Shadowing Practice: English Story Listening Practice | A relaxing walk to a small farm - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hi there!
208 sentences
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Hi there!
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Today I'm going to tell you a real story about a walk I took along a creek in Melbourne.
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Along the way I ended up at a small farm and a plant nursery.
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Also I'll be using different forms of past tense throughout this video.
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You can speak along with me and use this video for shadowing practice or you can relax and listen along.
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If you're new to learning English and want to see more about life in Australia,
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maybe you're planning to travel here,
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are studying here or will move here for work,
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this video series will help you understand everyday English quickly through comprehensible input while exploring real places around Melbourne and Australia.
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PDF scripts are available to download for members of my channel,
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and I upload bonus videos each month that are filled with extra questions
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and moments for you to practice speaking English out loud.
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I make new videos every week,
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so please subscribe to see them every Sunday.
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Okay, let's go for a walk.
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The other day, I decided to go for a walk.
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The weather was lovely and sunny, but not too hot.
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It was the perfect weather for a walk along the creek,
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starting at a lake.
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A creek is a small river,
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and a lake is a large area of still water.
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Around the lake, there was a park that families could play in.
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I saw a dad playing with his child near the edge of the lake.
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He was showing his toddler some birds near the water.
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A toddler is a very young child,
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usually around one to three years old.
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The dad and his toddler had just walked over from the playground.
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The playground was in a wide,
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open area surrounded by trees.
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One part of the playground had a pointed turret for a roof and a metal slide coming out of it.
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There was also a swing set in the park with two black swings.
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I walked further along the footpath.
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When I passed by some trees,
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I realised that I could see apartment buildings through the leaves on the other side of the water.
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Nature was all around me,
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but I could still see the city in the distance.
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It was a lovely view.
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I decided to follow the path that was shaded by the trees when a woman ran past me.
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A few moments later, I noticed a small waterfall.
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This waterfall was man-made.
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It was built by people.
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It wasn't a natural waterfall.
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It was a short ledge where water from the lake could gush over and trickle down into the creek.
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I decided to keep walking along the path.
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I made it to the trail that runs beside the creek.
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You can walk alongside this creek for kilometres.
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It's a very long walking path.
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I was walking alongside the creek when I realised that I couldn't see the water anymore.
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Dense layers of grass and trees were growing between the path and the creek.
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The grass and tree branches were blowing gently in the breeze.
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A little further ahead, I could see the creek again.
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There was a bridge that I had to walk under.
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As I was walking underneath the bridge,
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I saw an interesting pattern on the underside of it.
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It was a reflection of the water from the creek.
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A reflection is what you see when light bounces off of something.
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The ripples on the creek and the sunlight were creating a beautiful reflection on the bridge.
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Ripples are small, moving lines that you see on top of the water.
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I kept walking further along the footpath.
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The creek ran through a few different suburbs.
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A suburb is an area where people live outside the very centre of the city.
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Along this part of the creek,
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I could see some houses.
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People were living nearby, but the path still felt peaceful and quiet.
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Opposite the houses, there was a pathway that had railings on either side.
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It wasn't open like the footpath was before.
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As I was walking, I realised that the footpath was becoming a bridge.
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The path was getting higher off the ground,
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and I was beginning to walk level with the leaves of the trees.
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When I looked down over the edge,
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I could see green grass and trees on the bank of the creek below me.
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The bank of a lake or a creek is the land at the edge of the water.
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I walked over the top of the creek and crossed to the other side.
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The sound of the water rushing below was very relaxing.
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The water was running over small rocks and flowing gently downstream.
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A cool breeze was blowing through the trees and off of the creek,
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which felt really nice.
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The air felt fresh on my face.
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It was very pleasant.
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Pleasant means nice, comfortable and enjoyable.
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The sunlight was shining through the leaves and making the green colours look bright and vibrant.
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After I crossed the bridge,
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I saw a soccer field up ahead.
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I was looking at the soccer nets stacked in cages when I suddenly noticed someone in a ride-on mower cutting the grass.
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A ride-on mower is a lawnmower that you sit on and drive.
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It was making a loud buzzing noise as it moved across the oval.
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Further up on the footpath,
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a group of cyclists rode past me.
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I think they were all riding together as a group.
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They passed me while I was walking underneath a transmission tower.
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A transmission tower is a very tall metal structure that carries power lines.
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lines are the long wires that carry electricity i was getting a little hot
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so i walked underneath some tall trees in the shade i looked up and i saw blue sky between the branches
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the sun was bright the rays of light were flickering between the leaves Most of the trees were eucalypt trees,
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which are common Australian trees.
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I loved looking at all the layers of leaves above me.
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Some leaves were dark green,
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and some were light green where the sun was hitting them.
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The branches moved gently in the wind.
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Being surrounded by trees made me feel very calm.
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I was enjoying walking alongside the trees when I came across a very small farm.
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It was an area with a few tables to sit at,
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but the umbrellas were closed.
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The farm had a field full of flowers.
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The flowers were growing straight up out of the dirt.
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There were little bursts of pink,
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yellow, orange and purple across the field.
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I was looking at the flowers when I realised that they were also growing vegetables.
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There were leafy green vegetables growing low along the ground.
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They were planted in neat rows.
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By the side of the farm I saw a small stand that was closed.
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The sign said that you could pick your own flowers but only on Fridays and Saturdays.
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You could pick a big bunch of fresh flowers for $30.
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I thought that it would be a nice activity to do with friends.
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I walked around to the opposite side of the farm garden.
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It was much bigger than I thought it was.
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There were even more rows of leafy green vegetables growing next to the flowers.
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There were also rows of neatly laid soil ready for new seeds.
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Soil is the earth that the plants grow in.
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We often say dirt but soil usually means earth that is being used for growing.
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I kept walking along the creek and through the tall trees.
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There were tree roots poking out above the ground so I had to watch my step.
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While I was walking I found a small hut made from sticks.
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It looked like something children had built to play in.
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Some leaves on the trees were changing colour.
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It's autumn in Australia so some leaves have turned yellow or brown.
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Many native Australian trees like eucalypts stay green all year.
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Only some trees here were showing autumn colours.
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I found a quiet spot by the creek with both green and yellow leaves.
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It was a perfect place to sit and rest.
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Further along I saw a velodrome.
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A velodrome is a cycling track shaped like a large oval with steep curves.
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A cyclist was riding around the track to practice.
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They might have been training for a race.
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I kept walking in the sun between the trees.
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It felt warm on my face.
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While I was looking up I saw a a golden roof appear above the trees.
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It was a beautiful mosque.
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The gold roof was shining in the sunlight.
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It looked bright and shiny.
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I had been walking for almost an hour.
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I was getting closer to a main road.
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While I was walking, I saw some metal stairs.
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I walked up the stairs.
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At the top, I found a large community garden.
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It was also a farm where food was grown and sold in the same place.
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There was a small shop selling fresh produce.
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I went inside.
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They were selling apples in boxes at the front of the store.
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At the back, there were vegetables in a cold fridge area.
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They were selling orange, yellow and purple carrots,
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plus cabbage, broccoli and mushrooms.
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There were also jars of organic spices.
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You could scoop the spices into paper bags to buy them.
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Across from the shop, I looked out over the farm.
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People were working in the garden.
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They were watering plants, checking rows of vegetables,
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and picking produce for harvest.
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Some were digging in the soil and preparing new beds.
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I walked down to explore more of the farm and found some chickens.
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The chickens were walking around and pecking at the ground.
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They were behind a wire fence.
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There were olive trees growing in there with them.
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Nearby, there were small garden plots.
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A shovel was leaning against a fence,
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and there were clothes that looked like a scarecrow.
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Pink flowers were growing around the vegetables.
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The flowers attracted bees into the garden.
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The bees helped the plants grow by moving pollen between the flowers.
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The flowers also looked very beautiful on their own.
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I was enjoying my walk amongst the flowers when I saw a shed with bikes inside.
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People were repairing bikes at the front of the shed.
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They were fixing bikes that were broken or not working.
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I walked back through the garden and found a nursery.
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A nursery is a place where plants are grown and sold.
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You could buy all kinds of plants and flowers to grow in your garden.
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They also sold pots, barrels and potting mix.
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Potting mix is a soft soil made for growing plants in pots.
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They had ceramic pots in heaps of different colours too.
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I walked down the aisles of the nursery in between the plants.
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I walked between citrus trees that grew lemons, limes and oranges.
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There were also seedlings of native Australian plants.
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A seedling is a very young plant that has just started growing from a seed.
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There were so many different kinds of plants to buy.
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I think they grew a lot of them at the farm too.
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It was a beautiful day walking along the creek and exploring the farm.
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Thanks for walking with me.
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What do you call a tall metal structure that carries electricity through wires across the city?
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A transmission tower.
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What is a small natural stream of water called?
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A creek.
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What do you call the land that is right next to a river or a creek?
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The bank.
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What do you call a place where plants are grown and sold?
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A nursery.
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What do you call the small waves on the surface of the water?
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Ripples What is someone doing when they're fixing something that was broken or not working?
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They're repairing How could you describe something that is nice, comfortable and enjoyable?
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It's pleasant.
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Thanks so much for joining me today and thank you so much to the members of my channel.
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If you'd like a little extra support learning English,
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members of my channel can download a PDF script and get bonus listening and speaking practice videos every month.
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Where would you like to go next?
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And which everyday English topics would you like to practice more?
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Let me know in the comments.
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If this video helped you,
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please subscribe for more simple Australian English practice.
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See you next time!
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Context & Background
In today's English listening practice, we delve into a serene story narrated by an experienced speaker who shares a delightful walk along a creek in Melbourne. This charming narrative not only paints a vivid picture of nature and local life but also provides an excellent opportunity for learners of English. The speaker employs various forms of past tense throughout the story, making it ideal for beginners and advanced learners alike who aim to enhance their comprehension and speaking skills. By tuning into this learn English with YouTube video, you can immerse yourself in authentic Australian English, making it an excellent choice for those planning to travel, study, or work in Australia.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Go for a walk” - Meaning to take a leisurely stroll, often for exercise or relaxation.
- “A small farm” - Reference to a place where crops or animals are raised, enhancing vocabulary about rural life.
- “Shaded by the trees” - Describing an area of shadow or coolness created by trees, useful for discussing nature.
- “Man-made waterfall” - A practical term for a waterfall created by human efforts, helping learners distinguish between natural and artificial landscapes.
- “Peaceful and quiet” - A phrase that conveys a sense of tranquility, ideal for describing serene settings.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize the shadowing technique while watching this video, follow these simple steps:
- Watch and Listen: Begin by watching the video without attempting to speak. Focus on the speaker's intonation, pronunciation, and rhythm. This will help you absorb the sounds and structure of the sentences.
- Read Along: If available, download the provided PDF scripts to follow along with the transcript. This will allow you to see how words are constructed and used in context, enhancing your overall understanding.
- Shadow the Speaker: Play the video again and start repeating what the speaker says. Use a shadowing app or simple recording device to capture your voice and compare your pronunciation with the speaker's. This practice is vital for improving your English speaking practice.
- Break It Down: If you encounter difficult phrases or sentences, pause the video and practice those specific sections repeatedly. This will help reinforce challenging vocabulary and improve your confidence in speaking.
- Engage with the Content: After watching, try discussing the themes of the video with a study partner or tutor. This will encourage you to use new vocabulary and phrases in conversation, further solidifying your learning experience.
Incorporating these practices into your language learning routine not only improves your speaking skills but also deepens your understanding of everyday English used in settings like rural Australia.
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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