Shadowing Practice: English Conversation Practice - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B2
Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?
271 sentences
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Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?
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Again?
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That's the third time this week.
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Don't you ever eat at home, Chris?
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Yes, sometimes I get takeout or order pizza.
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I mean, don't you ever cook anything?
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No, cooking is not my thing.
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And I don't even have time for it.
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Eating in a restaurant saves me time.
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Do you have any idea how unhealthy it is to eat out so often?
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Why do you think that?
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Well, first of all, you can never be sure how fresh the ingredients are.
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And most restaurants don't buy the best quality produce because it costs too much.
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But the food is always so tasty,
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so I'm sure it's very fresh.
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That's because they use a lot of fat in seasonings like salt,
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pepper and spices to improve the flavor.
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Besides, eating out all the time can get expensive.
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Think of all the money you could save,
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Chris, if you ate at home.
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You're right.
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But I can't cook too many dishes.
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You can watch a lot of cooking videos on YouTube.
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There are so many quick and easy recipes that you could follow with no problem.
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But then I'd have to go to the supermarket,
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buy the ingredients, come home,
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cook, and then do all that washing up afterwards.
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I can't afford to waste so much time.
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Eating out takes a lot of time, too.
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You need to get in the car,
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drive to the restaurant, wait to be seated,
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wait to order your food,
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wait to get your food,
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pay for your meal, and then drive home.
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If you plan your meals in advance,
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you only have to shop once a week,
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and washing up doesn't take that long to do.
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I have an idea.
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Let's start a dinner club.
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We can also ask three other friends to join us.
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Each of us will cook once a week.
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That way we can have home-cooked food six times a week,
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and go out for dinner once a week.
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What do you say?
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That's a great idea, Angela.
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Don't you think so, Chris?
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I suppose so.
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But you'd better bring your indigestion tablets when it's my turn to cook.
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Hi, Linda.
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How are you?
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Oh, not too well, I'm afraid.
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I have a few problems at work,
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and I don't know how to deal with them.
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Well, why don't we talk them over together?
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That might help you to sort yourself out.
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Okay, thanks.
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Well, first of all, Kimberly was going to give a very important presentation tomorrow.
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But she says she's ill and isn't going to be able to do it.
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I think she's just gotten cold feet,
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as it's for such an important client.
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Feeling a bit ill was just the perfect excuse for her.
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I'd do it myself, but I'm busy with meetings all day.
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Well, that calls for quick action if the presentation is tomorrow.
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Why don't you do it yourself if it's so important?
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You should cancel your other meetings.
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I guess I'll have to.
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The next problem is that personal belongings have been going missing from people's desks during the day.
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Oh dear!
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You should deal with that problem as quickly as possible.
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Try to make a list of possible suspects.
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Well, it just dawned on me that the thefts have always happened on the top floor.
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So it couldn't be anyone who never goes up there.
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That actually rules out quite a lot of people.
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Think some more about exactly when and where things were stolen.
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And you'll probably find that the answer jumps at you.
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Thanks, Matthew.
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It's good to work through things with you.
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It really helps me to sort things out.
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Hello?
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Hi, Luke.
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This is Sarah.
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Oh, hi, Sarah.
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What's up?
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I was wondering if you could do me a favor.
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Yeah, sure.
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What is it?
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Well, I need to go to my parents' house this weekend.
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Would it be okay if I borrowed your suitcase?
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Of course.
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No problem.
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Thanks a lot.
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Is it okay if I come by and pick it up tonight?
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That's fine.
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Hi, Chizika.
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This is Sarah.
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Oh, hello.
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How are you?
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I'm very good, thanks.
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Listen, the reason I'm calling is I have a really big favor to ask you.
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Sure, how can I help you, Sarah?
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Remember I told you that I hadn't seen my parents in a while,
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and it's time I paid them a visit?
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Yeah, I remember.
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Are you finally going to see them?
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Yes, I am.
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The problem is that I took my car to the mechanic to have its brake pads replaced.
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So, I was wondering if you'd mind landing your car for the afternoon to get there.
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Oh, I didn't expect that.
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I'd really love to help you out,
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but I'm gonna need my car all weekend.
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I have a friend coming in from out of town,
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and I promised to show her the sights.
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So, I'm afraid I can't help you.
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I see.
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It's okay.
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Don't worry.
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Sorry to bother you, Dan.
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What's something that makes you sad?
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Being looked down on for taking a certain career path.
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You can't measure someone's worth by their occupation and not their character.
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I totally agree about not shaming people about the job they do.
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There are people that genuinely can't afford to pay for their studies.
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I know many people that did so well in school,
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way better than me.
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They ended up being cashiers or carpenters.
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Simply because they couldn't afford to pay for their studies.
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They get looked down on because everyone just assumed they weren't smart enough for university.
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It's sad.
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Exactly.
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What makes you happy?
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True happy moments are those spent with family and friends and all the people I love.
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Doing the simple things in life alongside them,
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like hugs, smiles, conversations, good food,
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brings me so much joy.
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What about you?
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The thing that makes me happy is when I contribute to someone's life.
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I get great satisfaction from it.
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That contribution can be financial, emotional, or physical.
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It makes me happy to connect and speak to ordinary people from different backgrounds
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and share stories about how we live our lives.
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Seeing other people in a positive mindset after being down or in a low place for a long time
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also makes me so happy.
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Please have a sit, Maggie.
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Thank you.
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Now, what seems to be the trouble?
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Well, I've been very stressed and down lately.
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The stress has taken a toll on my personal life.
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I don't seem to have a social life anymore.
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I just worry all the time,
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and I can't seem to relax.
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I see.
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What is causing this stress?
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It's my job, mainly.
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I've had to do a lot of overtime recently.
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My boss keeps giving me impossible deadlines to meet.
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And I'm scared that he'll give me the sack if I don't get everything done on time.
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Hmm, that's not good.
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Have you considered changing your job?
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Yes, I have.
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I've been searching for another job.
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But there's just nothing available right now,
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and I really do need the job.
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Well, in that case, perhaps you should talk to your boss and ask to cut down on the hours you work.
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I'm afraid he would never agree to that.
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If you really want to beat stress,
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the best thing you can do is make more time for yourself.
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You need to make sure you use that time to do something just for you,
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to help you relax and put your problems aside.
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I see.
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Well, it's true, I don't have much free time at the moment.
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When I'm not at work,
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I have to take care of my two children.
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Why don't you consider daycare for your children?
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That might be the answer to your problem.
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I suppose I could do something like that.
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My advice to you would be to try to take things easier for a while.
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Cut down on the overtime.
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Put your children in daycare.
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Oh, and try to find time to relax.
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I'll try that and see how it goes.
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Well, thank you for your advice.
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No problem.
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I hope things start to get easier for you.
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Do you have a good memory?
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I wish I had.
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I'm a disaster.
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I'm good at remembering things like appointments and meetings at work.
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That's fine.
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But I'm terrible with faces and names.
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It happens all the time that I meet people and immediately forget their name.
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Me too.
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I'm hopeless.
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I can never remember faces.
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The other day I was walking along the street and this man came up and said hello.
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And I had no idea who he was.
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And who was he?
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He was my boss's husband.
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Oops.
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Very embarrassing.
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What about dates?
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Do you remember people's birthdays, that kind of thing?
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Well, I'm okay with birthdays because I write them all down in my diary.
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I wish I didn't have to, but, you know.
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And phone numbers?
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I can't even remember my own phone number half the time.
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Personally, I wish I could remember things like writers' names or the name of songs.
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It happened quite recently that we were talking about books
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and I'd read an excellent novel and I wished I'd remembered the name because I wanted to recommend the book.
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But I just couldn't remember it.
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What book's that then?
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Um, I can't remember the title.
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Have you seen Laura lately?
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Yeah, I see her pretty often.
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We work together.
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How's she doing?
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I've been meaning to call her.
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Well, to be honest, I've always thought she was a little difficult.
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But these days I find her impossible.
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What do you mean?
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Oh, you know how she is.
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She has such strong ideas about everything,
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and if you don't agree with her,
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she lets you know what she thinks of you.
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Yes, that's true.
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She is very blunt.
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Very straightforward.
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She never tries to hide her feelings.
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That's why we love her, right?
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Well, it's good to be straightforward as long as you don't hurt people, don't you think?
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She's changed a lot since she started college.
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She talks about herself all the time and she always manages to mention how good she is at everything she does.
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Hmm, maybe I won't call her after all.
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So how was your date with Paul?
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Well, I was worried at first,
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especially when I saw that he rode a huge motorcycle.
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I thought that he might turn out to be a weird guy with whom I'd had nothing in common.
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And he's just a regular kind of guy?
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Yes, he is.
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We got along really well.
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I'm glad you liked him.
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What does he look like?
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He's pretty tall, with dark hair and brown eyes.
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What was he wearing?
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He was wearing a black leather jacket and jeans.
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How old is he?
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He's 22.
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And he's really funny.
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He had me laughing hysterically at the coffee shop.
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So are you two going to get together again?
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Definitely.
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In fact, we're going to the party together.
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That's great!
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Excuse me?
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Yes?
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How can I help you?
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You see this shirt?
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I bought it here a few days ago.
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But the first time I washed it, the color changed.
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It went from bright red to light pink.
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How did you wash it?
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Well, I just tossed it into the washing machine with my other clothes.
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What temperature did you use?
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I usually wash my clothes in hot water, so I guess hot.
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Well, did you check the washing instructions?
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Um, maybe not.
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Well, you see here on this label,
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it says wash in cold water only.
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Uh-huh.
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So I'm really sorry, but since you didn't follow the washing instructions,
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I can't really do anything for you.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice conversational English centered around the theme of dining out versus cooking at home. By listening to a dialogue between two friends discussing their eating habits, you will gain insight into casual conversations. This lesson will help you understand different perspectives on cooking and dining out while enhancing your speaking skills through the application of the shadowing technique. You will learn how to express opinions and make suggestions in a conversational context.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Takeout - food ordered from a restaurant to be eaten elsewhere.
- Cook - to prepare food by applying heat.
- Eating out - dining in a restaurant instead of at home.
- Fresh ingredients - newly harvested or made food items that have not been preserved.
- Meal planning - the process of devising a menu for home-cooked meals in advance to save time.
- Indigestion tablets - over-the-counter medications taken to alleviate discomfort caused by digestive issues.
- Dinner club - a group of friends who meet to share meals prepared by different members.
Practice Tips
To enhance your English speaking skills, use the shadowing technique while practicing this dialogue. Here are some tips to effectively shadow this particular conversation:
- Listen actively: Play the video multiple times, focusing on the flow and pronunciation of the speakers.
- Pause and repeat: After hearing a sentence, pause the video and repeat it aloud, mimicking the tone and rhythm of the speakers.
- Record yourself: Use a shadowing app or your phone to record your voice as you shadow. This will help you identify areas where you can improve your pronunciation.
- Emphasize key phrases: Pay attention to expressions like “I mean” and “What do you say?” These add natural flow to the conversation.
- Practice with a partner: If possible, find a friend to practice dialogue with. Take turns playing both roles to deepen your understanding.
- Learn English with YouTube: Explore additional cooking and dining videos on YouTube to expand your vocabulary and become more comfortable with different accents.
By adopting these strategies and incorporating shadowspeak into your practice sessions, you will gain confidence in your English conversational skills and be better prepared for real-life interactions.
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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