Shadowing Practice: Cinderella | Classic Tales Level 4 - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Once upon a time there was a good man He had a good wife and a beautiful, kind daughter.
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They all lived in a nice old house and were very happy But one day,
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The man's wife died.
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And then the man and his daughter were very sad.
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After two years, the man married again.
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His new wife was a nasty woman with a loud voice.
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She had two daughters One of them was tall and thin.
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She was called Prudence.
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The other daughter was short and fat She was called Charlotte.
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Prudence and Charlotte were ugly girls People called them the Ugly Sisters.
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The man was afraid of his new wife.
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He said to his daughter, I know that you are a good girl.
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"Be kind to your new mother, "'And your new sisters?' Yes, father.
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She answered, but the two ugly sisters hated the man's daughter because she was beautiful and good
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You can sleep in that little room at the top of the house.
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said prudence and you must do all the work Give me your nice clothes.
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Here, you can wear this old dress.
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And give me your nice shoes.
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You don't need shoes.
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"'Yes,' said Charlotte.
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Start working now!
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This house is dirty.
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You must clean it.
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So every day the beautiful kind girl worked hard.
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She cleaned the house.
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She washed and cooked She made the beds.
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She did everything!
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In the evenings, She was tired.
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So she sat down in the kitchen.
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She always sat close to the fire, and her dress and feet got dirty in the cinders.
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And so the ugly sisters began to call her...
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Cinderella.
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One day, A letter arrived Prudence quickly opened it.
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"Oh, look, mother," she said.
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"It's from the king.
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He is having a big party at the palace for his son,
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the prince." "A party!
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A party !" said Charlotte. Can I come?
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asked Cinderella, "You don't be stupid," said the ugly sisters.
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"You can't come, but we will need new dresses,
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and you must make them for us."
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So Cinderella worked very hard She made beautiful new dresses for her ugly sisters.
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And on the day of the party, she worked for them all day.
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She ran upstairs and downstairs, She never stopped.
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At last the ugly sisters were ready.
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They got into their coach and Cinderella said goodbye to them. Have a wonderful time!
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she called Their coach went up the hill to the palace Now Cinderella felt very sad.
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She began to cry.
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Then, suddenly...
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She heard a voice.
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Cinderella?
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Why are you crying?
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Cinderella looked up and saw a beautiful woman in a white dress.
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It was a fairy.
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I'm crying because I can't go to the party.
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said Cinderella.
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"But Cinderella, you can go to the party." said the fairy - Thank you.
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I will help you with my magic wand Thank you.
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Listen to me.
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Go into the garden and bring me a pumpkin.
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A pumpkin?
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That's strange.
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"'thought Cinderella.'
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But she ran into the garden and found a big fat pumpkin and put it on the ground by the fairy's feet.
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Okay.
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"Good," said the fairy.
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Now, go and get the mouse trap.
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The mouse trap?
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That's strange.
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thought Cinderella.
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But she went and found the mouse trap.
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There were six white mice in it.
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She put it on the ground by the fairy's feet One more thing, said the fairy.
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I need six lizards.
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Six lizards?
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said Cinderella.
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All right.
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I'll find them.
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So she ran into the garden and found six little lizards.
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"You can go to the party, Cinderella," said the fairy.
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WATCH!
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The fairy touched the pumpkin with her magic wand, and suddenly It wasn't a pumpkin.
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It was a beautiful gold coach.
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A princess's coach.
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Then she touched the six white mice with her magic wand.
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And suddenly they weren't white mice.
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They were six beautiful white horses Then the fairy touched the six little lizards with her magic wand And suddenly...
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They weren't lizards.
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They were six footmen in coats of gold and green and silver.
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Oh, thank you.
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"Said Cinderella.
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Then she looked at her dirty old dress.
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"But I can't go to the party in this," she said sadly.
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So the fairy touched Cinderella's dress with her magic wand And suddenly It wasn't a dirty old dress
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It was a beautiful long dress with little pink flowers on it.
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Then the fairy gave Cinderella two little glass shoes for her feet.
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Thank you.
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Now.
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Are you happy?
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Yes!
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Oh yes!
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Thank you said Cinderella.
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Thank you.
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'But listen, Cinderella,' said the Fairy,
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'before you go, I must tell you something very important.' You must leave the party before the clock strikes twelve.
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Because at twelve o 'clock At midnight 'The magic will stop!'
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Then your coach and your horses and your footman will all go.
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"You will only have a pumpkin?" six mice, And six lizards again.
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And this beautiful dress will go too.
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You will have your dirty old dress again. Do you understand...
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"Yes," said Cinderella.
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I understand I won't forget.
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Thank you for everything.
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- Okay.
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Then Cinderella got into the coach and went to the palace.
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Thank you.
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When Cinderella arrived at the palace, the prince's footmen were surprised.
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Look at her coach!
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They said.
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Look at her dress! Who is she?
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And when she walked into the big room, Everyone stopped dancing.
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- Thank you.
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Who is she?
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said Charlotte, the ugly sister, Is she a princess?
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Yes!
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"'said Prudence.' A very important princess, I think.
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When the prince saw Cinderella He thought, All right.
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She is the most beautiful girl in the world.
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He went to her and said, Will you dance with me?
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"'Yes,' said Cinderella.
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I will.
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Cinderella had a wonderful time at the party.
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She danced with the prince all evening and was not tired But she didn't look at the clock.
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At last she remembered It was one minute to twelve.
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"Oh !" she said.
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"It's nearly twelve o 'clock." It's nearly midnight.
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I must go.
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and she ran out of the room.
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Why?
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Wait!
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called the Prince, Come back!
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I don't even know your name!
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It was midnight.
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Thank you.
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The clock began to strike twelve o 'clock Cinderella ran out of the palace and down the stairs
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One of her little glass shoes fell off But she could not stop.
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So she left it there, on the stairs.
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The magic stopped.
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The fairy was right.
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Cinderella looked at her dress.
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Where was her beautiful long dress?
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Now she had her dirty old dress again.
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And she had no beautiful coach.
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There was only a pumpkin and no horses and no footmen.
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Only six white mice and six little lizards running away into the garden.
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Cinderella took off her other glass shoe and put it in her pocket Then she ran home.
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The prince ran out of the palace. Where is she?
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He said, "Where is the beautiful princess?" Did you see her?
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No! answered the footmen 'We only saw a girl in a dirty old dress with no shoes.' she was a beautiful girl
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But she wasn't a princess.
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Then the prince found Cinderella's little glass shoe, "Here's one of her shoes," he said.
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"I don't know her name, but now I have one of her shoes." I will find her.
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This shoe will help me.
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And when I find her, I will marry her.
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The next day the prince's footman put up an important notice It said
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every girl in the country "Must try on the little glass shoe." The prince will marry the girl who can wear it.
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Then the prince and his best footman went to every house in the country.
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Hundreds of girls tried on the shoe.
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But it did not fit anyone I will never find her.
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thought the prince sadly.
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At last, one day, the prince and his footman came to Cinderella's house.
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The ugly sisters were very excited First, Prudence tried on the shoe.
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But it didn't fit her.
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Her foot was too long and thin.
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Then Charlotte tried on the shoe.
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But it didn't fit her.
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Her foot was much too big and fat Are there any other girls in this house?
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asked the prince No. said the ugly sisters.
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Yes.
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"'said Cinderella's father.' There's Cinderella.
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She's in the kitchen.
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Cinderella?
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said the ugly sisters.
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She didn't go to the party.
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She's only the kitchen girl.
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Cinderella came into the room In her dirty old dress but the prince could see that she was very beautiful
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Okay.
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She sat down and tried on the glass shoe.
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It fitted her perfectly It doesn't fit her.
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It doesn't.
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said the ugly sisters.
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Yes, it does!
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said Cinderella's father.
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Then Cinderella took the other glass shoe out of her pocket She put it on her other foot.
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"It is you," said the prince quietly.
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You are the beautiful princess!
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Suddenly, there was a great light and the fairy came back.
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She touched Cinderella's dress with her magic wand And there was the beautiful long dress with little pink flowers on it
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The ugly sisters and their nasty mother were afraid Oh, Cinderella!
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They said...
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We are sorry.
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We are sorry that we were unkind to you.
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but the prince was very happy He gave his hand to Cinderella.
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I love you, He said...
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- Will you marry me?
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"Yes, I will." said Cinderella.
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Because I love you to And because Cinderella was kind,
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She did not forget her ugly sisters.
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Can my sisters come to the palace too?
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She asked.
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Yes, they can.
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answered the prince.
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Thank you.
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A few days later, the prince and Cinderella got married.
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And the ugly sisters got married, too.
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They married two of the prince's friends.
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When the people saw Cinderella They saw that she was very beautiful.
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And soon they loved her.
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because she was also good and kind.
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Thank you.
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Okay.
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After some time, Cinderella and the prince had a little son and a little daughter And they all lived happily ever after.

Context & Background

The timeless tale of Cinderella is a compelling story that not only entertains but also serves as a fantastic resource for English language learners. The dialogue captures a mix of emotions, from happiness to sadness, and provides rich vocabulary and phrases for everyday conversation. The characters, including Cinderella and her ugly sisters, present relatable scenarios that allow learners to immerse themselves in English while also gaining insight into classic literature. Utilizing resources like this learn English with YouTube video can significantly enhance your language proficiency, particularly in listening and speaking skills.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Once upon a time" - A classic way to begin a story.
  • "You are a good girl" - A positive affirmation to boost confidence.
  • "Can I come?" - A common phrase to ask for permission.
  • "Have a wonderful time!" - A friendly farewell wish.
  • "You must do all the work" - An expression of obligation often encountered in household contexts.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively use this video in your English practice, follow this shadowing technique:

  1. Watch and Listen: Begin by watching the video with the sound on. Pay close attention to how the characters express their emotions through tone and pace.
  2. Break It Down: Pause the video at key phrases or sentences. Repeat them aloud, imitating the pronunciation and intonation of the speakers.
  3. Use a Shadowing App: Utilize a shadowing app to record your voice as you repeat the dialogue. This will help you compare your speaking style to that of the video.
  4. Practice Regularly: Consistency is key. Repeat this practice regularly to build your fluency and confidence in speaking.
  5. Engage with the Content: After shadowing, summarize the story in your own words. This will reinforce your understanding and ability to communicate effectively in English.

By following these steps, not only will you enhance your listening skills, but you will also learn to express emotions and intentions clearly. With tools like shadowspeak and shadowspeaks, engaging with narratives like Cinderella can turn learning English into an enjoyable journey.

Grammar in this video

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

StructureIn the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itwas called
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing formStart working · stopped dancing
Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or predictionwill need · will help · I'll find
Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessarymust do · must clean · must make

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 →