Shadowing Practice: Jack Black & Paul Rudd Answer The Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
412 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hi, I'm Jack Black.
2
And I'm Paul Rudd.
3
And this is the Wired Autocomplete Interview.
4
I still don't quite understand the rules of this game, and I've done this before.
5
What is Jack Black, and I pulled this off, right?
6
I think so.
7
What is Jack Black about?
8
What is Jack Black about?
9
That suggests it's not a question about me.
10
It suggests it's a question about a book called Jack Black.
11
What's Jack Black about?
12
The book.
13
Jack Black's all about entertainment.
14
Oh yeah.
15
Wait, there's no right or wrong?
16
No, it's just what you do.
17
Oh!
18
You just answered because, yeah.
19
You can't win or lose this game.
20
Oh, I love it.
21
By the way, you can only win.
22
You can only win.
23
Yeah, that's a question.
24
I stand by that answer.
25
All right, is Jack Black Kung Fu Panda?
26
The answer is yes.
27
How many times did you do that?
28
How many times did I do Kung Fu Panda?
29
Dude, so many times.
30
Cause there's like one, two, three, and then there was also a four, but then there was also a TV.
31
I'm gonna say six.
32
Fun experience? So fun.
33
Dude, role of a lifetime.
34
I've been doing it longer than any role I've done.
35
That's tough.
36
Cause it's constantly in flux.
37
If I had to pick, this is gonna sound boring.
38
It's like your favorite ice cream is vanilla.
39
It's the Beatles.
40
It's the only answer.
41
It's the best band in the world.
42
Any new one, any current one?
43
Oh, man, look at this guy.
44
Look at this guy.
45
He hates the Beatles.
46
Well, he wants to know what's the latest, like the hot, the hot, hot, fresh.
47
What are the kids listening to now, these days?
48
You know what?
49
I was in the makeup and hair trailer with my beautician, Raw's music, and she said, let's listen to this new record.
50
It's the lead singer from Geese solo album.
51
What's that guy's name?
52
Christian McCafferty?
53
Cameron Winter.
54
Cameron Winter.
55
Check out his album called Heavy Metal.
56
There's no heavy metal on the album, but what a brilliant poet.
57
Have you checked out this?
58
No. Hot tip.
59
Cameron Winter.
60
And everyone, it's the flavor of the month.
61
Everyone's like, me, me, me.
62
I, me, me.
63
You know, it's kind of annoying when you like the thing that is on.
64
It's really hot right now.
65
But I'm going to say that heat is justified.
66
Is Jack Black fluent in Spanish?
67
Nope.
68
But I can fake it pretty good.
69
Like I can, But really,
70
I need to practice a lot more to really, really know Spanish.
71
I don't really know it.
72
You fooled me, man.
73
That sounded pretty good.
74
I don't know.
75
It sounds fluent.
76
What did Jack Black just say?
77
Is that really the question there?
78
Yeah, they knew you were going to do that.
79
That's brilliant.
80
Oh my god.
81
The answer is, the answer is, we're in a vortex now.
82
Now the answer is, we're in a vortex now.
83
Now the answer is, it never ends.
84
It never ends.
85
Next question.
86
Oh, damn, dude!
87
Oh, I almost knocked that picture off the wall.
88
I think there's a new Kung Fu Panda in town.
89
What music does Paul Rudd like?
90
Oh my gosh, I mean, there's many types of music that I like.
91
That's an impossible question.
92
I would say that I'm going to go, I mean, I'm going to say alt rock.
93
Ooh, yeah.
94
Yeah.
95
Pretty crazy answer.
96
Yeah.
97
I like classic rock.
98
I like 70s soft rock.
99
Yeah.
100
I like old school country.
101
Hell yeah.
102
I like Irish music.
103
Keep going.
104
I like classical music.
105
Ooh, man.
106
I think it's really good, classical music.
107
Hell yeah.
108
I'm going to go with that.
109
Let's go with...
110
Let's drill down a little bit.
111
Okay.
112
Name one classical composer that you actually like.
113
Oh my god.
114
Well, Bach, my favorite.
115
Ah, dude, good answer.
116
That's my favorite.
117
He's the Beatles of classical music.
118
That's exactly right.
119
All roads lead to Bach.
120
I think, I may be wrong, that the Beatles might have stolen the little Bach.
121
Oh yeah, I think everyone did.
122
Beetle, little, little.
123
No, that's Beethoven.
124
What about Blackbird?
125
That comes from?
126
Oh yeah!
127
El fin dum ding dum ding dum ding!
128
Bach.
129
Bach.
130
What were you gonna say though before I so rudely interrupted you?
131
That I love Bach.
132
Okay, you know what's interesting to me?
133
What was not in your list of genres?
134
Heavy metal?
135
Jazz.
136
Jazz.
137
I like jazz.
138
Liar.
139
I do like jazz.
140
I hate jazz.
141
No, I don't.
142
But the jazz that I like, it's like country.
143
I like some of the old school.
144
And then I can get into some Mingus where you know you veer into- I was gonna say name one, but you went to Mingus.
145
You're legit, you're legit.
146
So Mingus is, yeah, you don't start with Mingus.
147
You graduate to Mingus.
148
That's a real jazz aficionado answer.
149
Next!
150
What did Paul Rudd do before acting?
151
I glazed hams. For real?
152
For real I did that.
153
I cleaned hot tubs, I delivered newspapers, I worked in a restaurant in the kitchen.
154
I've had a lot of weird jobs.
155
I DJed and emceed, you know, like kids' parties.
156
Nice.
157
The weddings and bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, maybe a couple of b'nai mitzvahs.
158
This is all news to me.
159
I didn't know any of this.
160
Yeah, there's some other weird ones that I've had a lot of, I had a lot of really kind of strange jobs.
161
All I know is I want to come over to your house
162
when it's glazed ham time and when you are spinning that DJ discs for the after ham dance party.
163
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, the post ham party is- Dude, for real I'm coming over.
164
Anytime you want, Jack.
165
You say that.
166
I do, I do just say, but I mean it.
167
I mean it.
168
When I come to town and I give you the jingle, it goes straight to voicemail.
169
And what is Paul Rudd's best movie?
170
I'm supposed to include that?
171
Oh, well, that's easy.
172
That's Star Wars.
173
How about you going to say Anaconda?
174
Wait, you're not in Star Wars.
175
You're right.
176
Wait, what about Paul Rudd's best movie?
177
I'm going to go with Anaconda.
178
It's not one of Paul Rudd's favorite movie.
179
What was Paul Rudd's Celery Man about?
180
Got me.
181
It's a Tim and Eric sketch.
182
Oh, man.
183
And celery, it was, you know, I was playing a guy who was at work and had a very important work to do.
184
They got a little, I don't know, maybe on company time did some things for myself with a computer.
185
Dude, you're a genius.
186
You're a genius.
187
You look like in Beatles of comedy. And the Bach.
188
You're the Bach and the Beatles of...
189
You're Jack Bach, not Jack Black.
190
Just keep this up, Doug.
191
Just keep it up.
192
Oh, yeah.
193
Oh, oh, wow.
194
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
195
I almost knocked the picture over again.
196
We've got more boards?
197
Oh, my God.
198
That was definitely the grand finale.
199
Seven total.
200
All right.
201
Oh, shit.
202
I'll get this one.
203
What are Jack Black's hobbies?
204
Nobody knows this.
205
I'm a numismatist.
206
Do you know what that means?
207
No. Coin collector.
208
I love coins.
209
And I got a rad coin.
210
My best coin is probably my 1792 flowing hair penny.
211
I don't think it's 1792.
212
I'm not a very good coin collector.
213
I can't even remember the date of my favorite coin.
214
That's very interesting.
215
What's what's rad about this penny.
216
It's a flowing hair penny.
217
And the puritanical ways of America at that time were like, it's like pornography.
218
Her hair is blowing in the wind.
219
Stop making that coin immediately.
220
And then the coin's value skyrocketed because there's only, there's not that many of them.
221
It's like the Honus Wagner of coins.
222
And it also has like a little historical value.
223
It tells about this puritanical religious kind of- That's really- I think it's really interesting.
224
It's kind of cool.
225
It is really cool.
226
And my other favorite coin, there's a standing Liberty quarter.
227
It was back when quarters were made of pure silver.
228
And there's a breast revealed, one breast.
229
And you can tell the quality of the coin based on the nipple definition.
230
So what I'm saying is my best coins are all slightly pornographic.
231
Those are the ones to get.
232
Those are absolutely the ones to get.
233
And a numismatist.
234
Numismatist, I believe.
235
A numismatist.
236
That's the number of pronunciation.
237
Isn't it a philatist something about, like a stamp collecting?
238
A home.
239
A phallacist?
240
That's not what I thought.
241
That sounded a little weird.
242
That's something else.
243
What is Jack Black's character in School of Rock?
244
Dewey Finn.
245
But his alter ego, when he pretends to be a real substitute teacher, is, hold on, don't tell me.
246
I should remember this.
247
I can.
248
It's Professor Schneebley.
249
Mr. Ned Schneebley.
250
Ned Schneebley.
251
Thank you.
252
And I say it because I've seen that movie so many times, and I've said this to you, and I've said it over and over again to anyone who'll listen,
253
one of the greatest performances of any movie, comedic, everything, all time, for sure.
254
I'll just say the reason why, if I was good in that movie, is because that role was written for me.
255
Mike White is a straight-up genius.
256
He is.
257
On White Lotus now.
258
And if you ever get a chance, if Mike White ever writes a part for you, jump.
259
Just do it, dude.
260
Mike White, you, and Linklater.
261
Yeah.
262
That's like a murderer's row.
263
What did Jack Black recently do?
264
Did a little movie called Anaconda, motherfucker.
265
See it in theaters on December 25th worldwide.
266
Merry Christmas.
267
What is Jack Black's vocal range?
268
Oh, that's a good question.
269
I have a 17 octave range.
270
Wow.
271
It starts down here.
272
Don't.
273
No, dogs are barking.
274
Did you hear it?
275
I hear the dogs barking in the distance.
276
Toss that motherfucker.
277
All right.
278
Anaconda.
279
Why do anacondas get so big?
280
Because they're aroused.
281
Yeah, that's exactly right.
282
Next.
283
Why do anacondas give live birth?
284
What does that even mean?
285
I don't know, what are they gonna give, pre-recorded birth?
286
They're gonna give dead birth.
287
No eggs.
288
No eggs?
289
Oh!
290
Oh, but they don't have eggs.
291
Yeah.
292
That's why.
293
Yeah, no eggs.
294
What came first, the anaconda or the egg?
295
It's an age-old question.
296
Do anacondas have a personality?
297
Not really great ones.
298
I don't, yeah, I think.
299
Oh, I know.
300
You've seen one, you've seen them all.
301
I don't want to insult any anacondas that might be watching, but they're not real snuggly.
302
Not the most affectionate creatures in the universe.
303
Can you pet an anaconda?
304
Technically, yeah.
305
You can try.
306
Yeah.
307
That is a slimy, slithery one.
308
Last one.
309
Might an anaconda eat you?
310
Yeah, I think so.
311
Eat you up, regurgitate you, eat you again.
312
Delicioso.
313
Might I eat an anaconda?
314
they say they taste just like chiacan.
315
Be careful, you guys.
316
This is coming in hot.
317
Wait till Kung Fu Panda 7 after that.
318
Last but not least.
319
The final gold card.
320
What team does Paul Rudd like?
321
I could answer this one.
322
Go for it.
323
Kansas City Motherfucker Chiefs.
324
We're playing right now.
325
Kansas City Chiefs.
326
Oh, dude, we're missing it.
327
No, I know.
328
First time in a long, long time.
329
Can we get a score?
330
Right now it's 7-3.
331
I was just watching it before we came.
332
First quarter.
333
When did Paul Rudd host SNL?
334
Well, I've hosted a few times.
335
The last time I hosted- Are you a five-timer?
336
I am.
337
Come on, baby.
338
And the last time was the only time a show was canceled the day of.
339
Omicron outbreak.
340
Oh my God!
341
So we had to kind of go on the fly.
342
It was interesting.
343
Wow.
344
Why did Paul Rudd join Friends?
345
I was certainly fortunate enough to get an audition.
346
I was in Los Angeles at the time.
347
I went down, I met Lisa Kudrow.
348
I read with her, I got this part.
349
It was only supposed to be a couple of episodes, but it was amazing.
350
It just kind of kept going.
351
So it was a surprise to me.
352
I guess the answer is because you wanted to.
353
Because I was lucky enough to get the part.
354
Yeah, because they asked.
355
Next, how Paul Rudd got shredded.
356
Oh, well it's my life.
357
You know, I mean, well, a lot of times it depends.
358
If it depends, if it's a pull day, leg day, might be if I'm working tries and byes, could be lats, could be squats, could be deadlifts.
359
I don't know, you know, it's just a way of life.
360
That's just what I do.
361
Dude, I wish I could one time be shredded like you.
362
By the way, anyone can be.
363
I spent some time in the gymnasium and it never seems to reap the benefits.
364
I'm not, me either by the way.
365
That was just, it was a fleeting thing.
366
Can I just like follow you around for a couple months and just do whatever you do?
367
Eat whatever you eat, leg lift whatever you leg lift, etc. You absolutely can, but I think you'll find yourself to be mightily disappointed.
368
I'm not a gym rat.
369
All right, well, it starts now.
370
We're in.
371
What's for lunch?
372
Well, probably just a big plate of fries.
373
I can do this.
374
Covered in frosting.
375
This is easy.
376
That's all the boards.
377
I feel strongly.
378
I would like to say a special thanks to whomever it was
379
that so beautifully taped over the questions because that's a lot of work to really get that done correctly.
380
And I feel as if they go unheralded.
381
They really do.
382
And it was so user friendly because they had the tab that was easy to peel off.
383
Yeah, and they also fold over the corner, so it's popped up, so it's easy to do.
384
You make it easy for us.
385
Is that person here who did that?
386
Come here, come here, come here.
387
What's your name?
388
My name is Lauren.
389
Lauren.
390
Lauren, do you do this for all of the people that do this?
391
Whenever I'm on Wired Autocomplete, then I do do this.
392
Lauren, you're the MVP.
393
Thank you, Lauren.
394
What makes Lauren tick?
395
Come on, get in here, Lauren.
396
What makes Lauren safe?
397
Yeah, yeah, what makes, you go looking at this camera right here with the green tape and the smiley face, yeah.
398
Nothing right now.
399
Yes!
400
I didn't think of anything.
401
I'm too cheesed.
402
You're cheesed.
403
Gen Z lingo here.
404
I see, I don't know what it is.
405
I felt cheesed.
406
You wanna chuck this one?
407
Chuck it.
408
Come on, Lauren, chuck it.
409
Oh, yeah!
410
Oh, yeah!
411
Thank you, okay, good cut.
412
Thank you so much, y'all.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Same Channel
B11
Is Priyanka Chopra Jonas Vegan?
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
Riverdale Cast Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
Keke Palmer Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
Daniel Radcliffe Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B24
Retired Navy SEAL Explains How to Prepare for Dangerous Situations | Tradecraft | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2Owen Wilson Answers The Web’s Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2Former FBI Agent Explains How to Read Body Language | Tradecraft | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
Dolly Parton Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
Ricky Gervais Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
Rhett & Link Answer The Internet's Best Questions
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
C11
Body Language Expert Explains How to Show Confidence | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
Millie Bobby Brown Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B13
TXT Answer The Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
TeensDaily Conversation
B27
Giancarlo Esposito Answers The Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
Chris Evans & Ana de Armas Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
Sexuality Professor Answers Dating Questions | Tech Support | WIRED
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
Urban Designer Answers City Planning Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2330
Tokyo’s Vertical Farms - The Future of Farming | WIRED
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B22
History Professor Answers Corruption Questions | Tech Support | WIRED
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B22
Demographics Expert Answers Population Questions | Tech Support | WIRED
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B21
104 sentences
Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden Impression That Left the Entire Audience Stunned!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2114 sentences
10 Things Joji Can't Live Without | GQ
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
164 sentences
Outer Banks Cast Reveals Uncomfortable Truths in the Hot Seat | Vanity Fair
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
407 sentences
Megan Fox & Machine Gun Kelly Take a Couples Quiz | GQ
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B259 sentences
Chris Evans AOU Red Carpet Interview
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
30 sentences
Randy Rampage tells tales from his Bio. "I Survived DOA "
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
65 sentences
Jack Whitehall chatting with Harry Styles (Brit Awards 2020)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
303 sentences
Pedro Pascal: The Puppy Interview
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
183 sentences
What Would We Endorse? | 15 Minute Morning Show
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
980 sentences
Craig Ferguson Wildly Flirting Like Nobody Was Watching
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 412 sentences and 2501 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:04. The speaker talks at a natural 166 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- coin /ˈkoɪ̯n/ (noun) — A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.
- jazz /d͡ʒæz/ (noun) — A musical art form rooted in West African cultural and musical expression and in the African American blues tradition, with diverse influences over time…
- egg /ɛɡ/ (noun) — An approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, insects, reptiles, and other animals, often housing an embryo within a membrane or shell…
- classical /ˈklæs.ɪ.k(ə)l/ (adjective) — Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.
- genius /ˈd͡ʒin.jəs/ (noun) — Someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill; especially somebody who has demonstrated this by a creative or original work in science, music, art…
- chuck /t͡ʃʌk/ (verb) — To playfully give a light touch, stroke, tap, etc., to someone, especially under the chin.
- penny /ˈpɛni/ (noun) — In the United Kingdom, a unit of currency worth ¹⁄₁₀₀ of a pound sterling, or a copper coin worth this amount. Abbreviation: p.
- tape /teɪ̯p/ (noun) — Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
- breast /bɹɛst/ (noun) — Either of the two organs on the front of a female human's chest, which contain the mammary glands; also the analogous organs in males.
- knock /nɑk/ (verb) — To rap one's knuckles against something, especially wood.
- depend /dɪˈpɛnd/ (verb) — To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition
- legit /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt/ (adjective) — Legitimate; legal; allowed by the rules; valid.
- collector /kəˈlɛk.tɚ/ (noun) — A person who or thing that collects, or which creates or manages a collection.
- bark /bɑɹk/ (noun) — The exterior covering of the trunk and branches of a tree or of various other woody plants.
- fluent /ˈfluənt/ (adjective) — That flows; flowing, liquid.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
- go with (verb) — To choose or accept (a suggestion).
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
- check out (verb) — To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
- blow in (verb) — To activate a blast furnace by eliminating moisture and then igniting a large amount of fuel.
- come from (verb) — To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
- come in /ˌkʌm ˈɪn/ (verb) — To enter.
- come over (verb) — To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 79 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: genre /ˈ(d)ʒɑnɹə/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, audition /ɑˈdɪʃən/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, shred /ʃɹɛd/
- Long words — get the stress right: disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd/, technically /ˈtɛk.nɪˌkəl.i/, beautifully /ˈbju.tɪ.fə.li/, pornography /pɔɹˈnɑ.ɡɹə.fi/, pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like coin, jazz, egg.
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 | I've done · Have you checked · I've had |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is justified · were made · was written |
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.