Shadowing Practice: Jack and the Beanstalk - UK English accent (TheFableCottage.com) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Jack and the Beanstalk A version of the tale by thefablecottage.com Once there was a young man named Jack.
205 sentences
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Jack and the Beanstalk A version of the tale by thefablecottage.com Once there was a young man named Jack.
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He lived with his mother on a small farm at the foot of the foggy mountains.
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Jack and his mother were very poor.
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Their only way of making money was selling the milk from their cow, Bess.
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One morning, Jack's mother woke him up early.
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It was still dark outside.
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She was crying.
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Jack, wake up.
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Go to the market today and sell our cow, Bess.
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But why? asked Jack, yawning.
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We need money to fix our house.
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There are holes in the roof.
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The windows are broken.
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For heaven's sake, we've no front door.
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Winter's coming soon.
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If we don't fix the house,
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the cold will kill us.
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Jack packed his bag and fetched Bess from the barn.
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As he was walking out the gate,
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he heard his mother shout,
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She's worth at least five gold coins Don't sell her for less When Jack was halfway to the market,
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he met an old man Good morning,
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my boy, said the old man Where are you going today?
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Good morning, sir, replied Jack I'm going to the market to sell my cow Her name is Bess
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She is a beautiful cow, said the man.
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I will buy Bess and I will give you a very good deal.
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How much will you pay for her?
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I won't take less than five gold coins, said Jack.
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I don't have five gold coins, whispered the man.
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But I have these five black beans.
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These beans are magic beans.
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They are worth more than gold.
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If you take these beans,
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you will be richer than the richest man in the world.
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Jack thought about his mother.
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He thought about how happy she would be if they were rich.
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They could fix the roof,
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the windows and the front door.
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Maybe they could buy a new cow.
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OK, said Jack.
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You've got a deal.
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Give me the beans.
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Jack was very excited.
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He ran home and showed his mother the beans.
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But instead of being happy, she was furious.
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You foolish boy!
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You traded our only cow for a handful of beans!
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She took the beans and threw them out the window.
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Then she sat down beside the fire and cried.
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Jack was devastated.
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He shut himself in his bedroom.
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He felt so stupid.
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They no longer had a cow and now they were poorer than before.
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What a disaster!
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And it was all his fault!
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The next morning, when Jack opened the curtains,
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he saw something very strange.
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In the same place where his mother had thrown the beans,
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there was a giant green beanstalk.
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It stretched from the ground up,
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up, up, all the way to the clouds.
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The beans really are magic, whispered Jack.
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The old man was telling the truth.
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Jack's mother was still asleep,
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so Jack decided to climb the beanstalk to look for the riches the old man had described.
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Just five gold coins, thought Jack.
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That's all I need to make my mother happy.
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Jack climbed up, up, up,
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higher and higher into the clouds.
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When he reached the top, he was very hungry.
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He saw a castle in the distance.
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Maybe I can find something to eat in that castle, he thought.
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Jack walked up to the door of the castle and knocked twice.
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Knock, knock.
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A giantess opened the door.
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She was as big as a house,
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but she had a warm smile and gentle eyes.
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Excuse me, Mrs Giant, said Jack.
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Could you please give me something to eat?
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I am so hungry.
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Oh, you poor boy, said the giantess.
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She could see that Jack was very thin.
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Of course.
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Come in, come in.
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The kind giantess gave Jack some vegetable stew.
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He was enjoying it so much that he didn't notice when the kitchen table started to shake.
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Stomp, stomp, stomp.
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Loud footsteps echoed down the hallway.
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Oh dear, whispered the giantess.
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That is my husband.
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He's home from work.
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He doesn't like humans.
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Quick, hide.
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Jack hid in the pantry.
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The giant stomped into the kitchen and sniffed the air.
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Fee-fi-fo-fum.
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Hello, my beautiful wife.
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Wait, do I smell a human man?
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Look, where is he?
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Good evening, my darling husband," replied the giantess.
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There is nobody here.
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You smell the vegetable stew, nothing more.
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Good," grunted the giant.
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I hate humans.
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He sat down at the table in the kitchen.
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The giant took a small sack of gold coins out of his pocket and counted them.
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One, two, three, four, five gold coins.
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Jack watched from inside the pantry.
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Five gold coins, thought Jack.
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If I had that money,
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I could fix our house.
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When the two giants left the room,
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Jack stole the five gold coins and slipped them into his bag.
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This is all I need, thought Jack.
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But then Jack remembered that his family no longer had a cow.
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Without a cow, they would surely starve.
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He decided to stay and look for other treasures.
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He followed the giant into the living room and hid under the couch.
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The giant went to the cupboard and pulled out a golden hen.
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Hello, my beautiful hen.
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Lay please, said the giant and the hen laid a golden egg.
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Jack watched from under the couch.
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A hen that lays golden eggs, whispered Jack.
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If I had that hen,
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I could buy 50 cows.
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When the giant left the room,
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Jack crawled out from under the couch.
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He went to the cupboard,
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took the hen and put it in his bag.
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This is all I need, thought Jack.
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But then Jack thought about what the old man had promised.
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Jack imagined being richer than the richest man in the world.
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He decided to see what other treasures he could find.
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He followed the giant into the bedroom and hid under the bed.
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There was a golden harp standing in a corner of the room.
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Hello, my beautiful harp.
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Play please, said the giant.
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The harp began playing music with no one touching the strings.
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Wow!
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A magic harp! whispered Jack.
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That harp would make me rich and famous.
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When the giant fell asleep,
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Jack crawled out from under the bed.
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He took the magic harp and put it in his bag.
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But this time, Jack was less lucky.
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The magic harp screamed.
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Help me, master!
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A human is stealing me!
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The giant woke up and saw Jack with the magic harp,
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the golden hen and his gold coins.
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Stop, thief!
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The giant chased Jack, out of the bedroom,
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down the hallway, through the kitchen and out the front door.
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But Jack was smaller and faster than the giant.
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Jack reached the beanstalk first and slid down.
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He arrived at the ground with all his treasures.
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The giant reached the top of the beanstalk and looked down.
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He was afraid of heights.
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He slowly climbed down.
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Be careful, my husband! shouted the giantess from the castle.
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Humans can be dangerous!
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Jack saw the giant coming down the beanstalk.
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So he ran into his house and grabbed an axe.
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He chopped the beanstalk.
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Whack!
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Whack!
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Whack!
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Suddenly, the beanstalk snapped.
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The giant came tumbling down from the sky.
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He fell down, down, down and landed far away on the other side of the foggy mountains.
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Thud!
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For a moment, everything was silent.
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Then Jack heard a strange sound from far away.
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No!
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It was the giant.
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The beanstalk had fallen and now he had no way to get back up to his castle in the clouds.
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The giant yelled so loudly that the clouds shook and turned grey.
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Then, somewhere up in the sky,
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Jack heard Mrs Giant start to cry.
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Her tears fell through the clouds in tiny drops and soaked the earth.
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After that, Jack and his mother lived a very comfortable life.
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The golden hen made Jack a millionaire.
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The magic harp made him famous.
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Jack married a rich and famous woman,
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and together they had ten children.
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But Jack was never truly happy.
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Every time the wind blew,
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Jack heard the giant calling for his wife.
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And every time it rained,
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he felt the giant wife's tears falling on him.
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Jack felt sad and guilty.
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One day, when Jack was very old,
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he decided that he didn't want to be sad anymore.
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He opened a box on his mantelpiece and pulled out one last shriveled magic bean.
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If he could find the giant,
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he could grow another beanstalk.
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Then the giant could climb back up to his castle in the clouds.
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If he could find the giant,
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he could also apologise for being so greedy.
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Jack packed his bag and walked into the foggy mountains.
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Did Jack find the giant?
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Did he grow a new beanstalk with the last magic bean?
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Nobody knows.
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But, people say, if you listen closely during a thunderstorm,
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you can hear the rumbling sound of two giants dancing together in the clouds.
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Context & Background
The story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" introduces listeners to the plight of a young man named Jack, who lives in a modest home with his financially struggling mother. The dialogue is rich with emotion, showcasing Jack's journey from desperation to discovery. In the initial scenes, Jack must confront the reality of selling their cow, which represents their only source of income. This context sets the stage for exploring themes of hope and adventure. As you watch this version featuring a UK English accent, pay attention to the expressions and tone, which embody the characters' feelings and the narrative's tension. Understanding these nuances can significantly help you learn English with YouTube.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "Go to the market today and sell our cow, Bess." – This phrase emphasizes daily tasks and responsibilities.
- "We need money to fix our house." – A crucial reminder about the importance of financial stability.
- "She is worth at least five gold coins!" – A statement reflecting the value of possessions.
- "These beans are magic beans!" – An example of how to describe something unusually valued.
- "What a disaster! And it was his fault!" – A sentence showing emotional reaction and responsibility.
Incorporating these phrases into your everyday English usage can enhance your ability to communicate effectively. They will also be useful in IELTS speaking practice scenarios, where expressing thoughts clearly is essential.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
Shadowing is a potent method to improve English pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how to use this video for effective shadowing:
- Watch the video: Familiarize yourself with the story and get a sense of the characters' emotions and accents.
- Listen closely: Focus on Jack's and his mother's dialogues to understand the nuances of the UK accent.
- Pause and repeat: Practice shadow speaking by pausing after each sentence and repeating what was said. This technique helps with intonation and rhythm.
- Record yourself: After several repetitions, record your version. Listen to it and compare it with the original to spot areas for improvement.
- Engage in discussion: After shadowing, discuss the story with peers or teachers. Use the phrases learned to express your thoughts and feelings about the narrative.
By practicing with this method, you can effectively shadowspeak, enhancing both your conversational skills and pronunciation in English.
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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