Shadowing Practice: I Stole Someone Boyfriend - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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All my life, people have told me I must be magic.
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Hi, everyone.
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I'm Tanya from San Francisco.
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Please like and subscribe to hear my secret.
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I have a unique skill that makes me popular with almost everyone I meet.
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When people come to me for advice, I'm able to help them achieve their goals.
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Making the varsity soccer team, asking out their crush, acing a big test.
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Somehow, I was always able to get them what they wanted.
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In truth, there was no magic to it.
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I was a good listener and tried to give the best advice I could.
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It always just seemed to work out.
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Eventually, it gave me this reputation for being a miracle worker.
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My friend Elaine thought I should be paid for it.
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You really should be charging for this.
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I like helping people.
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Hey, nothing wrong with getting paid for doing what you like.
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By the way, my boyfriend loved the birthday gift you suggested.
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And we're going to the restaurant you recommended later.
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Try the chocolate cake.
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Ironically, my own life was kind of a mess.
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My grades were good, but not great since I was so caught up with everyone else's problems.
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I didn't have a boyfriend, and in general, my future seemed both uncertain and scary.
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Not to mention, I had the most embarrassing dad in the world!
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A few years back, my dad fell in a manhole on the sidewalk and sued the city.
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He won so much money in the lawsuit that he quit his job in big tech.
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Now all he does is sit on the couch and watch YouTube videos.
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You gotta see this video, honey.
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A baby panda sneezes and scares its mom.
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I have school, Dad.
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You have fun, though.
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So that was my home life.
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As helpful as I was to most people, I just couldn't seem to work the same magic for me or my dad.
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I don't think he even wanted me to, to be honest.
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He ignored every job posting I showed him and never left the house no matter how hard I tried.
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It scared me to think that I might turn out like him someday.
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But I always felt better when I helped someone.
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At school, this really agitated girl stomped up to me in the hall.
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I talked to my mom about spending the summer in France, and she said no. I knew I should have asked my dad instead.
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Everyone says your advice is foolproof.
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Did you give me bad advice on purpose?
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What?
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No, of course not.
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I would never do something like that.
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Maybe you misunderstood what I told you?
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I did exactly what you said word for word and it blew up in my face.
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You're a fraud.
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I was stunned.
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This had never happened before.
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I tried to remember what my advice had been, but so many people came to me for help that the details were hazy.
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Shake it off, Tanya.
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It was upsetting, but just that morning, three people had approached me and said I was a lifesaver.
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This had to be a weird freak accident.
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It wouldn't happen again, right?
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But then later that night, Elaine called me crying.
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She and her boyfriend Joe had gone to the restaurant I recommended.
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But the server insulted Joe and they got into a fight.
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Joe almost got arrested.
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Why would you tell us to go to that place?
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The server was a criminal.
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Maybe he was new.
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The service was great last time I went.
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You ruined Joe's birthday!
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I don't have a crystal ball, you know.
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I'm a human being.
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I make mistakes like anyone else.
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Maybe your boyfriend shouldn't have punched out the waiter.
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Ugh, whatever, Tanya.
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Keep your advice to yourself from now on.
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Did you at least try the chocolate cake?
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I did.
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It was dry.
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What was going on?
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Had I lost my touch?
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If I couldn't help people anymore, then what was I gonna do?
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I guess I could try fixing my own life.
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That night, I dreamed that everyone who ever came to me for advice confronted me and accused me of ruining their lives.
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No matter where I turned, I couldn't escape.
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When I woke up, I knew something needed to change.
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If people only cared about me when I was solving their problems, maybe they didn't really care about me at all.
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You know what?
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Fine.
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You can all solve your own problems from now on.
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At school, I turned away anyone who asked for something.
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I didn't like saying no, but it got easier after a few times.
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During gym class, we were playing dodgeball when a boy approached me.
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Hey, you're Tanya, right?
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I'm Matt.
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I heard you're a miracle worker.
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I'm retired.
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Could you make an exception?
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I'm trying to get my ex to take me back, and you're the only one who can help.
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Trust me, you don't want my help.
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What if we help each other?
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Like a trade.
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There's gotta be something you want, too.
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That was different.
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Not many people ever offered anything in return.
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Not that I expected them to pay me back, but it was nice to be asked.
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Okay, here's a challenge for you.
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I want to figure out what my thing is.
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I spend so much time giving everyone else advice that I've never had a chance to figure out my own goals.
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If you can help me do that, then I'll help you get your ex back.
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Sounds like a deal to me.
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Matt and I met after school to get started.
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So what do you think I should try first?
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Send her a dozen roses?
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Write her a song and play it outside her bedroom window?
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Do you want her to take you back or file a restraining order?
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Then what's your great idea?
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Why did you two break up anyway?
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She said I don't pay attention.
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Hmm.
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I have some thoughts.
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But before I tell you, we're focusing on my thing first.
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Did you come up with any ideas?
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All I did was smile.
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Uh-oh, what was I getting myself into?
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Turns out, Matt had a whole day planned out for us.
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We explored cool architecture in the city like the Golden Gate Bridge, baked sourdough bread, volunteered at a local animal shelter, and even visited Alcatraz to see what a real prison was like.
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Matt was patient and a great guide throughout all our adventures.
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At the end of the day, we stopped at Pier 39 to grab some ice cream.
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I always loved seeing the sea lions flop around and bark at each other out on the bay.
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So, what do you think?
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Architect, baker, veterinarian, prison guard?
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To be honest, I really don't see any of those things being my career.
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I had a lot of fun though.
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Good, I've got more planned for tomorrow.
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What about your ex?
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She can wait.
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Hold on a second.
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Was someone prioritizing my problems over their own?
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I could get used to this.
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The next day, we did it all over again.
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Except this time with brand new activities.
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We tried photography, fitness classes, and went on a ride along in a police car.
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Nothing yet?
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No. I mean, I'm still having a good time, but I can't picture myself doing any of those things for the rest of my life.
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Maybe I'm being too picky.
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Hey, you gotta choose what's right for you.
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This is everything I had planned, but I can definitely come up with more.
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You've done a lot already.
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Let's work on your goal for now.
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I want you to write a letter to your ex tonight, and tomorrow we'll go over it together.
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You're giving me homework?
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He'll survive.
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The next day, Matt shared his letter with me, and I read it during lunch period.
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Well, what do you think?
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This is all about your feelings, your memories, your regrets.
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There's almost nothing about her.
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This could be about any girl.
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I worked really hard on that.
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You said yourself that she thinks you don't pay attention.
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This letter doesn't really prove otherwise.
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What do you like about her?
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Is she smart, empathetic?
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Does she tell funny stories?
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Matt had to think about it.
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I didn't understand why he found it so difficult.
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She's a good big sister, and I like how she sings along to every song on the radio, even when she doesn't know the words.
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That's more like it.
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Matt revised the letter.
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I hid around the corner and watched while he approached his ex to give it to her.
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She looked surprised, but seemed to appreciate the gesture.
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Finally, progress.
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More people came up to me that day to ask for help, but I kept turning them down.
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I even had to say no to a teacher.
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A football player got really mad when I refused to help him.
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We all know you're not really retired.
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I saw you help that Matt kid.
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Guess you only help guys you like.
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Excuse me?
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Who did this jerk think he was?
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It's not like that.
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Matt and I are helping each other.
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So if I take you on a date, you'll help me too?
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Suddenly, Matt appeared and shoved the football player into a locker.
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Speaking of your little boyfriend, I'm not her boyfriend.
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Apologize to her.
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Just then, I noticed Matt's ex.
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She looked at me like I'd stolen her boyfriend or something.
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I didn't stick around to see what happened next.
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I needed to get away.
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I'd never been so embarrassed in my life.
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Everything was such a mess.
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My recent advice had all backfired.
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Matt wasn't any closer to getting his ex back.
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I was fighting with my best friend, and I still had no clue what I wanted to do with my life.
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When I got home, my dad was snoring on the couch.
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For all I knew, he hadn't left that spot all day.
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Ugh.
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Before, I could at least feel proud about how many people I'd helped.
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Now, I didn't even have that.
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The next day at school, I decided to tell Matt our deal was off.
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What?
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But what about our plan?
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You're gonna let some jerk football player push you around?
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That's easy for you to say.
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You're not the one who's being treated like an outcast just for saying no to people.
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And our plan isn't working anyway.
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I haven't figured out my future and you haven't gotten your girlfriend back.
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I don't care about getting her back.
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For a second, I almost thought I heard him wrong.
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Then what's the point of everything we've been doing?
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I cared at first.
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I really did miss her.
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But I realized we broke up for a reason.
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If you want the truth, I'm having fun and I want to keep spending time with you.
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I felt so confused.
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This was too much all at once.
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Then maybe just ask to hang out like a normal person.
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I thought you were helping me figure out my future.
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Tanya, why are you so obsessed with your future?
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We're in high school.
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You don't have to figure it all out right now.
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My dad threw away a great career and now he's a slug.
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People need a purpose.
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All I could think about the rest of the day was escaping.
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We had a big assembly that afternoon and I was considering skipping it and locking myself in my room.
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But why should I have to leave?
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They're the one acting like jerks.
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So in the middle of the assembly, I did something kind of crazy.
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I stole the mic.
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Almost every single one of you has come to me for advice.
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Did I ever say no before?
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Did I ever ask for anything in return?
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No. I did my best to help you all because I wanted you to be happy.
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But the second something goes wrong or I decide to take some time for myself, What do you all do?
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You turn on me!
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Talk behind my back!
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Blame me for your problems!
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Now I know I was just being used.
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I handed the mic back to the teacher, and she awkwardly cued the cheerleaders to begin their performance.
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After school, the doorbell rang a bunch of times.
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I snapped at my dad while I stomped to the door.
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Don't get up.
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I'll get it.
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Honey, you have to see this.
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A baby tiger pounces and scares the heck out of his mom.
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Dad, those videos are super old.
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I opened the door and was surprised to find Elaine on the front steps.
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She was holding a chocolate cake as a peace offering.
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It was such a relief to see a friend that I almost cried.
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We ate chocolate cake on my bed and caught up.
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I'm sorry.
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It was totally unfair of me to act like what happened was your fault.
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All you've ever done is try to help me.
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And advice should be a two-way street.
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I hope you know you can come to me when you're struggling too.
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Want to see a video of a baby tiger?
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Maybe I didn't need to run away.
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I felt stronger with Elaine in my corner.
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The next day, the football player came up to me again.
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I tried going around, but he wouldn't let me.
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Hey, uh, it wasn't cool of me to say those things to you.
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I'm really sorry.
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I have to admit, I didn't expect an apology from him.
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When I got to my locker, something even more surprising happened.
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It was filled with flowers and about a hundred thank you cards.
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All day, students surprised me with gifts, cards, or sometimes just a hug.
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I guess my big speech at the assembly had gotten through to people.
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After school, Matt found me on the bleachers reading some of my cards.
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You okay?
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It hasn't been easy lately, but yeah, I'll be okay.
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I never set out to trick you, you know.
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When I first asked for help, I thought I wanted my ex back.
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You helped me realize that we weren't right for each other.
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You helped me realize something too.
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I did?
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What?
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That it's okay if I don't have it all figured out.
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It has to happen naturally.
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And maybe my dad will never go back to work.
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But I'm not him.
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I know I'll find my purpose someday.
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So I guess we did help each other.
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I guess so.
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Maybe we could hang out sometime?
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Like normal people, instead of as part of some deal?
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I'd like that.
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Things got a lot better after that.
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And I realized something else.
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That no one can give perfect advice 100% of the time.
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But that doesn't mean I should stop trying.
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I liked helping people.
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I was gonna keep doing it.
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Even if sometimes I failed, the people who mattered most to me would be in my corner no matter what.
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And the times when someone told me I'd made a difference in their lives, no matter how small, made it all worth it.
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What You'll Learn from This Real-Life Story
This video is a goldmine for english speaking practice, especially if you want to sound natural in everyday conversations. You’ll pick up how to express frustration (like the agitated girl in the hall) and share personal stories with warmth. Plus, you’ll learn to use phrases like “it blew up in my face” and “foolproof” correctly—common idioms that make your speech feel native. These skills are perfect for shadowspeak, where you mimic real dialogue to build fluency.
Listen For These Connected Sounds
Native speakers rarely speak in single words—they link and reduce sounds. In the video, listen for “kinda a mess” (reduced from “kind of a mess”) and “shoulda asked” (short for “should have asked”). Notice how “gotta see” blends into one quick phrase, not three separate words. These examples of connected speech are key to understanding fast, natural English. Practice hearing them, and you’ll start to use them too—great for improving your english pronunciation.
Say It Like a Native: Rhythm and Stress
The speaker, Tanya, uses rhythm to show emotion. When she says, “I was stunned,” she stresses “stunned” to convey shock. In “my own life was kind of a mess,” she softens “kind of” to keep the focus on “mess.” To mirror this, try the shadowing technique: play a short clip, pause, and repeat it, matching her speed and stress. A good shadowing site can help you practice this, but even repeating the video aloud works. Pay attention to how she shortens “didn’t have” to “din’t have” and “couldn’t seem” to “cudn’t seem”—these small changes make your speech sound more natural. With practice, you’ll start to feel the flow of English, not just speak it.
By focusing on these details, you’ll turn this story into a tool for better speaking. Whether you’re using a shadowing site or just repeating the video, the key is to mimic what you hear. Soon, you’ll be using connected speech, stress, and rhythm like a pro—no “magic” required, just practice!
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have told · You've done · haven't figured |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | should be paid · was stunned · be asked |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | everyone who ever · anyone who asked · one who can |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was upsetting · was going · was solving |
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.