Shadowing Practice: Can we remove microplastics from our bodies? | ABC NEWS - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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There's huge interest in microplastics and in fact the Mindaroo Foundation,
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There's huge interest in microplastics and in fact the Mindaroo Foundation,
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Andrew Forrest, I think he did a PhD in microplastics,
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he's so interested in it and they funded a lot of research.
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So they funded this research in Western Australia.
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The first thing to say about microplastics is it's all on suspicion at the moment.
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Even though I personally have changed my lifestyle for microplastics,
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there's no evidence behind it.
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And what they're trying to find out is whether
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or not they can actually show whether there's a risk or benefit from removing microplastics.
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So this was an enormous effort.
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They took 200 people and 60 of them got intensive interventions to try
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and reduce their intake of plastics from the cosmetics that they used to the food that they ate.
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They did a deal with 150 farmers from paddock to plate
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that the food that they produced did not to touch plastics along the way.
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Also removing contact with plastics at home and so on.
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To see what the effect was,
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measuring what you were putting out in your urine in terms of the breakdown products of plastics.
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And what they showed was that within a week,
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most of the breakdown products reduced dramatically,
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except one which they think could be quite a toxic metabolite,
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of a kind called phthalate.
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And they didn't know whether or not,
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so good news, most microplastics went down except this one that was worrying.
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And what they don't know here is whether or not this is in the food supply no matter what you do,
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or because they did notice that the more fat you had on your body,
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the less you excreted in terms of microplastics
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and the idea here may be that you absorb these into your fat tissue
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and therefore you don't excrete it and it may be
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that this particular phthalate was stored in your fat
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and therefore kept on being excreted
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and maybe it washes out over time the next step in the study
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so that's a fairly significant effort to get it down to
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that low the next step in the study is to find out whether
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or not your risk of certain diseases like diabetes and so on goes up or down depending on your exposure to microplastics.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

This video on microplastics raises significant environmental and health concerns, making it an engaging topic for IELTS speaking practice. As you listen to the expert discussing the latest research findings, you will be exposed to a variety of vocabulary and expressions related to science and health. By practicing speaking through this video, particularly using the shadowing technique, you can improve your fluency and comprehension.

Furthermore, discussing such contemporary issues can help you develop the ability to articulate your views clearly, which is essential in IELTS speaking components. You can enhance your skills by mimicking the speaker’s intonation and pacing, helping you to become more confident and fluent when discussing complex topics.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

As you delve into the transcript, take note of several key structures and expressions that highlight the speaker's ideas:

  • “What they’re trying to find out is…” - This phrase exemplifies the use of present continuous tense for ongoing research themes.
  • “They did a deal with…” - This informal expression shows a common way of discussing agreements or arrangements, useful in both casual spoken English and formal contexts.
  • “They think could be quite a toxic metabolite…” - This conditional construction highlights speculation, which is a common feature in scientific discussions.
  • “What they showed was that…” - This reporting structure is crucial for summarizing findings, an essential skill for IELTS speaking.

By understanding and practicing these expressions, you can better incorporate them into your own speech, enhancing your ability to discuss research or findings fluently.

Common Pronunciation Traps

In this video, some words may pose pronunciation challenges for English learners:

  • “Microplastics” - Break this word into syllables: mi-cro-plas-tics, ensuring you emphasize the second syllable to avoid confusion.
  • “Phthalate” - This can be tricky; it is pronounced as “thal-ate,” so it’s important to pay attention to the ‘ph’ sound.
  • “Metabolite” - Pay close attention to the ‘ta’ sound, which can be easy to mispronounce. Break it down: me-ta-bo-lite.

By practicing shadow speech along with the video, you can effectively address these pronunciation traps, ensuring clearer communication of complex terms during your IELTS speaking test.

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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