Shadowing Practice: Exploring an Abandoned Shipping Container Lost at Sea! - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
This shipping container is worth over a million dollars.
2
Oh, what?
3
And this one is worth zero dollars.
4
And today, we're going to be finding and opening shipping containers that we found on Google Maps.
5
But first, we need to find one.
6
Oh, I think I found one.
7
Wait, let me see that.
8
Wait, bro, that totally looks like a shipping container.
9
Only question is, is it still there?
10
I guess there's only one way to find out.
11
We're going to go?
12
We're going to go.
13
So we rented a boat and made our way through the marina.
14
What if it floated away or what if it sunk?
15
I mean, this Google Maps photo is from like two months ago, so it definitely could have.
16
Every year, thousands of shipping containers fall into the ocean and millions of dollars are sunk to the bottom of the sea.
17
But since they're still owned by the shipping company, it's technically illegal to fish them out.
18
So we have to watch out for these police boats because they're everywhere.
19
All right.
20
Yeah, those guys will definitely take us to jail.
21
Little does he know us, we're about to steal a crate.
22
Right now, we're in the Port of LA, which is the biggest port in America.
23
This might take us, like, days to find.
24
Yeah, but imagine what could be inside this shipping container.
25
Treasure!
26
Oh!
27
We're gonna find treasure!
28
Wait, we're treasure hunters!
29
Exactly!
30
We're pirates!
31
We're pirates!
32
Well, now that Drew almost blew our cover, we got back to searching and took a closer look at our research.
33
According to the Google Maps photo, the company name on the side of the container is Tulip Company.
34
Well, I guess we just got to look for a crate that says Tulip.
35
And after searching every single cargo route in this harbor, we finally found an area with Tulip shipping containers.
36
But we were not ready for what we were about to find.
37
Oh, wait, what is that?
38
That's it, right?
39
Do you see it sticking out of the water?
40
That might be it.
41
Wait, have we actually found it?
42
Wait, what is that?
43
Wait, is that a bird?
44
Wait, what?
45
That's a f*ing bird.
46
Shut up.
47
It's a seagull!
48
Even though that wasn't it, we were definitely in the right area.
49
Because right after that, we found this.
50
Oh, it's Brent!
51
Brent!
52
It's the freaking container!
53
Wait, is that it?
54
Bro, it says Tulip Co on the side.
55
Holy sh.
56
The map says it's in the middle of the ocean.
57
How did it get all the way to the shore?
58
Bro, it must have washed up.
59
There was a storm.
60
Like, three days ago.
61
Oh, you're right.
62
Let's go see if it got damaged.
63
Bro, what?
64
Half of this container is submerged in the water.
65
Which makes me think if there's expensive things in here, it's destroyed.
66
Okay, well, let's hope it's not.
67
And the only way to find out is by cracking it open and going inside.
68
But first, we need to find a way in.
69
So let's get in the water.
70
Drew and Caleb are in the water right now, seeing if we can find a hole somewhere in the container.
71
Oh, we're going under.
72
Did you see anything?
73
No, but I'll keep looking.
74
What?
75
What?
76
There's a freaking, there's a door.
77
What the f*?
78
Wait, what?
79
Brett!
80
Brett!
81
What?
82
It's a danger explosive.
83
Wait, what?
84
Wait, live animals.
85
What the?
86
Wait, live animals?
87
Brett, you gotta come in and check it out.
88
Well, now that we found the door, we need to figure out a way to break it open so we can get inside.
89
Drew, are those bolt cutters?
90
It's gone.
91
Is it going?
92
Yeah, I need your help.
93
I need to use my whole phone.
94
I hear it.
95
Go, go, go, go, go.
96
Oh!
97
Oh!
98
Why was that so easy to break?
99
It's going to be scary.
100
Well, there's no way we're opening this.
101
Wait, is it not opening?
102
No. Wait, what?
103
What if we got something on this chain and towed it out?
104
Wait, you're right.
105
Not only has the shipping container been stuck like this for over two months, but it's also flooded with water, making it impossible to open.
106
So we need to come up with a plan.
107
You two pull the chains from this side, and I'll be pushing it from the boat.
108
You ready, Brent?
109
Yeah!
110
Three, two, one.
111
Pull!
112
Oh my god.
113
It's literally lifting.
114
Pull.
115
Oh, it's going, it's going.
116
It's actually tilting.
117
Wait, Drew, it's working.
118
Come on, pull.
119
It's literally out of the water.
120
Look at this.
121
And just as we thought we had everything under control, this happened.
122
Brian, we're not getting this thing open.
123
What are you doing?
124
Oh, sh.
125
We were just taking a look at the crate.
126
Yeah.
127
Is it yours?
128
Private f*ing property.
129
Did you read the sign?
130
No. It turns out that he's the owner of this dog.
131
So he took us to his office to figure out what exactly is going on with this shipping container.
132
It was actually from Tulip Shipping Company, which is actually no longer in business.
133
So as far as we're concerned, it's basically a blip in our system.
134
And when we found out that he really didn't care about it, I decided to ask the most important question.
135
Is there any way that we can buy the crate from you?
136
Which led him to do some research to find out how much this shipping container could actually be worth.
137
And then he gave us his final price.
138
$20,000.
139
$20,000 cash.
140
You're taking a risk.
141
I gotta let you know you're taking a risk.
142
That's a risk you have to take.
143
Brian, come on.
144
This shipping container could be worth millions, but if whatever's inside got damaged, it could also be worth nothing.
145
So after a few more minutes, I finally came up with an answer.
146
All right, you got yourself a deal.
147
So we paid him the $20,000, and he even let us use this piece of wood to help keep the shipping container from falling back into the water.
148
But the tide is rising, so we only have about three hours left before it completely floods.
149
So let's do this fast.
150
Oh, fast.
151
Oh, oh my God.
152
Wait, it's opening.
153
Right, it's actually opening.
154
Oh my God.
155
Right, it's full.
156
Oh.
157
It's a full crane.
158
Wait, what?
159
What the hell is this?
160
Is that a coffin?
161
Shut up.
162
Oh my God.
163
Oh my God.
164
What are we even doing this?
165
I'm not gonna lie, there is a little bit of water in here too, which is not a good sign.
166
Oh my God, look, it's like filled with water.
167
Yeah.
168
Guys, be careful, that could be worth $2,000.
169
Wait, it floats.
170
The coffin floats.
171
Do you think it's used?
172
What, the coffin?
173
What kind of question is that?
174
Whoa, wait, okay.
175
It's empty, thank God.
176
There's a lot of stuff in here.
177
We can definitely make 20,000 off this.
178
Yeah!
179
And little did we know, we were about to be rich because of this next item alone, if it's not broken.
180
Do you think this is something really expensive?
181
Yeah, you might've made your money back with this one.
182
So we took it to shore to check it out.
183
Three, two, one.
184
Wait!
185
What the f- What?
186
Oh my god.
187
Wait, a robot?
188
It's actually a robot.
189
Shut up.
190
It's lighting up.
191
Wait, wait, wait.
192
Does the robot still work?
193
L2X.
194
Robo.
195
Oh!
196
Oh!
197
Oh!
198
Oh!
199
Oh my god!
200
Oh my god!
201
What the f- Oh my god!
202
Oh my god!
203
This is actually the coolest thing I've ever opened.
204
Look at this, this says dance mode.
205
Oh!
206
Oh!
207
No way!
208
Wait, it says you can do Kung Fu.
209
Oh, really?
210
Aw, bring it on!
211
Caleb, I would say that this is not a good idea.
212
Wait, what?
213
Oh!
214
We can do this all day.
215
I know, but we gotta get back to the surf.
216
And since we only have two hours left to search through this entire shipping container, we decided to skip through any boxes that weren't expensive and put them in our donation pile.
217
The tide is rising so fast that the water is getting higher in the container, Which means it could be ruining all the stuff that we just bought.
218
Oh boy, and it's electronics, bro.
219
Okay, reveal.
220
Oh We don't know if it's burned yet all of them are just unopened.
221
No way.
222
It's literally so oh yeah, I'm sorry.
223
Oh my god It's literally brand new it's not Not too- Oh!
224
Oh!
225
Oh!
226
What?
227
It works!
228
It actually works!
229
Dude, there's like 50 iPhones here.
230
What do we do with them?
231
You know what?
232
I say we give them to the subscribers.
233
Oh yeah!
234
So guys, if you want a brand new iPhone, hit that subscribe button.
235
Subscribe!
236
I can't even imagine what else is inside this container if we- Oh!
237
Oh!
238
Oh!
239
Oh no!
240
That was floating away!
241
Oh my god!
242
Why is all the expensive sh falling in the water?
243
Put it on the shore!
244
Put it on the shore! the shore dude what's inside this box it's a car a what it's a pink jeep
245
these things are worth like 250 bucks not anymore guys don't
246
worry look they're biodegradable they oh that's good okay okay the next few boxes weren't worth much money
247
and just got added to our pile of donations this is useless oh what the
248
but that's when we noticed that the shipping container was starting to sink.
249
Brian, the water's rising pretty fast.
250
No, Drew, you're just short.
251
Bro, I'm not gonna lie, there's a lot of water in this container.
252
I'm afraid that a lot of this stuff in the back isn't gonna work.
253
And since we don't want anything to get any more water damage than it already is, we need to start searching even faster.
254
Wait, what is that?
255
It says a tire.
256
No, this is brand new.
257
Oh, what the ?
258
It's a Ferrari rim.
259
Oh my God.
260
If this is a Ferrari rim, then that means that there has to be a Ferrari inside the container, right?
261
No way.
262
What?
263
Brent, there's no way there's a car in here.
264
I mean, you never know.
265
We found the rim.
266
After that, we found a few more expensive products.
267
Oh.
268
What is this?
269
Oh my God.
270
Usually Iron Man's supposed to save people, but instead we're saving him right now.
271
But we still have no idea why this shipping container was just left here.
272
So we decided to dig a little deeper.
273
Was it returns?
274
Was it someone's actual stuff?
275
Oh, well, let's just check the paper and check.
276
Assorted, uninspected return merchandise?
277
Uninspected.
278
So like none of this stuff has been looked through.
279
Wait, what are we going to find?
280
We can find some crazy right now.
281
All right, let's keep looking.
282
Well, now we know that everything in this container has never been checked.
283
And it changes everything.
284
It could be full of illegal or deadly products, so we better hurry and bring all this stuff to shore.
285
I feel like this is another robot.
286
I'm praying it's another robot, Brent.
287
If it's another robot, then we're going to make so much money.
288
Let's open it in three, two, one.
289
Can we see a robot?
290
Yes!
291
Wait, what the f*?
292
It's a robot dog.
293
Yeah, I see this on TikTok all the time.
294
There's a button on the side of him.
295
Oh, you know what to do when there's a button, Drew.
296
Press it.
297
Yo!
298
Oh!
299
Oh!
300
Oh!
301
Wait, it worked!
302
What?
303
This robot might seem like a real living dog, but the next thing we found in the shipping container was actually alive.
304
Wait, Brent, it says live animals handle with care.
305
Something's inside.
306
Whatever is in here has been here for who knows how long.
307
It's probably not even alive.
308
Oh, they're f*ing mad.
309
Oh!
310
What?
311
Oh, no, no, no, no. Caleb, what is it?
312
Wait, what did you see?
313
Snakes.
314
Oh, my God.
315
Oh, my God.
316
Oh, my God.
317
He's trying to get out.
318
He's trying to get out.
319
I don't know how to care for snakes.
320
Like, what if it's venomous and it bites us?
321
That's a good point.
322
We should probably just get rid of them.
323
And since we don't want to risk getting bit, we moved the snakes and got back to searching through these boxes.
324
Oh, wait.
325
Oh, my God.
326
Apple Shanghai?
327
$17,000.
328
But if the MacBooks work.
329
But then we found something even more dangerous.
330
Is that an ATM?
331
Oh, my God.
332
Is that an electric surfboard?
333
Wait, what?
334
There is so much stuff.
335
Oh, my God.
336
Oh, my God.
337
Wait, wait.
338
Don't get wet.
339
Don't get wet.
340
Oh, it's a f*ing surfboard.
341
It's meant to get wet.
342
Oh, yeah, you're right.
343
But before we try to break open that ATM, Drew wanted to see if the electric surfboard still worked.
344
You got this, Drew.
345
He doesn't got this.
346
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
347
Wait, he's actually doing it.
348
Dude, shut up.
349
Okay, well, now that Drew got that out of the way, let's break open that ATM.
350
Wait, bro, there might be money in this.
351
Wait, but how are we going to open it?
352
Oh, no. Don't worry, Brent.
353
Whoa.
354
I got the answer!
355
Do we think there's gonna be more money than what I could sell this for?
356
Cause I could sell this for like probably a thousand dollars.
357
I'm gonna answer that question for you.
358
It's too late.
359
Oh!
360
Dude!
361
I think there's money in there.
362
Oh!
363
Oh!
364
Bro!
365
The money's down here, not on the screen.
366
Oh!
367
Wait, it just opened!
368
Oh crap!
369
Wait, what the f- Oh!
370
Wait, Brett!
371
There's a hundred dollar bill in here! bill in here is
372
there anything else in there no honestly it's just this hundred dollar bill well there goes another one thousand dollars
373
but so far i'm still up over 50 grand
374
and we still haven't even found the most expensive item in here yet all right wait what is
375
that what is what the big white thing wait is
376
that a car no the ferrari shut up there's not a
377
ferrari in here found the ferrari reel okay let's open up these boxes first
378
so we can make more wait for it all right we'll We'll get these out of the way.
379
Oh my God.
380
Wait, fireworks.
381
Don't break it.
382
Wait, what?
383
Is it fireworks?
384
Oh, these could blow up at any time.
385
The container said there's explosives in here.
386
Okay, wait, I shouldn't be touching this.
387
That's freaking that.
388
Even though we want to see what kind of car is under that cover, we don't know if there's any more dangerous or explosive items in here.
389
So we have to be careful.
390
If it was expensive, it's definitely not worth anything now.
391
It's chipped.
392
Yeah.
393
That antique definitely has a really bad chip, But this next box is full of even worse chips.
394
Oh, Doritos!
395
Why are there so many Doritos in here?
396
Levels is way better than Doritos!
397
I agree.
398
Now screw Doritos!
399
Click the link in my description to buy levels.
400
So far, we've found lifelike robots, Apple products, and so many more electronics, and somehow none of it was damaged.
401
There's like five TVs.
402
Yo, who wants a free flat screen TV?
403
Earlier, we said to subscribe for the iPhone, but if you want a TV, like the video.
404
Like it.
405
But we weren't so lucky with our next few products.
406
Oh, look.
407
It's an electric unicycle.
408
Shut up.
409
Does it work?
410
Let's see.
411
No. It doesn't work?
412
Well, let's keep searching.
413
All right.
414
Now, we only have about 30 minutes left before the tide rises too high and we lose everything.
415
And since our last two vehicles didn't work, we need to hurry because we don't want to risk that car getting water damaged.
416
Bro, I'm trying to open these fast.
417
I feel like the tide's rising.
418
We're going to drown in here.
419
Wait, I recognize these boxes, bro.
420
Shut up!
421
Oh!
422
Bro, what?
423
Oh, this is mine.
424
This is mine.
425
Open up.
426
See what's inside.
427
There's no way there's actually Louis Vuitton in here.
428
Bro!
429
Dude, these are like $2,000.
430
Bro, they're actually real?
431
Whoa!
432
Another purse.
433
Wait, dude, there's a bunch of water in it.
434
Oh.
435
Oh.
436
Yeah, that one is cooked.
437
Okay, well, let's hurry up because we're running out of time.
438
They're Pokemon cars.
439
Wait, what?
440
These are so much money.
441
This is like brand new, too.
442
Look, it's in the seal.
443
All right, we got to go through this quick.
444
We don't have much time.
445
We're looking for something shiny.
446
Nothing.
447
Okay, let's see.
448
Wait, are you guys hearing that?
449
Wait, what is that?
450
It's a freaking crate.
451
Whoa.
452
We're moving.
453
Wait, we're like rocking.
454
We're actually moving.
455
The waves are starting to get really high.
456
Wait, yeah, the tide is way too high.
457
Alright, alright, let's go quick, quick, quick, quick.
458
Let's go quick.
459
Okay, wait.
460
That's okay, that's okay.
461
Okay.
462
Hey, this is decent.
463
Oh, that's okay.
464
What is that?
465
Wait, I think that's good.
466
I think that's good.
467
Wait, this looks sick.
468
Wait, Articuno?
469
Dude, I love Articuno.
470
We don't have time to open all these Pokemon cards, so let's just open them later.
471
Wait, what's in this box?
472
Wait, dude, there's electronics in there.
473
Wait, bro, be careful.
474
We don't have much time.
475
Bro!
476
Caleb!
477
Oh wait!
478
We got PS5!
479
Let's go!
480
Wait, are they water damaged?
481
No bro, mine's completely dry.
482
Now mine's dry too.
483
Alright, let's finish this up.
484
Oh!
485
Bro!
486
That one's yours, this one's mine.
487
And now that we've moved every box out of the way, it's finally time to take off the cover and see what kind of car we bought for $20,000.
488
Because we were not prepared for what happened to it after.
489
Bro, how do we know it's not like destroyed?
490
Hey man, there's only one way to find out Drew.
491
I mean guys there was a lot of water in here
492
this car could not work at all like it could literally be water damaged or
493
It could be in perfect condition and we got a new car in three two one Oh wait what?
494
Holy crap wait wait what?
495
It's a freaking slingshot.
496
Wait, these things are like $50,000.
497
Oh, okay, wait.
498
This is someone's car, and they kept it in perfect condition.
499
Wait, Drew, we're in a car in the middle of the ocean right now.
500
Wait, but does it start?
501
Bro, it actually works.
502
New car?
503
What?
504
Oh, shut up.
505
It's turning on.
506
We're going to go get some food real quick.
507
You want anything?
508
Caleb, we're in the middle of the ocean right now.
509
How are you going to drive that off?
510
Well, there's sushi.
511
We're gonna eat sushi right there.
512
Bruh!
513
It's fresh.
514
Now that we've emptied the entire shipping container, it's light enough for the dock owner to lift it out of the water
515
and onto the land so we can take our car out.
516
Boy, it's kind of a tight squeeze.
517
I know. Be careful.
518
Don't scratch it.
519
Oh, my God.
520
Oh, my God.
521
Lane, this is so sick.
522
I didn't realize this was like a three-wheeled car.
523
Dude, what?
524
There's one wheel in the back.
525
Okay, wait.
526
I knew it felt a little funky.
527
I'm going to take it for a test drive.
528
One goal.
529
Oh my God.
530
Like the video.
531
We'll see you guys next time.
532
Peace.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Exploring an Abandoned Shipping Container Lost at Sea!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: container, bro, shipping. This video has 530 sentences and 3295 words to shadow. The speech runs for 17:23. The speaker talks fast, about 190 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow. 97 of its 530 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| container noun | /kənˈteɪ.nəɹ/ | An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported. |
| robot noun | /ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/ | An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal. |
| shore noun | /ʃɔɹ/ | Land adjoining a non-flowing body of water, such as an ocean, lake or pond. |
| whoa | /woʊ/ | Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down. |
| float verb | /fləʊt/ | To be supported by a fluid of greater density (than the object). |
| tide noun | /taɪd/ | The daily fluctuation in the level of the sea caused by the gravitational influence of the moon and the sun. |
| surfboard noun | /ˈsɝfˌbɔɹd/ | A shaped waterproof plank, usually made of wood or foam and reinforced plastic, used to surf on waves. |
| coffin noun | /ˈkɔfɪn/ | A closed box in which the body of a dead person is placed for burial. |
| explosive adjective | /ɛkˈspləʊsɪv/ | Able to, or likely to, explode. |
| subscribe verb | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). |
| hurry verb | /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ | To do things quickly. |
| treasure noun | /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/ | A collection of valuable things; accumulated wealth; a stock of money, jewels, etc. |
| electronics noun | /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɑ.nɪks/ | The study and use of electrical devices that operate by controlling the flow of electrons or other electrically charged particles or by converting the flow of… |
| sink verb | /ˈsɪŋk/ | To descend or submerge (or to cause to do so) into a liquid or similar substance. |
| snake noun | /sneɪk/ | Any of the suborder Serpentes of legless reptiles with long, thin bodies and fork-shaped tongues. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| shut up | /ʃʌt ʌp/ | Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)… |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| get back to verb | Return to (an activity) | |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. | |
| get out verb | To leave or escape. | |
| open up verb | To open. | |
| fall back into verb | To return to old habits; to return to an unhealthy or unhappy situation. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- We're going to go?
- Do you see it sticking out of the water?
- Wait, have we actually found it?
- Do you think it's used?
- Bro, how do we know it's not like destroyed?
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 | are sunk · is submerged · been stuck |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | might've made · I've ever opened · has been looked |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | Company, which is · too, which is · container, Which means |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might take · might be · might seem |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 94 contractions and reduced forms, such as we're, don't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shore /ʃɔɹ/, treasure /ˈtɹɛʒəɹ/, sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, donation /doʊˈneɪʃən/, slingshot /ˈslɪŋʃɒt/
- Long words — get the stress right: electronics /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɑ.nɪks/, biodegradable /(ˌ)baɪoʊdəˈɡɹeɪdəbl̩/, unicycle /ˈjun.ɪˌsaɪ.kəl/, technically /ˈtɛk.nɪˌkəl.i/
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 container, robot, shore.
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.