Shadowing Practice: How do we adapt to the cold? ⏲️ 6 Minute English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com Hello.
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6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com Hello.
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This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
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I'm Phil.
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And I'm Bekah.
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6 Minute English listeners are truly global,
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coming from all over the world including some of the coldest countries on Earth.
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Places like Finland, where winter temperatures drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius.
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Are you good at dealing with the cold, Phil?
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I'm not sure, but I do know that I don't like it.
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What about you, Becca?
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Well, I'd rather be too hot and cool down than too cold and try to warm up.
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Yes, me too.
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Here in the UK, it never gets as cold as Finland.
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But it's not unusual to see some people dressed in t-shirts while others are wrapped up in warm clothes.
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Why do people feel the cold so differently?
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That's what we'll be discussing in this episode,
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as well as learning some useful new words and phrases.
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And as always, you'll find all the vocabulary from this episode,
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plus a quiz and worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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But now I have a question for you, Becca.
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According to the Guinness Book of World Records,
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the lowest temperature ever recorded was a very cold minus 89 degrees Celsius but where?
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Was it A, the Arctic,
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B, Antarctica or C, the top of Mount Everest?
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Hmm, I'm going to guess B, Antarctica.
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OK, well we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.
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Our experience of cold depends on many things,
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including our genes, culture and place of birth.
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But perhaps the most obvious thing is the clothes we wear.
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Professor Gunil Sartran lives on the icy island of Svalbard,
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800 miles inside the Arctic Circle.
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Here, she advises presenter Caroline Steele on how to dress against the cold for BBC World Service programme CrowdScience.
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So what should we consider when choosing our clothes?
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First and foremost, I would say that perhaps the gender differs.
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So, male often are more tolerant perhaps than females.
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Then it's of course what you're used to.
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Are you used to dealing with the cold?
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Are you not?
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Gunhild says that first and foremost,
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men and women filled the cold differently.
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She uses the phrase first and foremost to mean more than anything else.
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She wants to emphasise that something,
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in this case someone's gender,
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is the most important thing to consider.
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There is some debate about whether men or women are more tolerant of the cold.
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Being intolerant of something means being able to endure it without getting hurt.
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Another important factor is whether you are used to the cold,
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if being in cold environments is something you're familiar with.
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It might sound obvious that someone born in Arctic Svalbard would feel less cold than someone born in Brazil.
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But apart from environmental factors,
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are there actual physical differences that allow people to cope better with the cold?
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Dr. Kara Ockobok studies reindeer herders in northern Finland,
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people who live in cold temperatures every day and have done for centuries.
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She measures their reaction to extreme cold and compares it to ordinary Finns from warmer parts of the country.
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Here, Kara shares her findings with Caroline Steele from BBC World Service's CrowdScience.
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OK, and my guess is the reindeer herders deal better in the cold?
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Yes and no. The more data we collect within this area,
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the more confusing the picture gets.
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I can say that subjectively at this point,
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the reindeer herders at least kind of mentally handle the cold far better.
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They are far less likely to shiver.
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So, do the reindeer herders deal better with the cold?
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The answer is yes and no. A phrase meaning partly and partly not,
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used when there's no clear answer to a question.
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However, Kara does say, subjectively, the herders manage better.
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They don't feel so cold.
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Subjectively means based on your personal inner experience rather than objective facts.
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And physically, there are differences too.
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Reindeer herders are less likely to shiver,
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the shaky movement that cold muscles make to try and warm them up.
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In fact, how we experience the cold is probably a combination of everything we've discussed,
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including genetic adaptations passed on from parents to children.
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Right, I'm off to find my gloves and woolly hat,
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so why don't you reveal the answer to the question, Phil?
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Yes, I asked where the lowest temperature on Earth was ever recorded.
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You said B, Antarctica.
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And that is the right answer.
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The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was at the Vostok Research Station in Antarctica in 1983.
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Let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt,
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starting with the phrase first and foremost,
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meaning more than anything else.
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A person who is tolerant of something is able to endure it without being hurt.
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If you're used to something, you're familiar with it.
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The idiom yes and no means partly and partly not,
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and is used when you can't give a clear answer to a question.
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The adverb subjectively means in a way that's based on your personal experience rather than objective facts.
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And finally, a shiver is the shaking movement made by your muscles when you feel cold or afraid.
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Once again, our six minutes are up.
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But remember, you'll find a quiz and a worksheet for this episode on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.
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See you there soon, but for now, it's goodbye.
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Bye.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will explore the fascinating topic of how people adapt to cold weather. Through listening to the dialogue, you'll practice your listening comprehension and expand your vocabulary related to temperature, clothing, and personal experiences with cold environments. This session offers a unique opportunity to enhance your English skills while discussing cultural attitudes toward cold weather, which varies around the globe. Perfect for those preparing for the IELTS speaking section or interested in learning English with YouTube.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Tolerance: The ability to endure an unpleasant condition (e.g., being intolerant of the cold).
  • Gender: The state of being male or female, which can influence how one perceives temperature.
  • First and foremost: A phrase used to emphasize the most important point.
  • Expert advice: Recommendations provided by someone knowledgeable in a specific area.
  • Accustomed to: Being used to something, which impacts how someone experiences it.
  • Environmental factors: Conditions in a person's surroundings that affect their lifestyle or comfort.
  • Cold environments: Places that experience low temperatures consistently.

Practice Tips

To effectively use the shadowing app and improve your English speaking skills, try the following tips while listening to this video:

  • Listen Intently: Play the video and focus solely on the dialogue. Pay attention to the pronunciation and rhythm of the speakers.
  • Shadow the Speakers: Pause the video after a sentence and repeat what was just said. This technique will help you mimic their intonation and pacing.
  • Slow it Down: If necessary, use playback controls to slow the video down slightly. This allows you to catch every word accurately.
  • Practice Common Phrases: Focus on key phrases like "first and foremost" or "used to" as they are often used in daily conversation.
  • Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your voice to compare your pronunciation with the original speakers. This will assist you in identifying areas needing improvement.
  • Use shadowspeaks: Integrate the vocabulary learned into your own sentences, especially during IELTS speaking practice, to express your thoughts confidently.

By incorporating these immersive practices, you will enhance your command of the English language and feel more equipped to engage in discussions about diverse topics, such as adapting to different climates.

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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