Shadowing Practice: Can Earth Run Out of Water? - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 16 sentences and 197 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:18. The speaker talks at a natural 152 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• recover /ɹɪˈkʌvɚ/ (verb) — To get back, to regain (a physical thing; in astronomy and navigation, sight of a thing or a signal).
• deposit /dɪˈpɑ.zɪt/ (noun) — Sediment or rock that is not native to its present location or is different from the surrounding material. Sometimes refers to ore or gems.
• scientist /ˈsaɪəntəst/ (noun) — One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research…
• migration /maɪˈɡɹeɪʃ(ə)n/ (noun) — An instance of moving to live in another place for a while.
• bankruptcy /ˈbæŋkˌɹʌp(t).si/ (noun) — A legally declared or recognized condition of insolvency of a person or organization.
• fixing /ˈfɪksɪŋ/ (noun) — The act of subverting (fixing) a vote.
• dump /dʌmp/ (verb) — To release, especially in large quantities and chaotic manner.
• withdraw /wɪðˈdɹɔ/ (verb) — To draw or pull (something) away or back from its original position or situation.
• harvest /ˈhɑɹ.vəst/ (noun) — The process of gathering the ripened crop; harvesting.
• extract /ˈɛkstɹækt/ (noun) — Something that is extracted or drawn out.
• distress /dɪˈstɹɛs/ (noun) — Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature.
• drought /ˈdɹaʊ̯t/ (noun) — A period of unusually low rainfall, longer and more severe than a dry spell.
• hopeless /ˈhoʊplɪs/ (adjective) — Without hope; despairing; not expecting anything positive.
• aquifer /ˈɑkwɪfɝ/ (noun) — An underground layer of water-bearing porous stone, earth, or gravel.
• groundwater (noun) — Water that exists beneath the earth's surface in underground streams and aquifers.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• bring back /ˈbɹɪŋ bæk/ (verb) — To fetch something.
• think about /ˈθɪŋk əˌbaʊt/ (verb) — To ponder.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, can't, isn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

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 recover, deposit, scientist.

Grammar in this video

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