Shadowing Practice: Cambridge First Certificate Exam - Trainer Practice - Test 1 I Listening Part 2 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B2
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Thank you.
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Listening Test 1, Part 2.
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You will hear an expert snowboarder called Brad Mitchell talking about the sport of extreme snowboarding.
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For questions 9 to 18,
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complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
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You now have 45 seconds to look at Part 2.
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Thank you.
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taking little more than a map and some basic survival equipment with you.
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Unlike in ski resorts, you won't see any signs telling you there are rocks or trees around,
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so it's up to you and your guide to make sure your route is as safe as possible.
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Of course, you should never attempt to go down a slope on your own.
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It's essential to be accompanied by a guide who must go first every time
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as there may be no clear route down through the rocks and other dangers.
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They'll also show you the way up to your starting point,
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which may involve a long,
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difficult climb, and may wear a backpack containing supplies.
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I know some snowboarders like to take a helicopter up to the top,
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and that's quick and easy,
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though expensive, but I always prefer to go on foot,
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with a helmet on, of course.
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When you finally get up there,
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the view is always completely different from the way it looked from below.
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People say to me, it must take a lot of courage to start going down such a steep slope.
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But if you've reached that point,
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then you must be a pretty experienced snowboarder,
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and what's really required is a tremendous amount of confidence.
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You never know exactly which way you're going to go or what you're going to encounter on your way down,
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and you often find yourself having to make split-second decisions.
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But that's part of the fun.
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There is nothing quite as exciting as suddenly having to perform a series of jumps as you descend,
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and then managing to stay on your feet afterwards.
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The ability to do that is obviously something that takes those new to extreme snowboarding quite some time to learn.
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And whereas doing a reasonably good takeoff seems to come fairly naturally to most of us,
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Landing is a more complex skill to acquire,
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as I found in my early days out on the mountainside.
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Falling correctly is also something you need to practice,
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initially at low speed and on gentle slopes,
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and later in conditions more similar to those you'll encounter on the mountain.
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Rule 1, when you lose your balance,
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is not to panic, or else you'll get tense
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and be far more likely to injure yourself than if you're relaxed and just let yourself go with the fall.
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Often the best thing to do is roll out of the fall,
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but it's natural to try to use your arms to try to slow yourself down,
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and if you do so,
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remember that elbows, if you fall on them,
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are much stronger and less likely to be injured than wrists.
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Following a high-speed fall, you might find yourself covered by some of the white stuff that has fallen with you.
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There may be just a few feet of it,
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and you can usually pull yourself up to the surface.
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But if you can't, you're in big trouble.
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And that's why I'd never go down a slope without a small device fastened to my body
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that sends out a signal to the rescue services if I get buried.
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I know some safety experts recommend also taking a medical kit,
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but somehow I think that if I were buried under ice,
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my priority would be to get out or get rescued.
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I'm always looking for new challenges.
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Competition snowboarding was something I looked at,
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but there were just too many guys showing off.
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Teaching snowboarding is certainly something I might do one day,
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but what I really dream about is parachute snowboarding,
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going straight down a mountain,
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flying off a cliff, and then floating down to the valley below.
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Now that's what I call extreme.
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That is the end of part two.
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Thank you.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

The video featuring expert snowboarder Brad Mitchell discussing extreme snowboarding provides a rich context for practicing speaking skills. Engaging with this content offers learners a chance to shadow speak, a technique where you mimic the speaker’s intonation, rhythm, and delivery. By doing so, you not only improve your speaking fluency but also build confidence in your ability to articulate thoughts on specialized topics like sports. These skills are crucial when discussing hobbies or interests in English, helping you sound more natural and conversational.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several key grammatical structures and expressions can enhance your English fluency:

  • Conditional Phrases: The phrases “if you can't” and “if you do so” illustrate conditional sentences, which are essential for discussing hypothetical situations. Mastering these will enrich your conversations, allowing you to explain consequences and possible outcomes more clearly.
  • Descriptive Language: Descriptions like “a long, difficult climb” or “suddenly having to perform a series of jumps” showcase the use of adjectives to create vivid imagery. This technique can improve your narrative skills, making your storytelling more engaging.
  • Imperatives for Advice: Phrases such as “it’s essential to be accompanied by a guide” and “remember that elbows are much stronger” offer imperative forms that provide recommendations. Learning how to use imperatives properly is useful for giving advice or instructions in conversations.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you practice with this video, be aware of specific words and phrases that may present pronunciation challenges:

  • "Extreme snowboarding": Note the stress on the second syllable of “extreme” and the blending of sounds in “snowboarding.” Mastering this phrase can enhance your overall clarity.
  • "Balance": This word can sometimes be pronounced too quickly, leading to a misunderstanding. Focus on enunciating each syllable clearly, especially when used in sentences.
  • "Split-second decisions": This expression features a fast combination of sounds. Practice slowing down as you pronounce each word before gradually increasing your speed to achieve fluency.

Engaging with these common challenges through the shadowing technique will not only help you improve English pronunciation but also boost your overall speaking abilities. Learning English with YouTube makes it enjoyable and effective, allowing you to interact with real-world contexts dynamically.

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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