Shadowing Practice: IELTS ASMR Podcast #10 - Luyện nghe thụ động | Phụ đề Anh & Việt - Learn English Speaking with Video

Part 1.

Today's talk is about the fascinating culture of New Guinea, an island divided in two politically but with huge diversity in both parts.

For those of you who don't know, New Guinea is located in Oceania, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia.

Since 1975, the eastern side has been the independent country of Papua New Guinea,

while while the western side consists of the Indonesian administered provinces of Papua and West Papua.

Papua New Guinea has 7 million inhabitants and is an incredibly rural country,

with only 18% of the population living in urban areas.

It has 852 known languages and is one of the least explored terrains on the planet.

Now, one of the reasons that Papua New Guinea, and indeed the whole of New Guinea, is such an interesting place is that it's home to hundreds of traditional tribes,

perhaps better described as distinct social groups, each one numbering hundreds or even thousands of members.

In the Indonesian part of New Guinea, that is, the provinces of Papua and West Papua, There are 312 different tribes,

including around 44 uncontacted ones.

These are tribes who up until now hadn't had any contact with the outside world, even with other neighbouring tribes.

Of course, everyone is most curious to know about these tribes, but by definition we have little or no information on them.

I am now going to talk about the tribes of the Papua New Guinea Highlands.

These people only rarely had contact with the outside world until the 1960s, so they are still relatively isolated.

When we start to examine the tribes, we see a common theme,

which is the use of various methods to intimidate other groups so as to protect their own tribe.

Let's look first at the Huli Wigmen, a tribe of about 40,000 from the Tarry Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

They have given their faces a very distinctive look by using yellow paint, and they wear belts made of pigtails,

aprons made of leaves and wigs which are a sort of hat made from their own hair.

This look is designed to scare off outsiders, which they also do with their bird dances, which mimic the birds of paradise that inhabit their land.

Another highland tribe, the Asaro Mudmen, have the same intention as the Hooliwigmen, to ward off outsiders.

By smearing themselves in clay and mud, they adopt the form of the River Spirits, which are known to terrify their enemies.

Their elaborate appearance is further supplemented with extended fingernails, and they wear terrifying masks which serve to accentuate their ferocious look.

The Asaro mudmen were discovered by the outside world less than eighty years ago, but have now become a symbol of Papua New Guinea,

and make an important contribution to the tourist trade.

A third tribe that has become well known is the Chimbu, who live high in the mountains.

The Chimbu skeleton dancers used to dance to intimidate their enemies.

This tribe traditionally lived in male-female segregated houses, though they are now increasingly living in family groups.

This group too now display their traditional dances not to scare off other tribes, but more to entertain tourists.

An interesting event, the Mount Hagen Sing Sing takes place every year, involving over 50 tribes.

This came about due to the constant fighting between tribes, which became a serious problem for the Papua New Guinea government.

So in 1961, it came up with the idea of a cultural show,

which would bring together as many tribes as possible in peace and pride in their cultural heritage.

The Mount Hagen-Sing-Sing is a wonderful opportunity for Papua New Guinea to showcase its fascinating cultural heritage.

At this event, tourists and locals alike can witness the spectacular costumes,

including six feet high headdresses made of flowers, shells and feathers.

Inevitably there is some loss of authenticity associated with this kind of event.

For example, chemical dyes are now used instead of the natural ones the tribes used earlier.

However, a poor developing country has to exploit whatever resources it has, and the wealth of this region is its tribal peoples.

Part 2 Good afternoon, our beloved listeners.

Welcome to today's Capturing the Moment programme.

Today we have Darren Armand here with us.

She's a college student who has just won an award for his set of shots of red squirrels.

Welcome Darren.

Now, can you tell us a bit about this lovely creature and how you managed to take such wonderful photos?

Well, the red squirrel is Britain's only native squirrel.

It's graceful and athletic.

Its Latin name, scyris vulgaris, comes from the Greek words describing a common type of animal which sits in the shadow of its own tail.

At first, I thought this description was funny and was kind of an exaggeration, but now I realise that this name suits them very well.

Their fluffy tails under the sun normally cast a big shadow over themselves.

You will be lucky to see a red squirrel in the areas where they still survive, due to its timid nature and decreasing number in the wild.

In the late 1800s, when grey squirrels, an exotic species, were first introduced into Britain, there were only about 20,000 red squirrels left,

the majority of which lived in the north of England.

The greys carry a disease called the squirrelpox virus, which could lead to the deaths of red squirrels.

But their number had already declined before the disease spread there.

The shrinking population actually corresponds to decreases in the number of nuts available, the red squirrel's primary food source.

I accidentally left some nuts in my garden one day, and I found that they had been eaten the next morning.

It could have been rats, as they have a very similar food category to red squirrels, but I knew it was red squirrels because of their different feeding habits.

Rats bite a hole in the nuts, whereas red squirrels crack the nuts in half and eat the kernels.

After a week or so, the red squirrels became regular visitors to my garden, making them ideal subjects for my photography project.

Unfortunately, I had to shoot only in my garden, partly because I couldn't find another spot to sight red squirrels on a regular basis.

Also, this could block out any outside distractions and I could focus solely on my subject.

During the shooting, other animals, like birds, got caught in the frame together sometimes.

I'm more than satisfied with my photos.

Even though I only practiced a few times and used just a second-hand camera from my friend, my great mentor helped me with the shooting.

I got great tutorials from him and was able to shoot better photos.

Thank you, Darren.

The award-winning photos will be on display in a local museum for the coming month.

We're looking forward to the exhibition.

So, tell us about the award.

OK.

I sent my portfolio for the competition hosted by a national newspaper.

I wasn't expecting the third prize.

So, when they notified me of the result on the phone, I was really excited.

Do you have some tips for our audience to help improve their photography skills? Of course.

Here are three things I think photographers can work on to get a better shot.

First of all, good composition is key to a lovely shot.

Normally, an image's centre of interest is placed at one of the intersections that trisect the whole picture.

In order to achieve balance, a secondary object, so to speak, can be added to the scene at the opposing intersection.

So, for instance, in one of my shots, a red squirrel at the top left is staring at a nut at the lower right corner.

This is called the rule of thirds.

Lighting is another essential element if you want to be rewarded with a superb photo.

The direction of the light falling on your subject is most important of all.

You need to look at your subject carefully and watch how the shadows fall.

If you're able to choose the time of day to shoot your pictures, lighting is most ideal in the late afternoon.

Try to position yourself so that the sun hits your subject from the side.

This helps create a 3D effect in the picture.

To further improve on your photography skills, it is advised to take detailed notes of timing, position, weather, etc. By doing so,

it's easier to review and adjust accordingly, and there is always room for improvement.

John, how is it going with your research on water hyacinth?

Well, I went on a field trip on my own and collected the primary data.

After I came back, I also referred to the published data.

So, what do you know about this plant?

The water hyacinth grows in tropical countries.

It has beautiful purple-blue flowers, but everybody hates it.

Why is that?

The water hyacinth grows in tropical countries.

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It has beautiful purple-blue flowers, but everybody hates it.

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Why is that?

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The water hyacinth, as the world's worst invasive aquatic plant, has attracted significant attention.

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Millions of these plants grow in rivers and lakes and have brought huge environmental and cultural problems to the local people.

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Farmers cannot travel in boats on the water and thus cannot fish in it.

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In addition, heavy free-floating mats of water hyacinth are clogging the dam at the power station in West Africa.

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Turbines of the power station are often shut down because of the intertwined leaves.

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Dams often cease to function as a result, severely restricting the electricity generation.

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Dense mats of water hyacinth also shade the surface and prevent algae growth, thus limiting the production of oxygen and threatening the survival of fish.

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So where did water hyacinth originate from?

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The water hyacinth is native to the Amazon basin in Latin America.

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It has spread mainly to the tropics and subtropics throughout much of the world since the 1800s.

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Later, it was introduced into Europe and Africa as an ornamental garden pond plant due to its beauty.

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Flowers of this plant were being sold in local markets in African countries as a source of income for women.

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Since the 1900s, this weed has infested lakes, rivers, and creeks of the delta areas in West Africa.

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I guess whoever introduced this plant had never expected the disastrous impact it would have on the local ecological environment.

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What kind of habitat does water hyacinth thrive most in?

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Well, it has been discovered that the nutrient-rich environment contributes significantly to the rapid proliferation of this wheat, which obtains its nutrients directly from the water.

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This is normally compounded with a decrease of nutrients along the river banks.

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Why is that?

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The main reason for soil nutrient loss is that local residents cut down trees.

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Excessive deforestation accelerates soil erosion, which indirectly compounds this issue.

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Without enough trees to retain nutrients in the soil, frequent rain might partly aggravate this by carrying some of the nutrients into the waterways.

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Are there any effective measures to control or even eradicate this weed?

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Yes, a number of approaches have been widely applied throughout the world.

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Among them, biological control is the most widely favored long-term control method by introducing a type of insect

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that feeds on the water hyacinth.

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So far, Nigeria has used this method for six months.

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However, the water hyacinth won't be removed immediately.

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The side effects of this method on local ecology will remain unforeseen for years

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because it takes time for this external insect species to reach a density sufficient enough to affect ecological development.

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And what about other approaches?

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Is there a quicker way to control it?

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Well, the mechanical removal of water hyacinth is seen as the best short-term solution.

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This option includes harvesting plants and inside cutting.

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This method can immediately open physical space for fish and boat traffic.

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It is, however, inefficient for workers to process extensive areas and costly to use large cutting and dredging equipment.

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Ironically, it costs even more to dispose of this plant than to remove it.

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Can we make use of this weed and turn it into something good?

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Now scientists think that water hyacinth can be useful.

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The plant itself, although more than 95% water, has a fibrous tissue and a high energy and protein content and can be used for a variety of useful applications.

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So what do people do with water hyacinth that is initially removed?

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First, the cut down water hyacinth is left to dry under

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the sun for a few days before being mixed with ash and animal manure.

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The mixture can be used as alternative soil rather than fertilizer.

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It can grow crops with increased yield.

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That sounds interesting.

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Mushroom farmers can benefit from water hyacinth as well.

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Using the mixture mentioned earlier, mushrooms generally grow much faster so that farmers can harvest mushrooms sooner, which enables them to make money faster.

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I see.

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It can be used to grow oyster and straw mushrooms, right?

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Yes.

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In India, attempts have been made to grow these types of edible mushrooms organically, utilizing water hyacinth.

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These mushrooms provide sufficient nutritional values, including minerals and high-quality protein, which are essential to people's level of fitness.

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Right.

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Are there any other measures taken to utilize water hyacinth?

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In Southeast Asia, people feed cows using chopped water hyacinth mixed with other vegetables.

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Then the waste from the cows is treated to produce methane gas, which can be used as fuel for cooking, lighting, or powering an engine.

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And with global warming getting worse, developing alternative sources of energy will be more urgent than ever.

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Maybe in the future, people will love water hyacinth instead of hating it.

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Yes, that's very likely if we can make full use of this weed.

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Part 4 Today's lecture is the first of a series of lectures on nanotechnology.

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Nanotechnology sometimes shortened to nanotech refers to the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular level.

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It's a science, engineering and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.

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It is the study and application of extremely small things and can be used across all the other science fields.

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Just how small is that?

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A nanometer is one billionth of a meter.

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The idea of nanoscale research first started from a physicist called Richard Feynman in 1959.

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He envisaged a process in which scientists would be able to manipulate and control individual atoms and molecules.

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In fact, it wasn't until 1981, with the invention of a special kind of microscope, that modern nanotechnology truly began.

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Even though nanotechnology has created many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications,

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there is always concern over these unnatural products.

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Many people are worried that they may pose a threat to the environment, health and safety, also known as EHS.

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In order to better understand and evaluate the potential harm, risk assessment has been introduced.

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There are also ongoing international collaborations on nanoEHS research and related policy issues.

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Despite the concern, nanotechnology has benefited society in unexpected ways.

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In the food processing industry, nanotechnology is leveraged against iron deficiency, which triggers anemia.

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For example, by reducing the particle size in potatoes,

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this new technology improves the bioavailability of this nutritional ingredient without the tendency to cause colour and odour changes.

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In terms of packaging, nanomaterials are more economical and are used in all sorts of products, chocolate in particular.

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Nanotechnology can also enhance the flavour of food.

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On a domestic scale we expect more smart furniture, which is made of shape memory alloys to be manufactured.

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But nanotechnology has much wider application than this and could also help develop sustainable agriculture.

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It offers great potential to strengthen the effect of fertilizers, thereby minimizing the environmental impact and boosting the productivity of plants in the soil.

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In the area of medicine, bioengineers have developed simple and inexpensive nanoscale delivery vehicles.

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Conductors like carbon nanotubes have been invented with varying structures.

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Such nanotubes have become increasingly attractive to researchers because of their ability to efficiently deliver drugs into veins.

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This means that higher doses of drugs loaded on them can be transported from the administration sites to the effects related sites,

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such as cancer focuses, thus decreasing toxic side effects while increasing the treatment effects.

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The research team has also developed a widely accepted material that can be used to coat different surfaces, including wood, plastic and glass.

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It is mainly comprised of silver.

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Such nanoparticles can eventually kill some microbes due to the antiseptic properties.

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The whole process is simple, easy to apply and more importantly harmless to the environment.

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Surprisingly, nanotechnology has major implications for our health as well.

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By changing the metabolic rate through a particular type of protein, obese patients are able to burn calories faster, even under a high calorie diet.

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Therefore treatment programs are provided for patients to lose weight by disposing of excess fat in a relatively safer manner.

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The finding may help explain why overweight people struggle to lose weight.

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Their stored fat is actively fighting against their efforts to burn it off at the molecular level.

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Further research is mainly focused on the clinical and commercial developments of therapies for obesity,

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diabetes and other associated conditions such as heart disease.

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In terms of cosmetics, the applications of nanotechnology and nanomaterials can be found in many products.

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There are two main uses for nanotechnology in cosmetics.

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The first one is

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that nanoparticles are commonly used as UV filters in anti-aging sun care products to avoid skin damage caused by the sun.

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In addition, nanotechnology has played an important role in delivering active ingredients to the skin.

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The mechanism proves to improve the bioavailability of actives and enhance skin hydration.

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The wide variety of nanotechnology applications leave no doubt that this field will only continue to get more exciting,

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and I look forward to seeing these developments further branch out.

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.

Shadowing Practice: IELTS ASMR Podcast #10 - Luyện nghe thụ động | Phụ đề Anh & Việt - Learn English Speaking with Video

Why practice speaking with this video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

What is the Shadowing Technique?