Shadowing Practice: Family Life 2 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B1
Ryan, your dad and I want you to start doing some chores.
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Ryan, your dad and I want you to start doing some chores.
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But I already tidy up my room.
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Isn't that enough?
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You also need to do chores around the house.
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The whole family must contribute to how the household runs.
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When children help out, chores get done sooner.
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This frees up time for the family to do fun things together.
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Okay, so what exactly do I have to do?
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Let's start with putting dirty clothes in the hamper,
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watering the plants, and taking out the trash.
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Okay, what else?
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How about setting and clearing the dining room table?
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Is that all?
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And loading and unloading the dishwasher.
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But I don't know how to do that.
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I will teach you.
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It's really easy.
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Do I have to do all of these things every day?
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No, I want you to share these chores with Leticia.
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You can both decide which ones you want to do.
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That's not fair!
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Why isn't this fair?
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She's going to pick the easiest ones for herself and give me the harder chores to do.
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No, she won't.
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I'll take care of that.
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You don't know, Leticia.
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If I have to share chores with my sister,
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I'm going to be doing most of the work.
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I'll keep an eye on her and make sure she won't cheat, I promise.
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Okay, so let me show you how to load the dishwasher.
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On the top rack, we must put the bowls,
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cups, mugs, and glasses facing down so the water will drain out.
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We need to leave space between the glasses and other items
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because the water can cause the glasses to bang together and crack.
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Pretty easy so far.
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What shall we put on the bottom rack?
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The bottom rack should be used for plates,
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large bowls, pots, and pans.
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What about the four spoons and knives?
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We must put them in the cutlery basket.
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Can I put this plate on the top rack?
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There's no room for it on the bottom rack.
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No, we shouldn't overload the dishwasher.
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Why not?
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A dishwasher is less effective if it's crammed full of stuff.
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The dishes will not come out clean.
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We can wash the items that are left out by hand.
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The dishwasher is loaded now.
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What's next?
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Next, we put the detergent in the dishwasher.
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We open the detergent drawer.
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Add the tablet with the red ball facing up and close the drawer.
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Now let's choose the Eco program and press Start.
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Once the cycle is finished,
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check that the detergent has done its job.
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It's fully rinsed away and that the dishes are dry.
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If they're still damp, let them dry for about 30 minutes before putting them away.
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Honey, we're out of bread.
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Could you go to the store and buy two loaves?
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Yeah, sure, no problem.
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And I also need some mangoes,
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lemons, and avocados and two rolls of paper towels.
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Do you need any help with dinner, Mom?
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Yes.
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Could you please make the mashed potatoes?
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Okay.
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Where are the potatoes?
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The potatoes are in the cellar.
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They are right in the middle,
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under the cheese, and between the pumpkin and the flour sacks.
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And how many should I peel?
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About 20 will do.
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Where is the peeler?
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The peeler is in the second drawer to the right of the oven,
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and really you could use any of the pots.
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Is this one okay?
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It's perfect.
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Cover the potatoes with water and add a generous pinch of salt.
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Bring them to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.
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What are you making there?
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turkey meatballs.
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Wow, I love them!
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Please show me how to cook them.
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In a large bowl, combine ground turkey,
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breadcrumbs, one onion, parsley, two eggs,
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garlic, basil, oregano, one teaspoon salt, and half teaspoon pepper.
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Then mix well.
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Add oil to the pan and wait a few seconds for it to heat up.
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Shape the mixture into balls and carefully place them in the hot pan.
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Fry the meatballs until browned on all sides.
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That's it.
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It's not hard at all.
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That's right.
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The potatoes are really soft now.
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We must drain them and then use a potato masher to mash the potatoes.
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Pour over some warm milk,
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then add a little butter and sour cream.
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Dinner is almost ready.
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Let's set the table, Brian.
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Okay, Dad.
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First, let's put the plates and bowls on the table.
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Perfect.
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Now let's put a napkin on the table by each person's plate on the left side.
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Next, let's bring the spoons and forks.
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We're going to place the fork to the left of the plate.
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Is it okay if I put it on top of the napkin?
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Better put it next to it.
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The knife will be directly to the right of the plate.
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Next to that will be the spoon.
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What about the dessert spoon?
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That comes above the plate.
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The glass should be positioned directly above the knife.
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Put the bread plate above the fork.
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The table is set.
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It looks very good.
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Let's bring the food now.
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We have chicken soup, mashed potatoes,
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meatballs, pickles, salad, and cherry cake.
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Sit down, everybody.
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Dinner's ready.
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The first thing that we need to do is put our napkin on our lap.
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First, let's eat the soup.
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You need to wait to start your soup until everybody got served.
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Bon appetit!
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Lily, we don't pick up the bowl and slurp the soup like this.
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You must use your spoon.
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Hold your soup spoon like you would hold it as a pencil.
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Does the soup have any meat in it, Mom?
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No, Brian, it doesn't.
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It only has vegetables and noodles.
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Letitia, pass the meatballs, please.
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Here you go, Dad.
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Thanks.
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Brian, don't put your elbows on the table when you're eating, and sit straight.
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That's not really great manners to have your elbows out.
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Lily, don't chew with your mouth open.
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Sorry, Mom.
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Letitia, never reach across a dish or someone else's plate to reach something.
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Instead, politely ask the person sitting next to you to please pass me the salt.
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Please pass me the salt, Brian.
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Here you go.
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Thanks.
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Brian, can you hand me the pickles?
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Here.
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Can I have some more potatoes, Mom?
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Sure, honey, here you go.
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Would you like some more meatballs, Brian?
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No, Mom, they're delicious, but I'm full.
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And I need to save room for dessert, too.
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Lily, don't just get up and leave.
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It's not polite.
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Always ask to be excused when finished.
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Let's clear the table now.
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Have you taken my book,
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Prehistoric and Ancient Civilizations, Leticia?
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No, I haven't.
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What should I do with such a book?
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I don't even like history.
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I can't find it anywhere.
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It's a book that I borrowed from the library today.
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I think I've lost it.
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Maybe you left it at school.
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No, it's not there because I went to the library after classes.
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Oh, it really bugs me when I lose things.
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Have you looked into your room?
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I've looked everywhere.
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It's not here.
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I must have dropped it somewhere,
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but I can't figure out where.
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Don't panic.
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It's bound to be around here somewhere.
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It's not.
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I think it's lost for good,
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and it's such an important book.
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I needed it for my history project.
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Oh, chill out, Brian.
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Let's just try and work out where you left it.
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Let's see, where did you go from the library?
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Well, I popped into a cafe to buy some cookies.
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Then I went directly to the bus station.
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Did you take your book out of your backpack on the bus?
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Yes, I did.
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I browsed it for a few minutes,
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then I put it back and prepared to get off the bus.
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Oh, I remember that right before getting off,
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I stumbled and almost fell down the stairs but luckily I landed on my feet.
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Then I came straight home,
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and when I wanted to take the book out of my backpack and read it,
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it wasn't there any longer.
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It just disappeared.
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Then it must have fallen out of your backpack when you stumbled in the bus.
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Maybe you forgot to zip up your backpack?
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I think you're right.
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It makes sense.
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Let's tell Mom about this and see what needs to be done in this case.
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Well, don't worry.
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I'm going to call the bus depot and ask them if the bus driver left the book there by any chance.
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Good news!
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The bus driver found your book and will return it to you in the morning.
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Yippee!
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Hi, I'm home.
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Have you had a good day?
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No, not really.
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Actually, it's been a bit of a nightmare.
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Oh dear.
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What's happened?
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Well, first, I waited in all morning for the new TV to be delivered.
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But they never showed up.
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Oh, I don't believe it.
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Hadn't they promised to be here today?
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Yeah, but I'm not surprised, to be honest.
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They didn't show up last week, either.
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I was pretty angry, though.
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I bet you were.
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Anyway, I called them, and they said that they'd definitely be here next Monday.
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Next Monday?
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They are really shameless.
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That's the earliest they could do, they said.
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I told them if they didn't show up next time,
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I'd cancel the order.
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Quite right, too.
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That TV costs a fortune.
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And then my laptop crashed while I was on the internet.
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I couldn't work anymore.
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I think it's got a virus.
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Didn't you install that antivirus software?
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I forgot to do it.
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No wonder you've got a virus.
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I'll have a look at it later, if you like.
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Then Brian's teacher called me and said he was caught fighting during the break.
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Fighting?
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That has never happened before.
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I wonder what got into him.
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He said that the other boy started it.
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Don't worry.
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We'll work it out.
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I'll go and talk to him in a bit.
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Is there anything to eat?
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I'm starving.
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Dinner's in the oven.
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So, how was your day?
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Well, I had quite a good day, actually.
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At least one of us had a good day.
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Context & Background
In this video, a family discusses the importance of children contributing to household chores. It captures a typical conversation between a parent and a child, Ryan, who is hesitant about taking on additional responsibilities beyond tidying up his room. The discussion highlights how sharing chores can improve family dynamics and provide more time for enjoyable activities together. Through practical examples, the parent teaches Ryan how to effectively load a dishwasher, emphasizing the importance of proper organization and teamwork in shared responsibilities.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “You also need to do chores around the house.” - A reminder of shared responsibilities.
- “Can I put this plate on the top rack?” - A common question that illustrates curiosity and learning.
- “Why isn't this fair?” - Expressing feelings about the division of tasks.
- “The whole family must contribute.” - Acknowledgment of teamwork within the family.
- “I will teach you.” - A supportive phrase indicating guidance and instruction.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To enhance your English speaking practice using this video, follow these detailed steps for effective shadowing:
- Watch Actively: First, watch the video once without pausing. Observe the context and the flow of conversation to understand how family members communicate naturally.
- Phrasing: Identify the top phrases highlighted above. Write them down and practice saying them aloud to internalize the structure and intonation.
- Shadow Speak: Rewind the video and play small sections, pausing after each sentence. Attempt to repeat what you hear, mirroring the speaker’s tone and pace. This is crucial for pronunciation and fluency.
- Technical Practice: Focus on the specific tasks mentioned, like loading the dishwasher. You can practice this at home, narrating your actions in English to reinforce vocabulary and phrases.
- Discuss: Engage with a friend or family member about the topic. Use the learned phrases in a conversational context, which will boost your confidence in real-life situations.
These steps can be invaluable for anyone looking to learn English with YouTube as a dynamic learning resource. By shadowing and practicing with real-life conversations, you enhance your ability to speak fluently and naturally, which can greatly aid in preparations for tests like IELTS.
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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