Shadowing Practice: π·π·οΈ CHARLOTTE'S WEB Chapter 1 (Audiobook Full Text Read-along) π·οΈπ· - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B1
A classic tale of friendship, kindness, and compassion.
148 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
A classic tale of friendship, kindness, and compassion.
2
Written by E.B.
3
White with illustrations by Garth Williams.
4
Read by Joshua Cashel.
5
Charlotte's Web Chapter 1 Before Breakfast Where's Papa going with that axe?
6
said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.
7
Out to the hog house, replied Mrs. Arable.
8
Some pigs were born last night.
9
I don't see why he needs an axe,
10
continued Fern, who was only eight.
11
Well, said her mother, one of the pigs is a runt.
12
It's very small and weak,
13
and it'll never amount to anything.
14
So your father has decided to do away with it.
15
Do away with it, shrieked Fern.
16
You mean kill it?
17
Just because it's smaller than the others?
18
Mrs. Arable put a pitcher of cream on the table.
19
Don't yell, Fern, she said.
20
Your father's rat.
21
The pig would probably die anyway.
22
Fern pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors.
23
The grass was wet and the earth smelled of springtime.
24
Fern's sneakers were sopping by the time she caught up with her father.
25
Please don't kill it, she sobbed.
26
It's unfair.
27
Mr. Arable stopped walking.
28
Fern, he said gently, you will have to learn to control yourself.
29
Control myself, yelled Fern.
30
This is a matter of life and death,
31
and you talk about controlling myself.
32
Tears ran down her cheeks,
33
and she took hold of the axe and tried to pull it out of her father's hand.
34
"'Fern!' said Mr. Arable.
35
"'I know more about raising a litter of pigs than you do.
36
"'A weakling makes trouble.
37
Now run along.' "'But it's unfair!' cried Fern.
38
"'The pig couldn't help being born small, could it?
39
"'If I had been very small at birth,
40
would you have killed me?' Mr. Arable smiled.
41
"'Certainly not,' he said, looking down at his daughter with love.
42
But this is different.
43
A little girl is one thing.
44
A little runty pig is another.
45
I see no difference, replied Fern,
46
still hanging on to the axe.
47
This is the most terrible case of injustice I ever heard of.
48
A queer look came over John Arable's face.
49
He seemed almost ready to cry himself.
50
All right, he said.
51
You go back to the house,
52
and I'll bring the runt when I come in.
53
I'll let you start it on a bottle, like a baby.
54
Then you'll see what trouble a pig can be.
55
When Mr. Arable returned to the house half an hour later,
56
he carried a carton under his arm.
57
Fern was upstairs changing her sneakers.
58
The kitchen table was set for breakfast,
59
and the room smelled of coffee,
60
bacon, damp plaster, and wood smoke from the stove.
61
Put it on her chair, said Mrs. Arable.
62
Mr. Arable set the carton down at Fern's place.
63
Then he walked to the sink and washed his hands and dried them on the roller towel.
64
Fern came slowly down the stairs.
65
Her eyes were red from crying.
66
As she approached her chair,
67
the carton wobbled, and there was a scratching noise.
68
Fern looked at her father,
69
then she lifted the lid of the carton.
70
There, inside, looking up at her, was the newborn pig.
71
It was a white one.
72
The morning light shone through its ears, turning them pink.
73
He's yours, said Mr. Arable.
74
Saved from an untimely death.
75
And may the good Lord forgive me for this foolishness.
76
Fern couldn't take her eyes off the tiny pig.
77
Oh, she whispered.
78
Oh, look at him.
79
He's absolutely perfect.
80
She closed the carton carefully.
81
First, she kissed her father.
82
Then she kissed her mother.
83
Then she opened the lid again,
84
lifted the pig out, and held it against her cheek.
85
At this moment, her brother Avery came into the room.
86
Avery was ten.
87
He was heavily armed, an air rifle in one hand,
88
a wooden dagger in the other.
89
What's that? he demanded.
90
What's Fern got?
91
She's got a guest for breakfast, said Mrs. Arable.
92
Wash your hands and face, Avery.
93
Let's see it, said Avery, setting his gun down.
94
You call that miserable thing a pig?
95
It's a fine specimen of a pig.
96
It's no bigger than a white rat." "'Wash up and eat your breakfast,
97
Avery,' said his mother.
98
The school bus will be along in half an hour.
99
"'Can I have a pig, too, Pop?' asked Avery.
100
"'No. I only distribute pigs to early risers,' said Mr. Arable.
101
Fern was up at daylight,
102
trying to rid the world of injustice.
103
As a result, she now has a pig.
104
A small one, to be sure, but nevertheless, a pig.
105
It just shows what can happen if a person gets out of bed promptly.
106
Let's eat.
107
But Fern couldn't eat until her pig had had a drink of milk.
108
Mrs. Arable found a baby's nursing bottle and a rubber nipple.
109
She poured warm milk into the bottle,
110
fitted the nipple over the top,
111
and headed it to Fern.
112
Give him his breakfast, she said.
113
A minute later, Fern was seated on the floor in the corner of the kitchen with her infant between her knees,
114
teaching it to suck from the bottle.
115
The pig, although tiny, had a good appetite and caught on quickly.
116
The school bus honked from the road.
117
Run, commanded Mrs. Arable, taking the pig from Fern and slipping a doughnut into her hand.
118
Avery grabbed his gun and another doughnut.
119
The children ran out to the road and climbed into the bus.
120
Fern took no notice of the others in the bus.
121
She just sat and stared out of the window,
122
thinking what a blissful world it was and how lucky she was to have entire charge of a pig.
123
By the time the bus reached school,
124
Fern had named her pet,
125
selecting the most beautiful name she could think of.
126
Its name is Wilbur, she whispered to herself.
127
She was still thinking about the pig when the teacher said,
128
Fern, what is the capital of Pennsylvania?
129
Wilbur, replied Fern dreamily.
130
The pupils giggled.
131
Fern blushed.
132
Hello, my name is Josh Cashel,
133
and thank you so much for watching this video.
134
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude for tuning in and being a part of this wonderful community.
135
Your support means the world to me.
136
and it's what keeps this channel going strong.
137
It's what keeps me going strong.
138
So first and foremost, if you enjoy the content and want to see more,
139
please consider the simplest acts of support.
140
Whether you choose to like,
141
subscribe to the channel, become a YouTube member,
142
become a paid lifetime member on my website,
143
or donate,
144
please know that your support is what keeps the creativity flowing
145
and I could not do this without you thank you for being an essential part of this community
146
and for sharing in my passion
147
and what I love doing I look forward to bringing you more exciting content in the future
148
so please stay tuned stay awesome stay classy and as always thank you for watching you
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English listening and speaking skills by engaging with the first chapter of the classic story "Charlotte's Web." You will focus on understanding emotional expressions and tone, which are crucial for effective communication. The narration will introduce you to themes of friendship and compassion, allowing you to learn English with YouTube in a meaningful context. By shadowing the speaker, you will refine your pronunciation and intonation, helping you to speak more naturally and confidently.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- runts - very small or weak animals in a litter
- axe - a tool used for chopping
- unfair - not just or impartial
- control yourself - to manage your emotions and reactions
- life and death - a serious matter concerning survival
- injustice - lack of fairness or justice
- smiled - to show pleasure or amusement
Practice Tips
To get the most out of this lesson, follow these tips as you practice shadow speech and shadowspeak with the video:
- Watch and Listen First: Before starting to speak along with the narration, listen to the chapter without interruption. Pay attention to the narrator's tone, emotion, and pacing.
- Slow it Down: If you find the speed challenging, consider adjusting the playback speed to a slower setting. This will make it easier to grasp the pronunciation of words and phrases.
- Repeat in Chunks: Instead of trying to repeat everything at once, break the narration into smaller sections. Repeat each sentence or phrase after the narrator to practice accurately.
- Focus on Emotion: Notice how the narrator expresses emotions in the story. When you replicate their speech, try to convey similar feelings in your tone to enhance your emotional expressiveness in English.
- Record Yourself: After shadowing, record yourself reading the same lines to compare your pronunciation with the original. This is a great way to identify areas for improvement.
- Practice Regularly: Make this a part of your routine to improve English pronunciation consistently. The more you practice shadow speech with different materials, the more fluent and confident you will become.
By integrating these strategies, you will enhance your English-speaking capabilities while learning with engaging content. Start practicing today and watch your proficiency grow!
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 β like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1β2 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 β making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
β Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high β your coffee keeps us going! π