Shadowing Practice: Donald Trump's Life | Learn English Through Story | Graded Reader | English Listening Practice ✅ - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hi, everyone.
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Welcome to today's video.
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We are going to learn about the life of Donald Trump.
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This will be a simple and easy to understand biography, perfect for practicing your English listening.
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Let's get started.
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Donald Trump was born on June 14,
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1946, in Queens, a part of New York City.
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His full name is Donald John Trump.
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He was born into a big family.
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His father's name was Fred Trump, and he was a very successful businessman who built houses in New York.
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Donald's mother's name was Mary McLeod Trump, and she was from Scotland.
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Donald had four siblings.
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He was the fourth child in the family.
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His siblings were Mary Ann, Fred Jr., Elizabeth, and Robert.
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Donald was raised in a wealthy family, but he was also taught to work hard.
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Donald Trump went to Kew Forest School when he was young.
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Later, he went to a military academy called New York Military Academy.
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He went there because his father thought it would teach him discipline and help him become a strong person.
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After that, Donald went to Fordham University in New York for two years.
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Then he transferred to Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, which is a very famous business school.
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He graduated with a degree in economics in 1968.
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After finishing school, Donald Trump started working for his father's business, called the Trump Organization.
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He was given the job of running the business and building new things.
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Donald's father had already made a lot of money by building houses, so Donald took that money and expanded the business.
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In the 1970s, Donald Trump began working on his first big project.
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He helped develop the Commodore Hotel in New York, which was later renamed the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
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This project made Donald Trump very famous.
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He was now seen as a successful businessman.
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In the 1980s, Donald Trump started building more and more famous buildings.
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He built Trump Tower, a huge skyscraper in New York City.
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It became one of the most famous buildings in the world.
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Donald also bought a lot of casinos in Atlantic City, making a lot of money.
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At this time, Donald Trump was not only known for his business, but also for his style.
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He was on TV and in magazines.
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People saw him as a rich, powerful person.
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His famous line, you're fired, from the TV show The Apprentice, made him even more famous.
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Donald Trump's life is not only about business.
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He has also had three marriages and many children.
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Let's talk about his family.
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Marriage 1.
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Ivana Trump.
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In 1977, Donald Trump married a woman named Ivana Zelnitskova.
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She was from Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic.
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Ivana was a model, and she helped Donald with his business.
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Together, they had three children.
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Donald Trump Jr., born in 1977,
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Ivanka Trump, born in 1981, Eric Trump, born in 1984.
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But after 15 years of marriage, Donald and Ivana got a divorce in 1992.
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They separated, but they still stayed close for the sake of their children.
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Marriage 2.
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Marla Maples.
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In 1993, Donald Trump married Marla Maples, an actress.
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They had one daughter together named Tiffany Trump, born in 1993.
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Unfortunately, their marriage didn't last long.
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Donald and Marla divorced in 1999.
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Marriage 3 Melania Trump In 2005,
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Donald Trump married Melania Naus, a model from Slovenia.
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Melania is Donald's third wife.
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Together they had one son, named Baron Trump, born in 2006.
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Baron is the youngest of Donald Trump's children.
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Donald Trump has five children.
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Donald Trump Jr. He works with his father in the Trump business.
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Ivanka Trump.
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She worked as an advisor to her father when he was president.
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She is married to Jared Kushner, and they have children.
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Eric Trump.
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He also works in the Trump business and is married with children.
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Tiffany.
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Trump.
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She is Donald's daughter with Marla Maples and is studying law.
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Baron Trump.
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He is Donald's youngest child and he is still in school.
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Donald Trump is also a grandfather.
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His children have children, so he has many grandchildren.
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He loves spending time with his family.
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Donald Trump's life is full of business success.
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After he finished school and worked with his father, he started building his own empire.
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In the 1970s, Donald Trump started to build big buildings.
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His first major project was a hotel called the Commodore Hotel in New York City.
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It was not doing well at first, but Donald decided to make it better.
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He worked hard and helped turn the hotel into something famous.
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The hotel was renamed the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
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This was Donald Trump's first big success in New York.
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It helped him become known in the business world.
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In 1983, Donald built the famous Trump Tower in New York City.
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This was one of the tallest buildings in the city and became one of his biggest successes.
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Trump Tower is special because it has both offices and luxury apartments.
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The building was a symbol of Donald Trump's success.
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People could now see his name all over the city.
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He was becoming more and more famous.
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In the 1980s, Donald Trump also started buying casinos and hotels in Atlantic City.
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Atlantic City is a place known for its casinos, and Donald wanted to be part of it.
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He bought a huge casino called the Trump Taj Mahal.
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It was the largest casino in the world when it opened in 1990.
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Even though it was a big casino, it did not make enough money at first.
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Donald faced a lot of challenges, but he kept working hard to keep his business going.
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Donald Trump didn't just stop with buildings and casinos.
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He wanted to make his name famous everywhere.
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In the 1990s, he started to appear on TV.
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People saw him on shows and in magazines.
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His big personality made him a popular figure.
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He became known for being rich, powerful, and successful.
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In 2004, he started hosting a very famous reality TV show called The Apprentices.
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On the show, he would say, you're fired to people who didn't do well.
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This catchphrase made him even more famous, and millions of people watched him every week.
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The company Donald Trump ran is called the Trump Organization.
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It includes many businesses like hotels, casinos, golf courses, and more.
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Over the years, he used his name to create many famous places.
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Donald even put his name on buildings all around the world.
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These buildings were known as Trump Towers, and they became symbols of his success.
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He also opened golf courses in different countries, and these became very popular among people who liked to play golf.
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Donald Trump had become a brand that people recognized.
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Even though Donald Trump became very successful, not everything went perfectly.
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In the 1990s, he faced some financial struggles.
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Some of his casinos and hotels were losing money.
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He had to work hard to fix the problems and keep his company going.
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At one point, he owed a lot of money to the banks.
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But Donald never gave up.
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He worked hard and was able to solve the problems and make his business successful again.
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By the 2000s, Donald Trump became known not just as a businessman, but also as someone who was interested in politics.
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He often talked about running for president, but he never took that step until much later.
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In 2015, Donald Trump made a big decision.
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He announced that he was going to run for President of the United States.
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Many people were surprised because he had never been in politics before.
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But Donald Trump was confident.
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He believed that his experience in business would help him lead the country.
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During his campaign, he promised to make America great again.
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He talked about creating more jobs, building a wall to stop illegal immigration,
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and being tough on trade with other countries.
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In 2016, Donald Trump shocked the world by winning the presidential election.
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He ran against Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State.
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Many people thought Hillary Clinton would win, but Donald Trump won the Electoral College and became the 45th President of the United States.
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Donald Trump was President from January 20, 2017, until January 20, 2021.
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Here are some of the big things he did during his time as president.
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One, economy.
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Donald Trump focused on making the economy stronger.
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He lowered taxes for businesses and said it would help create jobs.
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Many people liked his ideas, and the economy grew during his first few years.
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Two.
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Immigration.
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One of his biggest promises was to build a wall between the United States and Mexico.
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This was to stop illegal immigration.
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It became one of the main issues of his presidency.
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Three, foreign relations.
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Donald Trump tried to make deals with countries like North Korea, China, and Russia.
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He met with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, to try to stop nuclear weapons from being made.
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4. Health care.
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Donald Trump tried to change the health care system.
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He wanted to make it cheaper and easier for people to get health insurance.
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But it was a difficult issue, and not all his ideas passed.
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5. Impeachment.
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In 2019, Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives.
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This means they said he did something wrong while in office.
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However, the Senate did not remove him from office.
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So he stayed president until the end of his term.
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In 2020, Donald Trump ran for a second term as president.
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He faced Joe Biden, a former vice president.
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Donald Trump worked hard, but Joe Biden won the election.
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After the election, Donald Trump and his supporters believed the election was unfair, even though there was no evidence of cheating.
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This caused a lot of anger, and on January 6, 2021, There was a riot at the U.S.
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Capitol.
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Some people tried to stop Congress from counting the votes that showed Joe Biden had won.
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It was a very serious and difficult time for the country.
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On January 20, 2021, Donald Trump left the White House.
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He did not attend Joe Biden's inauguration, which is the ceremony where the new president takes office.
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After leaving office, Donald Trump went back to his business life.
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He still owns many buildings, golf courses, and hotels.
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Even though he is no longer president, he still has a lot of people who support him.
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Donald Trump has also talked about possibly running for president again in 2024.
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Some people are excited to see if he will run, while others want a new leader.
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Donald Trump is still a very well-known person.
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His businesses continue, and he has many supporters around the world.
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His life has been full of ups and downs, from starting with nothing to becoming one of the most famous people in the world.
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No matter what people think about him, Donald Trump is always in the news.
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He has been a businessman, a TV star, and the President of the United States.
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He is a person who never gave up on his dreams, no matter how many challenges he faced.
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His story shows that with hard work and confidence, it is possible to achieve great things.
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Even after losing an election, he continues to influence the world.
Why practice speaking with this video?
Engaging with the video about Donald Trump's life offers a unique opportunity for english speaking practice. As you listen to the biography, you can employ the shadowing technique, which involves repeating what you hear in real-time. This method not only improves your pronunciation but also helps you grasp the natural flow and rhythm of spoken English. Listening to biographies is particularly beneficial as it combines storytelling with practical vocabulary and expressions, making it easier to remember and use in real conversations.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
The transcript includes various key grammatical structures and expressions that are effective for English learners:
- Past tense verbs: Phrases like "was born," "went to," and "helped develop" are used extensively. These verbs are essential for narrating past events, which is a common aspect of everyday conversation.
- Descriptive language: Adjectives such as "successful," "wealthy," and "famous" help convey opinions and characteristics. Understanding how to use descriptive language can enrich your conversations.
- Complex sentences: Sentences like "He was born into a big family, but he was also taught to work hard" illustrate the use of conjunctions (but) to combine thoughts. This structure allows for more nuanced communication.
- Direct speech: The use of quotes, such as "you're fired", models how to incorporate dialogue in your speech, making your conversations more engaging and relatable.
- Chronological order: The narrative's progression teaches you how to connect events logically, an important skill in structuring your own stories and experiences in English.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While practicing with this video, be aware of these potential pronunciation challenges:
- Names and places: Words like "Ivana," "Czechoslovakia," and "Atlantic City" may be tricky due to their unique pronunciation. Make sure to listen closely and repeat them to enhance your accuracy.
- Intonation and stress: Pay attention to how the speaker emphasizes certain words or phrases. For example, "building houses" vs. "building" in various contexts can change the meaning and impact of the sentence. Mimicking this intonation can significantly improve your speaking skills.
- Connected speech: Notice how words blend together, particularly in phrases like "grand Hyatt Hotel." Understanding these nuances can help you sound more fluent in conversations.
By practicing these elements through the shadowing site, you can gain confidence in your speaking abilities and improve your overall communication in English.
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.