Shadowing Practice: Cinderella Story For Adults - PART 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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326 sentences

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And then finally, Finally!

A letter arrived one morning.

My hands were trembling so much, I almost ripped the letter trying to open the envelope.

Dear Drizella My delegation has been extended and my duties have grown.

I'm far too busy now to keep up with our correspondence.

I hope you understand.

and wish you well.

Prince Henry.

I read it three times, as if expecting other words to magically appear the more I stared at the paper.

But that was it.

Just this cold, impersonal letter after all these months.

I told myself that he was really busy with big, important things.

It had been almost a year since he left, and people can change.

It's not like he ever said he loved me or promised me anything.

And of course, there was nothing left to do now but move on with Dignity and grace.

I found great comfort in pastries and gained a lot of weight.

I considered becoming a nun but decided against it since nuns aren't allowed to curse.

I went to the village witch and said a friend was asking about ways to hex a prince.

I started writing a vicious breakup letter to Henry.

Then realized you can't break up with someone you were never technically with, so I ate more pastries.

Then I started running at dawn,

lost all the weight, and used Cinderella's stupidly good skin and hair stuff But no matter what I did,

it didn't dull the ache of missing someone who...

didn't miss me back anymore.

It had been months since that last letter, and I had picked myself up and moved on.

So I wasn't expecting my stomach to lurch when an official invitation arrived from the palace, announcing a grand ball in honor of the prince's return.

Great, other people could honor him.

I wasn't going.

Besides, Anastasia was terrified of dancing, and Mother wouldn't be up for it either.

Over the past few months, she'd grown very weak and was always tired.

I'd asked a couple of doctors to examine her, but they had no answers.

Cinderella had been on top of her care, of course.

Always fluffing her pillows, rubbing her feet, making her special herbal teas.

And the thought had crossed my mind more than once.

What exactly was she putting in those concoctions?

I didn't think she was beyond slowly poisoning a woman for her inheritance.

I'd thrown the invitation in the trash.

But sometime later, Cinderella came into the living room, clutching it to her chest.

You're invited to a royal ball, can you believe it?

Oh, I've never been to a proper ball or worn a ball gown.

the palace.

I know I'm not invited, but maybe I could go, if you could take me with you?

Yeah, no. We're not going.

Royal balls are dull.

Take our invitation and go, love.

I'll arrange a carriage for you.

You deserve to have some fun.

Yeah, there was no cute fairy swishing a wand and going bibbidi -bobbidi -boo.

Just my own mother handing Cinderella one of her finest gowns,

a string of Naturally, Cinderella's feet were impossibly tiny and delicate.

And she couldn't borrow shoes from us ogres.

And off went Cinderella, looking like a vision.

Since she was finally out of the house for a few hours, there was no way I wasn't going to snoop through her room.

Which was, as I suspected, disgustingly perfect.

Had a speck of dust, and everything was arranged with military precision.

psychopath.

I rifled through her drawers, opened her wardrobe, peered under the bed.

I didn't find some secret stash of poisons or a diary confessing to slow murder.

I wasn't even sure what I was looking for, and I was beginning to feel stupid.

I turned to leave when suddenly, My elbow bumped into a picture frame on her vanity, knocking it to the floor.

I cursed under my breath as I picked it up.

Luckily, nothing was broken, and the picture had just come out.

As I was placing it back in, Something slipped out.

A folded piece of paper tucked away carefully.

And when I opened it, I recognized the handwriting instantly.

I would have known it anywhere!

"Dearest Drizella, I'm so sorry I haven't written in a while.

A sudden, strange illness gripped me, and I was too sick to be moved or even lift my head.

The royal court kept quiet to avoid panic, and it took me months to recover.

Even now, the physicians say the worst is not over.

I am healthy otherwise, but my vision has been compromised permanently.

They expect it will continue to worsen until I lose it entirely, perhaps within a few months or a year.

Before that happens.

Before I lose my ability to pen down words myself, I need to tell you that I'm in love with you.

I'm not the man you deserve, but if you could ever imagine a future with me, one where I will not have my sight but you will have all my heart.

I would ask you to marry me.

Yours always, just Henry." I read it again and again and again.

My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor.

He had loved me.

He had wanted to marry me.

He had needed me when he had gotten such terrible news.

And I'd never even known!

I'd spent all this time thinking he'd forgotten me so easily, but it wasn't true.

None of it was true.

But Cinderella had known.

How had she gotten this letter?

Had she stolen it before it reached me?

Did she intercept others too?

Did Henry get mine?

The broken sound escaped my throat.

I wasn't crazy or paranoid.

I'd been right about her all along.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening snapped me back to reality.

Cinderella had returned from the ball.

I rose to my feet, pure rage surging through my veins.

She'd taken everything from me, but this time, she wasn't getting away with it.

I ran downstairs and found Cinderella by the fireplace, humming softly.

And I lunged towards her and grabbed her hair.

Oh my god, what are you doing?

100

I shoved the letter in her face.

101

Why do you have this?

102

What did you do?

103

What did you say to him?

104

Her blue eyes went wide, then slowly she smiled.

105

And before I could react, she grabbed the letter from me and flung it into the fire.

106

What letter?

107

I saw red as I screamed and tried to yank her hair from her skull.

108

She managed to pull away from me, but I grabbed her dress, tearing away the silk.

109

She shoved me, and I stumbled back as I ripped the pearls from her throat.

110

Mother and Anastasia came running in at the noise.

111

What is happening?

112

Okay.

113

She's attacking me!

114

She's gone mad!

115

Get her out of here!

116

I swear I will kill her if you don't...

117

You don't know what she's done!

118

She stole him from me!

119

What?

120

Who are you talking about?

121

Henry!

122

The Crown Prince!

123

We were in love.

124

He wanted to marry me.

125

Mother and Anastasia just stared at me like I was speaking a foreign language.

126

She's crazy and jealous!

127

She's always hated me!

128

Drizella, you've lost your mind and you're scaring us!

129

No, I'm not crazy!

130

I'll prove it!

131

I tore up the stairs, running to my room.

132

I flung open the chest under my bed where I'd kept all our letters.

133

They were gone.

134

All of them.

135

I stumbled back down the stairs, half mad with grief and rage.

136

I charged at Cinderella again, but Mother blocked my path and shielded her.

137

You will not come near her again, you hear me?

138

Enough!

139

sank onto the dirt floor, sobbing until my whole body hurt.

140

I didn't know how much time had passed, But eventually, the door creaked open, and Anastasia walked in softly, kneeling beside me.

141

If you say you talked to the prince if you say you loved him I believe you.

142

You?

143

You do?

144

I knew you were hurting this past.

145

I mean, I know what eating your feelings looks like.

146

"But you just shut me out.

147

I wish you hadn't." I leaned into her, the way we used to when we were little girls, feeling scared of thunder.

148

and she pulled me into a warm hug.

149

Thank you.

150

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

151

Henry's letter replaying itself over and over in my mind.

152

Tomorrow?

153

I was going to the palace.

154

I didn't have a plan or some speech prepared.

155

I just knew I had to see him and I wasn't coming back home without doing it.

156

It was soon after dawn that I prepared my horse to leave.

157

when a servant handed over a letter.

158

"Important news!

159

By decree of his majesty, members of the royal family will be visiting each household in this town today." "What?

160

Why would the royal family be doing that?

161

Would Henry be among them?

162

I didn't know what was going on, but I had to stay back for the visit." "Cinderella was probably still holed up in Mother's room, which was good for her,

163

because if I saw her face, I would tear her apart." I paced around impatiently, looking out the window for any signs of the royal delegation approaching.

164

I thought I'd get a better view from the attic, so I ran up.

165

And as I stood there, with my face pressed to the window, suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

166

I turned, and Cinderella was standing in the doorway, her eyes gleaming.

167

Before I could run towards her, she slammed the door shut, and I heard the lock click.

168

Let me out!

169

You crazy witch!

170

Let me out!

171

And when I saw the royal delegation arrive at our house, I felt manic.

172

I kicked and banged and screamed until my throat was raw.

173

But no one heard me.

174

Why was the royal family here?

175

What was Cinderella doing?

176

Finally, I heard someone running up the stairs, and the door burst open.

177

The prince, he's here!

178

He's here, and he just, he just asked Cinderella to marry him.

179

The words punched the air out of my lungs.

180

You have to go, you have to stop him, hurry!

181

preparing to leave.

182

And there he was.

183

Henry was standing beside Cinderella, his hand cradling hers gently as he bent to kiss her fingers.

184

"Henry, no!

185

You can't marry her!

186

You don't know who she is !" Everyone froze, including him.

187

He slowly turned to me, squinting his eyes hard. And then...

188

His face hardened to stone.

189

I told you, I told you she would never let me escape.

190

Henry, whatever she's told you, It's all lies!

191

Address me properly, miss.

192

It's Crown Prince Henry.

193

Okay, Crown Prince Henry!

194

You cannot marry that two -faced witch!

195

A ripple of murmurs went through the small crowd gathering around us.

196

I need a moment alone with her.

197

He led me forcefully into the stables away from everyone and slammed the door behind us.

198

You are the biggest liar I've ever met!

199

And it was just a poor, abandoned girl that you and your family made your slave?

200

I felt like he'd slapped me in the face.

201

She didn't even dare tell me her name yesterday at the ball.

202

She said she sneaked away because she wasn't allowed to exist freely.

203

Not even for a night.

204

Then she ran away before I could even ask who she was.

205

All I had was her slipper she left behind by accident.

206

And then imagine, looking for her, and finding that you're the villain in her story!

207

Henry...

208

She's a manipulative psychopath.

209

She stole my letters.

210

She stole yours.

211

I didn't even know you were sick or losing your sight.

212

Stop thine.

213

It was your handwriting on the letter I got, where you told me you couldn't be with me because of my illness, where you said it would be better to end things before they really even began.

214

I never wrote that letter.

215

She faked it.

216

I think she always knew about us right from the start.

217

Our letters forged your handwriting and had been spying on us all along just to ruin things between us one day?

218

I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.

219

For a second, a shadow of doubt crossed his face, and I thought he might believe me. But then...

220

His jaw tightened.

221

No. You didn't want me.

222

And now you just don't want her to have me either.

223

My heart felt like it would explode.

224

You met her last night.

225

How can you marry someone you don't even know?

226

Hahaha!

227

As if time is a guarantee of anything!

228

I knew you for much longer, but it turns out I didn't know you at all!

229

She knows about my ailment, and she accepted me as I am.

230

And even though I've lost most of my sight now, when I look at her, she glows like an angel.

231

She's kind and beautiful and good.

232

I know she will save me.

233

And I will save her from you.

234

As he started walking away, I felt something break inside me, like a monster being unleashed.

235

Maybe it's a blessing you're going blind, Henry.

236

I hope it happens faster for your sake.

237

It's better if you're spared from seeing the snake you're marrying.

238

Or the fool you've become!

239

And I wouldn't have married you anyway.

240

A blind fool is no prince, only a burden.

241

Mind your tongue when speaking to your prince, and if you ever cross my path again, I will have you exiled.

242

I walked out after him and watched from a distance as he took Cinderella's hand, lifted her into the royal carriage,

243

and rode away, taking every dream I'd ever dared to have with him.

244

What was it that Henry had called me?

245

Ah!

246

Yes.

247

The villain in Cinderella's story.

248

And that she would save him, and he would save her, from me.

249

Yes.

250

Her beauty was so bright, It even enchanted an almost blind man.

251

It made everyone else look ugly.

252

I calmly stepped over to the oil lamp and knocked it over.

253

Then I stood back and watched as the flames ran up the curtains,

254

lit up the walls, ate up her belongings, gobbled up all her lies.

255

The whole room blazed, and it felt good.

256

The fire spread faster than unexpected.

257

The house was old and the walls half the estate was gone.

258

Mother, heartbroken and sickly, packed up what little we had left and moved in with some distant relatives.

259

Anastasia went with her. And me?

260

Well...

261

I was declared unwell.

262

Hysterical and quite dangerous.

263

I was locked up in a sanatorium.

264

Just a fancy word for a prison with prettier walls.

265

Anastasia tried to visit me regularly the first few years, bringing me sweet treats and books But over time, the visits got fewer.

266

And eventually, They stopped altogether. And so...

267

Here I stayed.

268

my name forgotten, just one half of the Ugly Stepsisters Duo.

269

The real question is...

270

Did Cinderella get her famous happy ending?

271

Honestly?

272

I don't know.

273

The crown prince had a relapse of his disease a few years later.

274

And this time, he did not survive it.

275

I'm sure Cinderella wore black for a while and looked stunningly tragic, but I doubt she really mourned him.

276

Because I don't think she was capable of loving anything, or anyone.

277

But who knows?

278

Maybe she lived happily ever after anyway, bedecked in jewels and finery, admired and beloved by the people.

279

and with a whole castle to scrub to sparkling perfection.

280

Anyway, this is how my story ends.

281

It's so depressing, isn't it?

282

But don't worry.

283

This version won't stick.

284

Because no one really wants the truth.

285

Not when the truth is ugly and the liar is beautiful.

286

Hey, before you click away, can we talk?

287

Like, really talk?

288

You just spent time with me and my story.

289

Not 30 seconds, not a quick swipe.

290

actual time and that's Kind of rare now, isn't it?

291

Look, I get it.

292

TikTok is addictive.

293

Those quick dopamine hits one after another, But here's the thing: Do you remember any of those videos from last week?

294

Last month?

295

They blur together, don't they?

296

But a story, a real story sticks with you.

297

It changes how you see things.

298

Maybe after watching mine, you'll think differently about the villains in other stories.

299

Maybe you'll question: Who's really telling the truth?

300

That's what stories do.

301

They don't just pass time.

302

They change us.

303

We're fighting to keep this alive.

304

Every animation you see took weeks.

305

Every character, every expression, every scene, crafted by humans who believe stories matter.

306

We could pump out three -minute clips with AI voices reading Reddit posts.

307

We could chase trends.

308

We'd probably get more views.

309

But we don't.

310

Because you deserve better.

311

Here's the truth: platforms push short -form content because it keeps you scrolling longer.

312

But we're not trying to steal your time.

313

We're trying to earn it, to give you something worth those minutes.

314

So if this story made you feel something, anything, then please, share it.

315

Not for the algorithm, not for us, but for everyone who's hungry for real stories and doesn't even know it yet.

316

Send it to that friend who says: I wish movies were like they used to be.

317

Drop it in the group chat where people actually discuss things.

318

Because every share is a vote.

319

A vote that says, "Yes, storytelling matters." Yes, we still want narratives that challenge us, surprise us, make us think.

320

The art of storytelling survived thousands of years, from cave paintings to campfires, to Shakespeare to cinema?

321

Don't let it die on our watch not for a five -second dance trend.

322

Help us prove that in a world of infinite scroll, some things are still worth stopping for.

323

Share this story.

324

Save storytelling.

325

It sounds dramatic.

326

Because it is.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Cinderella Story For Adults - PART 2”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: letter, Cinderella, Henry. This video has 326 sentences and 3021 words to shadow. The speech runs for 19:54. The speaker talks at a natural 152 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
handwriting noun	/ˈhændɹaɪtɪŋ/	The act or process of writing done with the hand, rather than typed or word-processed.
storytelling noun		The act and skills of presenting stories and tales.
villain noun	/ˈvɪl.ən/	A vile, wicked person.
delegation noun	/dɛlɪˈɡeɪʃən/	An act of delegating.
stairs noun	/ˈstɛɹz/	A contiguous set of steps connecting two floors.
invitation noun	/ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/	The act of inviting; solicitation; the requesting of a person's company.
fling noun	/ˈflɪŋ/	An act of throwing, often violently.
psychopath noun	/ˈsaɪkəʊpæθ/	A person with a personality disorder indicated by a pattern of lying, cunning, manipulating, glibness, exploiting, heedlessness, arrogance, delusions of…
stumble verb	/ˈstʌmbəl/	To trip or fall; to walk clumsily.
pastry noun	/ˈpeɪstɹi/	A baked food item made from flour and fat pastes such as pie crust; also tarts, bear claws, napoleons, puff pastries, etc.
shove verb	/ʃʌv/	To push, especially roughly or with force.
softly adverb	/ˈsɔftli/	In a soft manner; gently.
carriage noun	/ˈkæɹɪd͡ʒ/	The act of conveying; carrying.
stare verb	/stɛɚ/	To look fixedly (at something).
dull adjective	/dʌl/	Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
run up verb		To run (towards someone or something); to hasten to a destination.
back down verb		To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously had, or has planned to have.
come back verb		To return to a place.
come out verb	/ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/	To be discovered; to be revealed.
eat up verb		To consume completely.
get away with verb		To get away, or escape, taking (something) with one.
give out verb		To utter, publish; to announce, proclaim, report.
go through verb		To travel from one end of something to the other.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

You're invited to a royal ball, can you believe it?
Had she stolen it before it reached me?
Why do you have this?
What did you say to him?
How can you marry someone you don't even know?

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if I saw her face, I would tear
“Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true	used to when · used to be
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	has been extended · aren't allowed · was terrified
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has been extended · I've never been · haven't written

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 85 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, don't, wasn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: psychopath /ˈsaɪkəʊpæθ/, algorithm /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/, thunder /ˈθʌndɚ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: delegation /dɛlɪˈɡeɪʃən/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, shove /ʃʌv/, vicious /ˈvɪʃəs/, perfection /pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: delegation /dɛlɪˈɡeɪʃən/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, inheritance /ɪnˈhɛɹɪtəns/, correspondence /ˌkoɹ.ɪˈspɑn.dəns/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like handwriting, storytelling, villain.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: Cinderella Story For Adults - PART 2 - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?