say they can recall them, even if the memory doesn't last.

I read somewhere that what side you sleep on influences your dreams.

It isn't conclusive though, so I'm still unconvinced.

I often find myself inexplicably irritated some mornings by someone I know, like a colleague.

I always wonder why, till suddenly remembering they'd behaved badly in my previous night's dream.

Even then I can't shake off the feeling.

Weird, isn't it?

And nobody's explained why some people get repeated dreams, have they?

It must be so strange waking up and realising your dream was the same as one you'd had before.

Hmm.

Hey John, did you see that programme on dreams?

Yeah, fascinating.

Especially the bit about remembering them.

I've always been able to do that even as a kid.

When I dream, I could do fantastic things, you know, like flying.

Me too.

And I love talking about dreams.

On holiday, when I can lie in and get a bit more snooze time, my recall's even clearer.

No wonder the family sigh when I start going on at breakfast time.

Mind you, it's hardly exceptional.

Some people say they never remember dreams, but the majority, when asked, say they can recall them, even if the memory doesn't last.

I read somewhere that what side you sleep on influences your dreams.

It isn't conclusive, though, so I'm still unconvinced.

I often find myself inexplicably irritated some mornings by someone I know, like a colleague.

I always wonder why, till suddenly remembering they'd behaved badly in my previous night's dream.

Even then I can't shake off the feeling.

Weird, isn't it?

And nobody's explained why some people get repeated dreams, have they?

It must be so strange waking up and realising your dream was the same as one you'd had before.

Hmm.

Extract 3 You hear two friends discussing their visit to an exhibition of paintings by 17th century artists.

Now look at questions 5 and 6. That was interesting.

I mean, not many works by the more famous painters have survived.

So there were a number of paintings by their less well-known contemporaries, weren't there?

But I felt there was a point to those, other than bumping up the admission fee.

They normally seemed to be there just to pad out an exhibition.

Hmm.

And it made us look more closely at their paintings rather

than just rushing past them to get to the works by great masters and dismissing them as lesser pieces.

I think that long-held view has been cast into doubt.

And it's interesting, isn't it, to think that largely domestic scenes were once regarded as vulgar

and trivial compared with commissioned portraits of royalty that previous artists had traditionally churned out.

Yet these scenes of everyday moments are actually more complex than a superficial glance suggests.

100

What people don't realise is that once you look more closely, these paintings will really reward your efforts.

101

Mmm, the drama's implied rather than shown.

102

But you're in no doubt as to what the artist meant.

103

I found the whole thing absolutely fascinating. That was interesting.

104

I mean, not many works by the more famous painters have survived.

105

So there were a number of paintings by their less well-known contemporaries, weren't there?

106

But I felt there was a point to those other than bumping up the admission fee.

107

They normally seem to be there just to pad out an exhibition.

108

Hmm.

109

And it made us look more closely at their paintings rather

110

than just rushing past them to get to the works by great masters and dismissing them as lesser pieces.

111

I think that long-held view has been cast into doubt.

112

And it's interesting, isn't it, to think that largely domestic scenes were once regarded as vulgar

113

and trivial compared with commissioned portraits of royalty that previous artists had traditionally churned out.

114

Yet these scenes of everyday moments are actually more complex than a superficial glance suggests.

115

What people don't realise is that once you look more closely, these paintings will really reward your efforts.

116

Mmm, the drama's implied rather than shown.

117

But you're in no doubt as to what the artist meant.

118

I found the whole thing absolutely fascinating.

119

That's the end of part one.

120

Now turn to part two.

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What You'll Practice in This Lesson

This lesson uses a lively video conversation about identical twins and dreams to boost your English speaking skills. You'll practice understanding natural dialogue, picking up everyday phrases, and improving your pronunciation—perfect for IELTS speaking practice or general english speaking practice. The casual tone and real-life topics make it easy to relate, so you'll feel confident using what you learn in conversations.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases to Learn

Chalk and cheese: Describes two people who are very different (e.g., "They're twins but chalk and cheese!").
Irreplaceable bond: A special connection that can't be replaced (e.g., "Twins often share an irreplaceable bond").
Flip side: The opposite, less positive part of something (e.g., "The flip side of being a twin is losing individuality").
On my own merits: Based on one's own efforts or qualities (e.g., "I want to succeed on my own merits").
Transparent: Easy to see through or understand (e.g., "With my twin, I feel completely transparent").

Practice Tips for Shadowing & Pronunciation

Shadowing (repeating the speaker's words immediately after them) is a great way to improve your fluency and pronunciation. Here's how to use the video: Shadow speak along with the twin conversation first—its friendly, conversational speed is perfect for beginners. Focus on copying the tone: notice how the speakers emphasize words like "love" or "hated" to show feeling. For the dream discussion, practice the natural pauses between phrases to sound more like a native. Pause and replay tricky parts, like "irreplaceable bond," to nail the pronunciation. Over time, this will help you improve english pronunciation and feel more comfortable in real talks. Remember, learning english with videos works best when you practice daily—even 10 minutes a day will make a difference!

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	we've chosen · I've always pushed · I've always been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	has been cast

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 →

Shadowing Practice: CAE9 O TEST1 PART1 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Practice Tips for Shadowing & Pronunciation

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What is the Shadowing Technique?