Shadowing Practice: Getting Flowers | English Conversation Practice | Episode 140 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello, everyone.
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Welcome back to EnglishPod.
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My name is Marco.
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And my name is Catherine.
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Welcome back, everyone.
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So what are we talking about today, Marco?
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We are going to the flower shop.
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Okay, so this is an intermediate level lesson, and we're going to be learning about the different kinds of flowers you can buy at a flower shop.
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And so we've got a guy here who's probably trying to say something to someone he loves.
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Yeah, I think he did something to his girlfriend or wife.
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And, well, that's the typical thing, right?
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You do something wrong, so you've got to get her flowers.
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And that's why women are often very nervous when their husband or boyfriend gives them flowers because she's thinking, hmm, what did he do wrong?
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All right, so let's listen to the dialogue, and we'll be back soon.
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Hello, sir.
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How may I help you?
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I would like to buy some flowers, please.
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Something really nice.
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I see.
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May I ask what the occasion is?
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It's not really an occasion.
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It's more like I'm sorry.
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Very well.
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This arrangement here is very popular among regretful husbands and boyfriends.
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It has a dozen long -stemmed red roses with a couple of sunflowers and a single orchid that stands out.
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Includes a small teddy bear to achieve the effect of immediate forgiveness.
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I think I'm going to need more than just a dozen red roses and a bear.
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What else do you recommend?
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Hmm, well, this is our I'm sorry I cheated on you package.
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Two dozen red roses lined with tulips, carnations, and lilies.
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The fragrance and beauty of this flower arrangement is sure to make her forgive you.
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I don't think that's going to cut it.
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I need something bigger and better.
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I'm sorry, sir, but what exactly did you do?
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Well, I may have accidentally insinuated that she is getting chubbier.
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Get out of my store, you jerk.
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All right, we're back.
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So what do you think?
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Is this really, like, a bad thing to do?
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Heck yeah.
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No, really?
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Well, no one wants to hear that someone thinks they're fat, okay?
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And chubby is maybe not as bad as fat, but the guy could have been a little bit nicer.
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All right, so we'll give our listeners some advice towards the end of the lesson.
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So now why don't we take a look at all the flower names in Language Takeaway.
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Language Takeaway.
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Okay, this first flower is a beautiful one and it has delicious seeds that people like to eat.
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It's called a sunflower.
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A sunflower.
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All right, so that's a yellow flower, right?
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It's bright yellow and in the middle is orange and the stems are very, very long. And thick.
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Yeah, and thick.
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So it's a tall flower.
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Okay, sunflower.
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And yeah, as you mentioned, some people eat sunflower seeds.
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They're like the little salty ones, right?
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That's right.
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They're really good.
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All right.
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Next is an orchid.
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Okay, an orchid is a beautiful flower, and they're often grown just one at a time.
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And people collect orchids, so these can be very, very expensive.
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They're very expensive.
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And they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
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Okay, an orchid.
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Now, what about a tulip?
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A tulip is another pretty flower, and I think they're most famous in Holland for their tulips
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because this actually used to be the kind of money that they would use.
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This was their currency for many years.
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They used to use tulips.
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They used to use tulips, and the tulip flower is kind of like a champagne glass.
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It's tall, and it's kind of empty in the middle.
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Wow, that's interesting.
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So next time somebody says, do you think money grows on trees?
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In Holland, it literally did.
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Well, yeah.
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Almost.
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All right what about a carnation okay a carnation is another pretty flower
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and uh they come i think in red pink
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and white yeah i've mostly seen white carnations yeah and um you know flower giving there's a whole
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definition to it right
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so yeah every flower is symbolic of something red red roses are for love
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and carnations i think are generally friendship either friendship or like
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when someone dies i'm not sure but you can give them
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when someone has passed away really I'm not sure I have to look it up
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but carnation is another very very common flower
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that you'll see in many different colors okay
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and the next flower is also really common it's a lily all right a lily is a beautiful flower
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and usually you see these on water
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so water lilies for examples is another name you might hear okay a water lily
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or just a regular lily and next we have the most common of all the flowers
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but we've added a little twist to it it's a long stem rose right
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so rose everyone knows a rose by any other name would smell as sweet Shakespeare wrote a lot about roses
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but in this case we're talking about long stem roses
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and we talked about this with sunflowers the stem is the green part
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that grows out of the ground and you think of the flower as the head
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and so the stem is actually the connector between the ground
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and the flower okay so these types of roses have a really long stem
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so they're very nice to like maybe give them give one of them away that's right
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and you see for example at the opera you see singers people throw these roses at them
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and they pick them up and they're so long the stems are
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so long and they collect them in their arms and so that's a long Alright, interesting.
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Okay, why don't we listen to our dialogue for the second time.
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Let's keep a lookout for these flower names and their pronunciation, and we'll come back in a little bit.
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Hello sir, how may I help you?
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I would like to buy some flowers please, something really nice.
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I see.
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May I ask what the occasion is?
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It's not really an occasion, it's more like I'm sorry.
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Very well.
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This arrangement here is very popular among regretful husbands and boyfriends.
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It has a dozen long -stemmed red roses with a couple of sunflowers and a single orchid that stands out.
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It includes a small teddy bear to achieve the effect of immediate forgiveness.
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I think I'm going to need more than just a dozen red roses and a bear.
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What else do you recommend?
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Hmm, well, this is our I'm sorry I cheated on you package.
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Two dozen red roses lined with tulips, carnations and lilies.
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The fragrance and beauty of this flower arrangement is sure to make her forgive you.
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I don't think that's going to cut it.
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I need something bigger and better.
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I'm sorry, sir, but what exactly did you do?
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Well, I may have accidentally insinuated that she is getting chubbier.
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Get out of my store, you jerk!
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Alright, we're back.
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So in this dialogue, we had a lot of interesting phrases, so let's look at them now in Fluency Builder.
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fluency builder a lot of these phrases Marco have to do
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with well what the guy did wrong in today's dialogue and
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so the first one is to cheat on
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so the woman offered him the I'm sorry I cheated on you package right
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so it's like an arrangement of flowers that usually people buy
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when they cheated on their boyfriend or girlfriend right and
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so in this case to cheat on means to see another person
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so if you're you're married to a woman seeing someone else you know having a date
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or romantic encounter with another person is cheating on your wife
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so you're cheating on your wife right you use it like this cheat on right cheat on
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so he cheated on her or they were both cheating on each other okay
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so she's a cheat on not a good thing not a good thing all right
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so he was explaining to her that wasn't enough the arrangement wasn't enough
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and he said i don't think that's gonna cut it well okay you've probably heard the word cut before
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but in this case marco we're talking about to be able to cut something cut it
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so that's not gonna cut it
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or it's not gonna cut it it's not gonna be enough exactly
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so that's not quite what i'm looking for it's not enough he wants bigger
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and better he wants more and
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so for example we could say you know what this dessert's not gonna cut it we need something much fancier Okay, so...
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To be good enough for.
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Okay, so to be good enough for.
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All right, very good.
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And then he was explaining to the shop lady what happened, and he said, well, I accidentally insinuated.
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Okay, to insinuate is to suggest.
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So I could say, hey, you're really chubby.
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That's not an insinuation.
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That's a statement.
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But I could say, well, you're looking a little bit round at the sides.
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That's an insinuation because I'm suggesting it without saying something.
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Right, so you're saying something indirectly, right?
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Exactly.
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And he was insinuating that his girlfriend was getting chubbier.
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Chubby.
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So chubby, chubbier, chubbiest.
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In this case, we're talking about being round or a little bit overweight.
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Right, so it's not really saying fat.
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No, fat is rude.
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Chubby is, you know, it's in between.
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Just a little bit extra pounds.
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Yeah, like maybe you had a little bit too much ice cream over the past couple months.
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All right.
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Very good.
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So why don't we listen to the dialogue for the last time and we'll be back.
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Hello, sir.
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How may I help you?
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I would like to buy some flowers, please.
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Something really nice.
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I see.
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May I ask what the occasion is?
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It's not really an occasion.
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It's more like I'm sorry.
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Very well.
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This arrangement here is very popular among regretful husbands and boyfriends.
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It has a dozen long -stemmed red roses with a couple of sunflowers and a single orchid that stands out.
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It includes a small teddy bear to achieve the effect of immediate forgiveness.
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I think I'm going to need more than just a dozen red roses and a bear.
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What else do you recommend?
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Well, this is our I'm sorry I cheated on you package.
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Two dozen red roses lined with tulips, carnations and lilies.
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The fragrance and beauty of this flower arrangement is sure to make her forgive you.
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I don't think that's going to cut it.
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I need something bigger and better.
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I'm sorry, sir, but what exactly did you do?
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Well, I may have accidentally insinuated that she is getting chubbier.
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Get out of my store, you jerk!
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Alright, so if you make a mistake, like as a guy, right, you give flowers to your girlfriend, What about women giving flowers to guys?
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Is that common?
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Do you think that's possible?
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Can you do that?
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I'm sure you can do it, but I don't know if it's as common.
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Like, I think as a guy, I wouldn't really feel comfortable receiving flowers.
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Really?
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I mean, I would be touched by the gesture and I would be like, oh, that's really sweet.
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But like flowers, it's a little bit too feminine, I think.
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Generally, I think it's a one -sided thing.
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So you can get flowers for your mother or you can get flowers for a friend.
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Or if someone, you know, passed away, you can get flowers for their family.
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Right but in a romantic situation rarely do you get flowers to a guy so
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if you want to say I'm sorry to a guy what
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do you give him season tickets to his favorite football
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that works or a game for his playstation game for his playstation
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or offer him a new coat of paint on his car
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I don't know have you never given a gift to somebody
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like saying I'm sorry no no you don't make mistakes I like to use my words.
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Ah, that's good.
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Yeah, this is kind of interesting.
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Why do we do this though?
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Why do we give gifts to people as a token or as a demonstration of our regretfulness?
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Well, can I get personal for a second?
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I just was thinking about this in terms of engagement.
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So why do people give a ring when they get engaged?
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So I think it's because people like things that glitter, you know, it's like distract the woman and she'll say yes.
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And so it's the similar thing with flowers and forgiveness, you say, oh gosh, these flowers are so beautiful.
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Of course I forgive you.
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Oh, they're so pretty and they smell so, you know, it's just like distraction from the matter at hand.
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Right.
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Maybe that's it.
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I don't know.
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If you disagree with me, please write us.
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It was a very wise man who invented this.
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Absolutely.
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Alright, so if you have any questions, doubts, or comments, please come to our website, EnglishPod .com, and we'll see you guys there.
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Bye, everyone.
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Bye.
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and now it's time to listen to a warm
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and gentle podcast about getting flowers this is a simple
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and beautiful topic from everyday life flowers are part of many human moments people get flowers
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when they are happy when they are sad
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when they want to say thank you when they want to say sorry
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when they want to celebrate and when they simply want to bring beauty into an ordinary day.
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Flowers may look quiet, but they carry feeling.
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A small bouquet can say many things without using a single word.
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Getting flowers can happen in many different ways.
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Sometimes a person buys flowers for another person.
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Sometimes they receive flowers as a surprise.
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Sometimes they pick flowers from a garden or a field.
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Sometimes they order flowers online sometimes they get one flower, and sometimes they get many.
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Each situation feels a little different, but the heart of the moment is often the same.
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Flowers usually carry care, attention, and a wish to make someone feel something warm.
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Many people remember the first time they received flowers.
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It may have been on a birthday, at a school event, after a performance, at a wedding, or during a visit from someone they loved.
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The memory often stays strong because flowers create a moment that feels special.
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The colors catch the eye.
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The smell may be soft and fresh.
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The hands hold something living and delicate.
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It feels different from receiving money or a useful object.
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Flowers are not always practical, but they are meaningful.
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That is one of the interesting things about flowers.
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They are beautiful, but they do not last forever.
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They bloom, they brighten a room, and then they slowly fade.
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Some people think this makes flowers less useful, but others believe that this is part of their meaning.
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A flower reminds us that beauty can be temporary and still very valuable.
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A beautiful moment does not need to last forever to matter.
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In fact, sometimes temporary beauty feels even more precious because we know it will change.
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People get flowers for many reasons.
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One common reason is celebration.
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Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, and new jobs are often connected with flowers.
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A bouquet can say congratulations in a way that feels bright and joyful.
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It can add color to a room and warmth to a moment.
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At a celebration, flowers often become part of the atmosphere.
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They sit on tables, rest in hands, appear in photos, and quietly help the whole event feel more alive.
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Another common reason for getting flowers is love.
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Flowers are often given in romantic relationships.
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A person may buy roses before a date, send flowers for an anniversary, or surprise their partner with a bouquet on an ordinary afternoon.
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In these cases, the flowers may say, I love you, I missed you, or I was thinking about you.
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A thoughtful gift of flowers can feel very sweet because it shows intention.
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The giver did not need to do it, but they chose to.
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That choice creates emotional meaning.
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Flowers are also used when words feel difficult.
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A person may send flowers to apologize after an argument.
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They may send flowers to a grieving family after a death.
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They may take flowers to visit someone in the hospital.
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In these moments, flowers become a quiet form of communication.
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They do not fix pain, but they show presence.
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They say, I care, I am with you, I am thinking of you, and I did not want to come empty -handed into this important moment.
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Sometimes people get flowers for themselves, and that is meaningful too.
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A person may stop at a market, see fresh flowers, and decide to take some home.
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They may place them in a jar, a vase, or even a simple glass of water.
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Suddenly, the kitchen, the bedroom, or the living room feels brighter.
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This is a small act, but it can change the mood of a home.
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Buying flowers for yourself can be a quiet way of bringing beauty and care into everyday life.
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There are many kinds of flowers, and each kind creates a slightly different feeling.
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Roses often feel romantic or elegant.
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Tulips feel fresh and cheerful.
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Sunflowers feel bright and strong.
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Lilies can feel graceful and calm.
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Daisies feel simple and friendly.
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Orchids may feel delicate and special.
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Carnations are common and practical.
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Wildflowers often feel free and natural.
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People choose flowers based on meaning, color, season, price, or simple personal taste.
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Sometimes they choose with deep thought.
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Sometimes they simply choose what looks beautiful in that moment.
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Getting flowers often begins in a flower shop, a market, a supermarket, or a street stand.
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A person walks in and sees buckets, shelves, or cool display rooms full of stems and colors.
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There may be roses tied together, mixed bouquets ready to carry, or single flowers waiting to be chosen.
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The smell can be fresh and gentle.
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The person may not know what to buy at first.
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Then they begin asking questions.
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Which flowers are freshest?
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What colors would be best?
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How much can I spend?
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Do I want something simple or something more elegant?
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A florist can help with these choices.
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A florist is a person who works with flowers.
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They understand flowers, colors, wrapping, ribbons, vases, and arrangements.
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A good florist does more than sell flowers.
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They help people express feeling.
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A customer may say, I need flowers for my mother, or I want something romantic but not too expensive,
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or I need a bouquet for a funeral.
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The florist listens and tries to create something that fits the moment.
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This work mixes beauty, care, and practical skill.
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Price is also part of the experience.
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Some flowers are expensive, especially in certain seasons or when they are imported from far away.
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Other flowers are more affordable.
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A person may have a large budget for a wedding bouquet, or only enough money for a few simple stems wrapped in paper.
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Both can still be meaningful.
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The value of flowers is not measured only by cost.
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A single flower offered with care may touch the heart more deeply than an expensive bouquet chosen without thought.
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There is also a difference between formal flower giving and informal flower giving.
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Formal flower giving often happens at events such as weddings, funerals, performances, or official celebrations.
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The bouquet may be large and carefully arranged.
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Informal flower giving is more personal.
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Someone may buy flowers on the way home, pick them from a garden, or leave a small bunch on a table with a note.
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These moments feel softer and more intimate.
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They often remain in the memory because they are unexpected.
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Receiving flowers can feel emotional too.
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Some people smile immediately.
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Some become shy.
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Some feel surprised because they did not expect anyone to think of them that way.
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Some people even cry when they receive flowers, especially if the moment has emotional weight.
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A bouquet can touch something deep because it represents attention.
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It says, Someone paused, thought of me, chose something beautiful, and brought it here.
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That can feel powerful, especially in a world where many people feel busy and distracted.
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Flowers also appear in important life ceremonies.
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Brides may carry bouquets.
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Graduates may receive flowers after a ceremony or performance.
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Religious spaces may be decorated with flowers on holy days or weddings.
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Families may bring flowers to graves to remember those who have died.
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In these situations, flowers become part of ritual.
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They help people mark important moments in a visual and emotional way.
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Their beauty stands beside love, memory, faith, and human connection.
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There is also something interesting about how people care for flowers after getting them.
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The wrapping comes off.
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The stems may be cut.
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Water is placed in a vase.
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Sometimes plant food is added.
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Dead leaves are removed.
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The vase is placed where the light feels right.
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This small care continues the gift.
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It says, this beauty matters, and I want it to live as long as it can.
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A person may look at the flowers every morning for several days.
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The bouquet becomes part of the rhythm of the room.
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Children often learn about flowers very early.
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They may pick one for a parent.
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They may draw flowers in school.
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They may watch adults place flowers on a table for guests.
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In this way, flowers become part of emotional education.
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A child learns that beauty can be given.
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They learn that a gift does not always need to be large or permanent.
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A simple flower can say love, gratitude, or apology.
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These are quiet but important lessons.
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Flowers can also be connected to memory.
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A certain flower may remind someone of a grandmother's garden, a wedding day, a spring afternoon,
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a childhood home, or a person who used to bring flowers often.
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Smell is especially powerful in this way.
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The soft smell of lilies, roses, or jasmine can open an old memory very quickly.
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So when people get flowers, they may receive not only the flowers themselves,
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but also feelings and memories connected to them.
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Seasons matter in this topic too.
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Spring is strongly connected with flowers because many plants bloom naturally at that time.
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Gardens fill with color, markets become brighter, and people often feel lighter in spirit.
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But flowers are present in all seasons in different ways.
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Summer flowers may feel wild and full.
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Autumn flowers may feel rich and warm.
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Winter flowers may feel rare, elegant, or especially precious because nature outside looks more quiet.
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Seasonal flowers often carry the mood of the time of year.
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Some people grow their own flowers in gardens, on balconies, or in small pots near a window,
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getting flowers from your own garden feels different from buying them.
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It includes time, patience, weather, watering, and care.
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A flower grown at home often carries a different kind of pride and tenderness.
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If such flowers are given as a gift,
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the meaning can feel even deeper because the giver was part of their whole journey from seed or small plant to bloom.
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Flowers can also change the feeling of a room very quickly.
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A plain table becomes softer with a vase of flowers.
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An office feels less cold.
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A hospital room feels more human.
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A quiet bedroom becomes a little brighter.
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Even one or two stems can create that effect.
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This is one reason flowers are often chosen when people want to make a place feel more alive without changing everything.
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They bring temporary beauty and living color into space.
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In relationships, flowers can say many different things.
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They can say, thank you for your care.
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They can say, I am proud of you.
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They can say, I am sorry.
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They can say, I wanted to make you smile.
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Because the meaning changes with the moment, flowers are flexible.
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That flexibility makes them useful.
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A person does not always need a perfect sentence.
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Sometimes they can let the flowers begin the message and then allow conversation or silence to finish it.
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At the same time, it is important to know that not everyone feels the same way about flowers.
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Some people love them deeply.
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Others appreciate them, but prefer practical gifts.
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Some think flowers are beautiful, but too temporary.
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Others see their temporary nature as the very reason they are special.
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This difference is normal.
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Gifts are personal, and people receive meaning in different ways.
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The best giving often comes from knowing the person, not only following tradition.
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For English learners, this topic is very useful because it offers many everyday words and expressions.
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Words like flower, bouquet, rose, stem, vase, petals, florist, wrap,
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ribbon, fresh, bloom, garden, arrangement, and fragrance are all valuable.
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We can use simple sentences such as, I bought flowers for my mother.
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She received a bouquet on her birthday.
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The florist wrapped the roses in paper, and the flowers made the room feel brighter.
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These are natural, real -life expressions.
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You can also practice simple speaking lines.
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For example, I want to get flowers for my friend.
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These roses are beautiful.
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What kind of flowers do you recommend?
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I received flowers after my performance.
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We put the bouquet in a vase near the window.
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The smell is soft and lovely.
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These sentences are easy to understand and useful in daily conversation.
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They also help language connect to emotion, and that makes learning more memorable.
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Getting flowers is a simple act, but it touches many parts of life.
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It touches celebration, love, grief, memory, beauty, and daily care.
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It can happen in a market, at a hospital, at a wedding, at a grave, in a garden, or during an ordinary walk home.
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It can be planned or spontaneous.
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It can be expensive or very simple.
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Yet, in all these forms, flowers carry a quiet message.
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Something here matters enough to be marked with beauty.
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There is one more lovely part of getting flowers.
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Because they are living things, they ask us to slow down a little.
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A person notices the color, the shape of the petals, the curve of the stem, the way the flowers open more over time,
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and then the way they slowly fade.
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In a fast life, this gentle process can feel meaningful.
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Flowers remind people to look, to pause, and to notice what is beautiful now.
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Thank you for listening to this warm and gentle podcast about getting flowers.
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I hope it helped you think about flowers in a simple and meaningful way.
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The next time you see a bouquet in a shop, receive a flower from someone, place fresh stems on a table,
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or hear someone speak about giving flowers, perhaps the moment will feel richer and clearer to you.
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Small things often carry deep feeling, and flowers are one beautiful example of that truth.
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And maybe that is the best final thought.
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Flowers do not speak, but they still communicate.
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They bring color into ordinary rooms, warmth into quiet moments, and feeling into human relationships.
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They may not last forever, but for a few days they bloom, brighten, and gently remind us that beauty,
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care, and attention still matter in everyday life.
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Another beautiful truth about getting flowers is that the moment often feels larger than the object itself.
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A bouquet may fit in two hands, but the feeling it creates can fill a whole room.
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A person may remember the expression on the giver's face, the timing of the gift, the place where it happened, and the emotions that came with it.
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The flowers become part of the memory, almost like a soft frame around the human moment.
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This is why people sometimes keep a photo of the bouquet or even dry one flower to save as a memory.
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Flowers can also teach generosity in a very simple way.
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A person does not need a special event to bring flowers.
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They can take a few flowers when visiting an older relative, a friend who feels lonely, or a neighbor who has had a hard week.
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These small gestures can carry more comfort than many long speeches.
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A person who feels forgotten may feel suddenly seen.
464
A quiet home may feel gently honored.
465
Flowers often work best in exactly these simple human moments.
466
In the end, getting flowers is about more than beauty.
467
It is about attention.
468
It is about saying, I noticed this moment, I noticed you, and I wanted to add something living and lovely to it.
469
That is why flowers remain meaningful in so many cultures and situations.
470
They help people celebrate, comfort, remember, and connect.
471
And that makes them much more than decoration.
472
It makes them part of the language of human care.
473
There is also a special feeling when flowers arrive unexpectedly.
474
A person may be having an ordinary day.
475
Then the door opens, or a friend appears, or a delivery arrives.
476
And suddenly, there are flowers in the room.
477
Surprise adds another layer of meaning.
478
The person realizes that someone thought of them even when no event required it.
479
This kind of unexpected kindness can feel very deep.
480
It turns a normal day into a memorable one.
481
Often, people remember surprise flowers for many years because they were not waiting for them.
482
The gift entered an ordinary moment and changed its emotional color completely.
483
Some people connect flowers with healing.
484
When someone is tired, sad, or recovering from illness, flowers may not solve the problem, but they can still help emotionally.
485
A soft arrangement near the bed, on a table, or by a window can bring life into a difficult day.
486
The sight of something fresh and delicate can offer comfort.
487
This is one reason flowers are often taken to hospitals, homes, and places where people need gentle encouragement.
488
So if you ever get flowers, whether from another person or for yourself, pause for a moment and notice what they bring with them.
489
It may be joy, gratitude, memory, apology, comfort, or simple beauty.
490
It may be a small gift, but its meaning can be wonderfully large.
491
That is the quiet magic of flowers, an ordinary human life for many people.
492
There is also a connection between flowers and time.
493
A bouquet often appears when time itself feels important.
494
A birthday marks another year.
495
A graduation marks the end of one stage and the start of another.
496
A funeral marks loss and remembrance.
497
An anniversary marks shared history.
498
In all these moments, flowers help people say, This day matters.
499
This moment should not pass unnoticed.
500
In that way, flowers become little signs placed beside human time, gently reminding us to honor what is happening.
501
People also sometimes struggle to choose the right words in emotional moments.
502
A person may feel deep gratitude, love, regret, or sympathy, but the heart may feel too full or too quiet for long speech.
503
Flowers can help when language feels incomplete.
504
They do not replace words forever, but they create a bridge.
505
They open the door for feeling.
506
They say, I came with care, even if I do not yet know how to say everything.
507
That is one reason flowers remain such a meaningful gift across so many places and generations.
508
Another lovely thing is that flowers invite people to notice beauty together.
509
When flowers are placed on a table, everyone in the room may look at them, someone may touch a petal softly,
510
someone may smell them, someone may comment on the color.
511
A conversation can begin around something beautiful.
512
In this way, flowers do not only connect the giver and the receiver, they can also shape the atmosphere around many people at once.
513
Beauty has a social power.
514
It opens hearts gently and gives people something peaceful to share.
515
So if this topic stays with you, let it stay as a reminder of quiet kindness.
516
Not every important gift is large.
517
Not every meaningful act needs a long explanation.
518
Sometimes a few flowers in the right moment can speak with more honesty than many complicated words.
519
That is a beautiful lesson for life and for language too.
520
Real communication is often simple, sincere, and full of care.
521
There is also a special feeling when flowers arrive unexpectedly.
522
A person may be having an ordinary day, then the door opens, or a friend appears, or a delivery arrives,
523
and suddenly there are flowers in the room surprise adds another layer of meaning the person realizes
524
that someone thought of them even
525
when no event required it this kind of unexpected kindness can
526
feel very deep it turns a normal day into a memorable one Often,
527
people remember surprise flowers for many years because they were not waiting for them.
528
The gift entered an ordinary moment and changed its emotional color completely.
529
Some people connect flowers with healing.
530
When someone is tired, sad, or recovering from illness, flowers may not solve the problem, but they can still help emotionally.
531
A soft arrangement near the bed, on a table, or by a window can bring life into a difficult day.
532
The sight of something fresh and delicate can offer comfort.
533
This is one reason flowers are often taken to hospitals, homes, and places where people need gentle encouragement.
534
So, if you ever get flowers, whether from another person or for yourself, pause for a moment and notice what they bring with them.
535
It may be joy, gratitude, memory, apology, comfort, or simple beauty.
536
It may be a small gift, but its meaning can be wonderfully large.
537
That is the quiet magic of flowers in ordinary human life for many people.
538
There is also a connection between flowers and time.
539
A bouquet often appears when time itself feels important.
540
A birthday marks another year.
541
A graduation marks the end of one stage and the start of another.
542
A funeral marks loss and remembrance.
543
An anniversary marks shared history.
544
In all these moments, flowers help people say, this day matters.
545
This moment should not pass unnoticed.
546
In that way, flowers become little signs placed beside human time, gently reminding us to honor what is happening.
547
People also sometimes struggle to choose the right words and emotional moments.
548
A person may feel deep gratitude,
549
love, regret, or sympathy, but the heart may feel too full or too quiet for long speech.
550
Flowers can help when language feels incomplete.
551
They do not replace words forever, but they create a bridge.
552
They open the door for feeling.
553
They say, I came with care, even if I do not yet know how to say everything.
554
That is one reason flowers remain such a meaningful gift across so many places and generations.
555
Another lovely thing is that flowers invite people to notice beauty together.
556
When flowers are placed on a table, everyone in the room may look at them.
557
Someone may touch a petal softly.
558
Someone may smell them.
559
Someone may comment on the color.
560
A conversation can begin around something beautiful.
561
In this way, flowers do not only connect the giver and the receiver, they can also shape the atmosphere around many people at once.
562
Beauty has a social power.
563
It opens hearts gently and gives people something peaceful to share.
564
So if this topic stays with you, let it stay as a reminder of quiet kindness.
565
Not every important gift is large.
566
Not every meaningful act needs a long explanation.
567
Sometimes a few flowers in the right moment can speak with more honesty than many complicated words.
568
That is a beautiful lesson for life and for language too.
569
Real communication is often simple, sincere, and full of care.
570
Even one fresh stem on a desk can make a person feel softer, calmer, and seen.
571
The EnglishPod audio review.
572
Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word occasion occasion
573
a word used to describe 12
574
units dozen says something deserves
575
to be chosen
576
null null
577
null more polite way of
578
calling someone fat chubby let's try
579
that faster occasion occasion no no
580
A word used to describe 12 units.
581
Dozen Says something deserves to be chosen.
582
Null More polite way of calling someone fat.
583
Chubby Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.
584
Dozen I would like to buy a dozen of eggs.
585
Dozen He sent her six dozen flowers,
586
representing the six years that they have been married.
587
Dozen Take a dozen of your best men and scout the forest.
588
Occasion On this occasion, I would like to buy something very special.
589
Occasion Occasions like this don't come so often in my life
590
Occasion What's the occasion for your visit?
591
Null I recommend you to stay away from that jungle.
592
Null.
593
He would recommend many unnecessary things.
594
Null.
595
He recommended me to hire this man.
596
Null The fragrance of lilies is very pleasant.
597
Null He always has such a sweet fragrance.
598
Null She bought a new perfume with a fragrance too sweet for my taste.
599
Chubby She got so much chubbier over the summer.
600
Chubby My dog keeps getting chubbier Chubby
601
He was a lot chubbier last time I saw him Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Getting Flowers”. This video has 601 sentences and 6214 words to shadow. The speech runs for 43:48. The speaker talks at a steady 142 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bouquet noun | /buːˈkeɪ/ | An arrangement or bunch of cut flowers; a nosegay. |
| chubby adjective | /ˈt͡ʃʌbi/ | Of a person: slightly overweight, somewhat fat, and hence plump, rounded, and soft. |
| stem noun | /stɛm/ | The stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors. |
| cheat verb | /ˈt͡ʃiːt/ | To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation. |
| arrangement noun | /əˈɹeɪnd͡ʒmənt/ | The act of arranging. |
| tulip noun | /ˈtulɪp/ | A type of flowering plant, genus Tulipa. |
| null noun | /nʌl/ | A non-existent or empty value or set of values. |
| meaningful adjective | /ˈmiː.nɪŋ.fl̩/ | Having meaning, significant. |
| carnation noun | /kɑɹˈneɪ.ʃən/ | originally, Dianthus caryophyllus |
| sunflower noun | /ˈsʌn.flaʊ.əɹ/ | Any plant of the genus Helianthus, so called probably from the form and color of its floral head, having the form of a large disk surrounded by yellow ray… |
| orchid noun | /ˈɔɹ.kɪd/ | A plant of the orchid family (Orchidaceae), bearing unusually-shaped flowers of beautiful colours. |
| fragrance noun | /ˈfɹeɪɡɹən(t)s/ | A pleasant smell or odour. |
| florist noun | /ˈflɒɹɪst/ | A person who sells flowers. |
| vase noun | /veɪ̯s/ | An upright open container used mainly for displaying fresh, dried, or artificial flowers. |
| gently adverb | /ˈd͡ʒɛntli/ | Without strong force or quickness: softly, lightly. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| stand out verb | To jut out, protrude (from a surface etc.). |
| pass away verb | To die. |
| come off verb | To become detached. |
| grow out of verb | To emerge from (something); to take a particular shape as a result of (something); to come to exist from (an origin). |
| slow down verb | To decelerate. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- How may I help you?
- May I ask what the occasion is?
- What else do you recommend?
- I'm sorry, sir, but what exactly did you do?
- Do you think that's possible?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to be · used to use · used to bring |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | would be touched · are often connected · are often given |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | man who invented · person who works · those who have |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has passed · we've added · you've probably heard |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 73 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: warmth /wɔɹmθ/, sympathy /ˈsɪm.pəθ.i/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: carnation /kɑɹˈneɪ.ʃən/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, insinuation /ɪnˌsɪnjuˈeɪʃən/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/, graduation /ˌɡɹæd͡ʒuˈeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/, apology /əˈpɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/, unexpected /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/, celebration /ˌsɛl.ɪˈbɹeɪ.ʃən/, insinuation /ɪnˌsɪnjuˈeɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like bouquet, chubby, stem.
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.