Shadowing Practice: Daily Life English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B2
Why are you so sad, Alice?
258 sentences
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Why are you so sad, Alice?
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Is something wrong?
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Oh, my sister has just told me she got a job in Boston,
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and she's moving away.
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But that's great news.
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You should be happy for her.
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I am happy for her,
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but I'm sorry for myself.
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My sister and I have always been so close,
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and it will be hard to live so far away from each other now.
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We had the best time hanging out, laughing, eating.
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I won't be able to see her that often from now on.
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I'll miss her very much.
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Don't take it too badly.
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You'll be able to video chat with her as often as you want.
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You won't even feel she's far away.
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That's true, I suppose.
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But it would have been better if she'd found a job here.
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Boston is a really cool city.
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You could go up there for weekends and vacations.
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Yeah, you may be right.
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Look at it this way.
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If she hadn't got that job,
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she would have been really disappointed.
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Yes, I know this is the opportunity for her lifetime.
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And she simply can't let it slip through her fingers.
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She's very excited about it.
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I mustn't spoil things for her.
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Cheer up.
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Come on.
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Let's go to a cafe or something.
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Okay, thanks, Tom.
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I feel a bit better now.
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Look at this lamp!
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It's so beautiful!
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It would be a great gift for my grandma!
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But it's so expensive.
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Just look at the price.
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It's going to cost you an arm and a leg.
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That's because its design is handmade.
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So you would pay such a high price for it?
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Do you have that much money?
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I have some savings.
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Oh no!
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What happened?
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I put the lamp back to its place,
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but it fell and crashed to the floor and shattered into pieces.
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Now all my savings will go down the drain,
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and I won't be able to buy my grandma any gift.
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Let's get out of here quickly before somebody sees us.
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Luckily, nobody saw anything.
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Hurry up!
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Are you kidding?
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I can't do that.
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I'm not a coward.
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What do you mean?
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You want to pay $200 for that lamp?
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Then how are you supposed to be able to buy your grandma a gift?
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I'm going to borrow some money.
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I have no choice.
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It's my responsibility.
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And I feel sorry for the owner.
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Oh, come on.
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For him, it's just a drop in the bucket.
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To you, it's a lot of money.
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I know, but I would feel so ashamed of myself if I just ran out without telling him.
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I couldn't look at myself in the mirror if I did this.
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How are things going for you at work at the moment, Tina?
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Not well, I'm afraid.
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I've gotten myself into trouble.
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Oh?
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How's that?
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What happened?
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I took my eye off the ball when I was trying to negotiate an important deal
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and managed to lose the deal at the last minute.
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Sorry to hear that.
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How did your boss react to this?
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She was really angry and lashed out at me saying I was losing my touch.
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It was quite a slap in the face because I've brought in many good business opportunities until now.
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That was very insensitive of her.
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Yes, she's straightforward and lets you know what she's thinking.
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So you want to quit now?
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No, on the contrary.
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I want to prove my boss she was wrong to judge me by one incident.
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I want her to see I'm still very competent and skillful.
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You're right.
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You can't judge someone by one action,
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but by the sum of their career.
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It seems like only yesterday that my son Matt was just a little baby in my arms.
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But now that he's 18,
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I keep asking myself, where did the time go?
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He is about to fly the nest.
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He's been admitted to Oxford University, so he's moving there.
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We are now empty nesters, too.
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My son Josh has already left home.
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We only see him a couple of times a year.
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How old is he now?
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He's 22, and he's the spitting image of his dad at around the same age.
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They've got the same eyes and nose,
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the same hair color, and they are even the same height.
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They're both so tall.
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Tall men seem to run in the family.
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He's just like him in character, too.
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Even though we're sad that he's left,
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it's normal that he's done so.
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Yes, it's sad when your nearest and dearest move away.
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Our daughter lives in Canada,
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and we hardly ever see her.
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It's hard not being able to visit your own flesh and blood very often.
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On the other hand, we have more time to walk the dogs,
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slowly renovate our new home,
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and cherish the relaxed moments together between our hectic working lives.
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Hi, Lily.
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Did you have a nice weekend?
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Yes, I did.
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I got to spend time with my family and I feel so refreshed.
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I heard you went to a party this weekend and I was so surprised to hear that.
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You told me that you were staying in on Saturday night because you were tired and needed some rest.
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That's why you refused to go to the movie theater with me.
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Who told you I went to a party?
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Paul said that he had seen you there.
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How come you didn't tell me about it?
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Cause I was only there for a few minutes.
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I chatted to Lisa briefly and then I left.
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But why did you go at all?
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I noticed my sister forgot her phone at home and I went there to bring it to her.
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In case something happened and she needed it.
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Are you telling me the truth, Lily?
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Honestly, it's true.
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I wouldn't tell you a lie.
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If you don't believe me, you can ask Paul.
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Okay.
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I believe you.
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Sorry, Lily.
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That's okay.
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Hi, Olivia.
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I wonder if I could have a brief chat with you.
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Yeah, sure, Chloe.
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Please have a seat.
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So, what is it?
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Well, it's a delicate subject.
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I don't know how to begin.
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I've made a big mistake today.
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It was an accident, actually.
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Chloe, please cut to the chase.
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Just tell me what's wrong and I'm sure we can sort it out.
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But please promise me not to get upset.
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Okay, I promise.
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Well, today I did some online shopping at work.
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Then I accidentally paid for it with the company credit card that was lying in front of me.
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I mistook it for my personal MasterCard when I made the purchase.
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I see.
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How much did you spend?
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$1,500.
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Oh, that's a lot of money.
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I know.
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I bought some gifts for my family.
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Well, there's a procedure to deal with this.
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I will make a deduction from your final salary payment to recover the costs.
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Thanks a lot, Olivia.
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I promise to be more careful from now on.
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One more thing.
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If you're getting your work done on time,
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I don't have anything against shopping online at Workplace.
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But if you're falling behind because of this, then I'm against it.
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So please don't let this affect your productivity.
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Of course not.
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You know I've always submitted my projects on time.
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Yes, I know.
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Just keep up the good work.
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Sylvia, I did something wrong,
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and I feel so guilty.
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What did you do?
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I needed to do an assignment on the play The Merchant of Venice,
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and I borrowed Peter's laptop for that.
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I found his assignment on the same topic on his laptop,
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and decided to copy it.
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The teacher got really upset when she noticed our assignments were identical and failed us both.
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I didn't have the courage to tell the teacher the truth.
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I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
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Oh, Victor.
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What were you thinking?
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It was obvious the teacher would notice the assignments were identical.
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Well, I just hoped she would turn a blind eye to it.
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This is too serious to let it pass.
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You should come clean about it.
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Poor Peter!
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He must have worked so hard for that assignment.
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It's not fair that he should be punished because of you.
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I know.
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That's why I told you I feel guilty.
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You have to pluck up the courage to confess the truth and apologize for what you did.
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You owe this to Peter.
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Fine.
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I'll try to make amends for what I did.
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I'm going to call Peter right away.
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Melissa, what time do your kids go to bed?
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At about 8 p.m on weeknights.
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So early?
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Yes, I believe a good night's rest helps their performance in school.
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My kids go to bed at different times.
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Kevin goes to bed at about 9.30.
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And Susie at 10.30.
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Aren't they tired the next day?
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Don't you think they should go to bed earlier?
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No, they are fine.
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Kids are all different.
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There is no use to put a child to sleep
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if they're just going to lie in bed with their eyes wide open.
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So you think we should let them go to bed when they're tired?
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But kids never admit they're tired Well,
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I can't really see the point of forcing kids to go to bed
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They could end up going to sleep two hours later,
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just lying in bed It all just depends on who you are and how much sleep your brain and body needs
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But parents also need time on their own Yeah,
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but if my kids were all in bed at 8,
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I would spend very little time with them But if they're up late, they get cranky.
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That's why they need to go to bed early.
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I think parents should be able to personalize bedtimes for each and every child.
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All children have different needs involving sleep.
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There are several kids who do fine in school with just eight hours of sleep.
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Hey Beth, did you hear Lucy and Max broke up?
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Yes, I heard that!
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What's more, she's going out with David!
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Get out of here!
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I saw them together yesterday.
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But I had no idea there was something going on between them.
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Maybe it's better this way,
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because Lucy and Max didn't have anything in common.
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That's right, I think they just grew apart,
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because they are very different.
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But David doesn't seem to be the frat match for her either.
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What does she see in him? seeing him.
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You've got me there.
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Didn't you used to like him?
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I liked him until I found out he cheated on his last girlfriend, you know.
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Really?
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Then I doubt they will stay together too long.
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Oh well, time will tell whether they stay together or not.
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Put on some sunscreen, Matthew
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If you spend too much time in the sun without putting on sunscreen You are likely to get a sunburn
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Lips get sunburned too So we should also apply a lip balm that contains sunscreen Here Dad,
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is getting a suntan really dangerous, as they say?
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What do you think?
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Well, the truth is that the sun is more dangerous now.
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Sunlight is not like it was many years ago.
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The Earth has an ozone layer,
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which should protect the Earth from powerful UV rays.
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The problem is, the ozone layer has been damaged by the pollution.
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One of the biggest threats to the ozone layer is cars,
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the exhaust gases from cars.
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So what's the solution?
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People should avoid driving from now on?
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Well, maybe driving less would be a good thing if we want to save the ozone layer.
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How can we protect ourselves from UV rays?
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We should avoid the strongest rays of the day,
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usually from 11am to 4pm, and apply sunscreen.
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Context & Background
In the video titled "Daily Life English Conversation," we witness a heartfelt exchange between two friends, Alice and Tom. Alice is grappling with mixed emotions as her sister prepares to move away for a new job opportunity in Boston. This scenario is relatable to many learners, as it captures not only the nuances of emotional support but also the everyday language used in casual conversations. Tom attempts to uplift Alice's spirits while discussing various aspects of life transitions, making the dialogue rich with practical expressions for those looking to improve their English through realistic scenarios.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Is something wrong?” - A gentle way to inquire about someone’s feelings.
- “It's going to cost you an arm and a leg.” - An idiomatic expression indicating something is very expensive.
- “I’ll miss her very much.” - A simple yet powerful phrase expressing emotional attachment.
- “Cheer up!” - An encouraging phrase to uplift someone who is feeling down.
- “It would have been better if…” - A phrase often used to express a wish or hypothetical situation.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
If you wish to enhance your English speaking skills, especially using the techniques of shadow speech, follow this structured approach while watching videos like this one:
- Active Listening: First, watch the video without subtitles. Focus solely on the speakers' intonations, emotions, and expressions.
- Read the Transcript: Next, review the transcript to familiarize yourself with the vocabulary and phrases used in the conversation. Pay close attention to the context.
- Shadow Speaking: Play the video again, this time pausing after each line. Repeat the lines out loud, mimicking the speakers’ tone and speed. This practice will significantly aid in pronunciation and fluency.
- Record Yourself: Use a shadowing app to record your spoken responses. Listening to yourself provides valuable feedback and allows you to make adjustments.
- Practice Interactive Scenarios: Create situations where you can use these phrases in real-life conversations or during your IELTS speaking practice. Engage with friends or language partners for role-play exercises.
By incorporating these strategies into your language learning routine, you can boost your confidence and improve your conversational skills. Utilizing resources like "learn English with YouTube" videos not only makes learning enjoyable but also exposes you to authentic language usage.
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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