Shadowing Practice: Chapter 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Chapter 2 The Card So next day,
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at seven o'clock, I came to the shop in a cab.
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There were not very many people in the road, because it was early in the morning.
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In November, it is dark at seven o'clock in the morning, and I could not see the shop very well.
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I waited five minutes.
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A postman walked past.
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Then the door of the shop opened, and the creature, Merrick, came out.
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I could not see his face or his body.
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He had an enormous black hat on his head, like a big box.
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A grey cloth came down from the hat in front of his face.
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There was a hole in the cloth, in front of his eyes.
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He could see out of the hole, but I could not see in.
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He wore a long black coat, too.
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The coat began at his neck and ended at his feet, so I could not see his arms, his body, or his legs.
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On his feet, he wore big shoes like old bags.
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He had a stick in his left hand, and he walked very slowly.
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I opened the door of the cab and got out.
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Good morning, Mr. Merrick, I said.
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Can you get in?
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Help my upper steps, he said.
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I'm sorry, I said.
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I don't understand.
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For a minute, he stood by the door of the cab and said nothing.
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Then he hit the cab with his stick.
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Steps, he said loudly.
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Help me up the steps.' Then I understood.
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There were three steps up into the cab, and he could not get up them.
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"'Yes, I see.
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I'm sorry,' I said.
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"'Let me help you.' I took his left hand and began to help him.
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My right hand was behind his back.
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I felt very strange.
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His left hand was like a young woman's, but his back under the coat was horrible.
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I could feel the bags of old skin on his back under the coat.
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He put one enormous foot on the first step, and then he stopped.
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After a minute, he moved his second foot slowly.
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Then he stopped and waited again.
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"'Hello, sir.
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Can I help you?' I looked behind me.
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It was the postman.
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And behind him, I could see three young boys.
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One of the boys laughed.
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The postman smiled.
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"'Is the gentleman ill?' he asked.
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I thought quickly.
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Yes, but this is a lady, not a gentleman.
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I'm a doctor, and she's ill.
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Take her hand so I can help her better.
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The postman took Merrick's left hand, and I helped him with two hands from behind.
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Slowly, very slowly, Merrick went up the steps and into the cab.
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One boy was very near the cab.
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He called to his friends.
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"'Come and see this, boys.
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A fat lady in a black coat.
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And look at that enormous hat!' The boys laughed.
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They were very near the cab, too, now.
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I closed the door quickly.
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"'Thank you,' I said to the postman.
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"'That's all right, sir,' he said.
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She's a strange lady, sir, isn't she?
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She's ill, that's all, I said quickly.
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We're going to the hospital.
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Goodbye, and thank you.
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The cab drove down the road to the hospital.
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I looked at Merrick.
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That was difficult, wasn't it?
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I said.
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At first he said nothing, but then he spoke.
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His voice was very strange, but I listened to him carefully, and I could understand him.
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"'The steps were very difficult,' he said.
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"'But most things are difficult for me.' "'Yes,' I said.
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"'Nothing is easy for you, is it?' "'No,' he said.
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He was very quiet for a minute.
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Then he said, "'Who are you, sir?' Who am I?
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Oh, I'm sorry.
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My name is Dr. Treves.
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Here, this is my card.
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I gave him a card with my name on.
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Then I thought, that was no good.
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This man can't read.
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But Merrick took the card and looked at it very carefully.
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Then he put it in his trousers pocket.
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I did not talk to him very much at the hospital.
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I looked at his head and arms and legs and body very carefully.
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Then I wrote the important things about him in a little book.
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A nurse helped me.
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Merrick looked at her sometimes, but she did not smile at him or talk to him.
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I think she was afraid of him.
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I think Merrick was afraid too, because he was very quiet.
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At four o'clock I took him back to the shop in a cab.
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The next day, I looked in the shop window again, but the picture was not there.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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About This Lesson

Ready to boost your English speaking skills? This lesson uses a vivid dialogue from a YouTube video to practice real-life communication. You’ll focus on understanding context, improving pronunciation, and mastering natural speech flow—perfect for IELTS speaking practice or daily conversations. By the end, you’ll feel more confident with conversational English, all while using the popular shadowing technique to mimic native speakers.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Enormous: Very large. Example: "He wore an enormous black hat."
  • Horrible: Unpleasant or shocking. Example: "His back under the coat was horrible."
  • Help me up the steps: A common request for assistance. Useful for daily interactions.
  • Quickly: Done with speed. Example: "I thought quickly."
  • Slowly: At a low speed. Repeated in the dialogue—great for practicing rhythm.

Practice Tips

The video’s slow, deliberate pace makes it ideal for shadowing—a technique where you repeat lines right after the speaker. Here’s how to nail it: First, watch the video once to grasp the story. Then, play short clips (5-10 seconds) and repeat immediately, focusing on tone and pauses. The dialogue has natural hesitations ("Then he stopped and waited again")—mimic these to sound more native. For extra practice, use a shadowing app to record yourself and compare. This isn’t just about words; it’s about feeling the flow. Whether you’re using a shadowing site or just your phone, consistency is key. In no time, you’ll notice your speaking sounds smoother—perfect for learn English with YouTube success. Keep going—every repeat brings you closer to fluency!

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 →