Shadowing Practice: Dozens of Nukes Are Missing. Why? HOW? - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Around 50 nukes have been lost across the world.
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How did that happen?
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During the Cold War, the US and the Soviets had ready-to-fire nuclear weapons loaded onto submarines and airplanes.
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At one point, the US had 12 in the air at once.
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And the more nukes on the move, the higher the chances of losing one.
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Inevitably, over the years, nukes went missing mostly due to technical failures and careless mistakes.
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And this could be just the tip of the iceberg.
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Luckily, some have been found.
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However, recovering them is a huge effort as thousands of square kilometers have to be searched.
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These nuke hunts can go on for years and cost more than a moon mission, and there's no guarantee of success.
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Today, the US alone is missing six nukes.
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The detonation of just one could have catastrophic consequences.
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There are multiple safety mechanisms designed to prevent this, but the best way to stop any of this from happening is to reduce the number of nukes altogether.
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With a new nuclear arms race on the cards, these incidents would only get more likely.
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We'd rather not make another video to tell you that
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 15 sentences and 195 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:00. The speaker talks fast, about 196 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
14 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- guarantee /ˌɡæɹ.ənˈtiː/ (noun) — Anything that assures a certain outcome.
- recover /ɹɪˈkʌvɚ/ (verb) — To get back, to regain (a physical thing; in astronomy and navigation, sight of a thing or a signal).
- mechanism /ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/ (noun) — Any mechanical means for the conversion or control of motion, or the transmission or control of power.
- altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/ (adverb) — Completely, wholly, or without exception.
- consequence /ˈkɑn.sɪ.kwəns/ (noun) — An effect; something that follows a cause as a result.
- airplane /ˈɛɹˌpleɪ̯n/ (noun) — A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings: a fixed-wing aircraft with at least one engine or electric motor.
- luckily /ˈlʌk.ɪ.li/ (adverb) — In a lucky manner; by good fortune; fortunately.
- inevitably /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/ (adverb) — In a manner that is impossible to avoid or prevent.
- submarine /sʌb.məˈɹiːn/ (noun) — A boat that can go underwater.
- careless /kɛɹ.ləs/ (adjective) — Not concerned or worried (about).
- catastrophic /ˌkætəˈstɹɑfɪk/ (adjective) — Of or pertaining to a catastrophe.
- nuke /n(j)uk/ (verb) — To use a nuclear weapon on (a target).
- detonation /dɛtəˈneɪʃən/ (noun) — An explosion or sudden report made by the near-instantaneous decomposition or combustion of unstable substances. Specifically, combustion that spreads…
- iceberg /ˈaɪsbɝɡ/ (noun) — A huge mass of ocean-floating ice which has broken off a glacier or ice shelf
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: mechanism /ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/, altogether /ɔl.tuˈɡɛð.ɚ/, inevitably /ɪˈnɛvɪtəbli/, catastrophic /ˌkætəˈstɹɑfɪk/, detonation /dɛtəˈneɪʃən/
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 guarantee, recover, mechanism.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | have been lost · have been found · be searched |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have been lost · have been found |
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.