Shadowing Practice: Jatropha: a new biofuel: Đề thi IELTS LISTENING (actual test) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Good afternoon.
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As you know, the world is running out of fossil fuels, that is crude oil, coal and natural gas.
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As an alternative, certain plants are now being considered as biofuels, which are fuels made from organic plant material.
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These are possible sources of energy once the fossil fuels have gone forever.
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Well, one such plant goes by the name of Jatropha.
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It was first a native of Central America, and it's now found across the world.
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A few things that make this plant especially attractive is that it can survive in very poor quality,
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infertile soil, as it does for example alongside train tracks in India, on the line between Mumbai and Delhi.
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And for up to three years, it's resistant to drought.
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That's right, it can do without rain for that long.
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And even if it's not actually a plant that people can eat, it's still worth having it on your land as it prevents erosion.
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And we looked at the dangerous consequences of that in a previous lecture.
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Furthermore, jettifer seeds can be slowly distilled to produce diesel oil.
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And it's this kind of fuel, of course, that's of interest to scientists and power companies.
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After processing, the seeds can yield up to four times the oil that soybean can
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and 10 times the amount compared to corn.
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So you can see why it's causing such interest.
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And not much is wasted in the processing procedure either.
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After the oil has been extracted from the seeds, the residue is processed into biomass, which can run power stations,
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which in turn can provide electricity for thousands of local homes.
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Also, whereas our fossil fuels cannot be replaced, the energy produced by biofuels such as Jatropha is renewable.
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It's not going to run out because the plants just go on growing.
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There's no doubt that it is a remarkable plant and one that has been very beneficial to man.
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In various African communities it's been used to operate water pumps and refrigerate medicines.
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It can be used to produce candles or as a fencing plant to keep some animals enclosed and some animals out.
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It can also treat a number of health problems, for example the boiled leaves can do much to relieve the suffering of of people with malaria,
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and some Jatropha species have seeds which are used to treat digestion problems.
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Anyway, that's not what the European corporations who are buying vast amounts of land for Jatropha plantations are focusing on.
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They claim that people who are dependent on rural economies will benefit from growing Jatropha,
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and that it will help them bring an end to poverty by providing a long-term local industry.
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They also point out that few or no modifications would be necessary in modern diesel engines,
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since they were originally designed to run on biofuels such as peanut oil and ethanol anyway.
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Of course, when the plants are burnt they release carbon dioxide, but they absorb great amounts when they're growing,
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making them a considerably greener alternative to fossil fuels.
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But not everyone shares the excitement over Jatropha, nor other biofuels.
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In Western Australia, Jatropha has in fact been banned since the seeds of some species are toxic,
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and it only takes three or four to kill a person, and animals are also very vulnerable.
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Furthermore, skeptics also point out that as there are many species of Jatropha, its oil productivity is unreliable.
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Aside from this, critics of Jatropha and other biofuels claim
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that farmers now have a strong economic incentive to grow them rather than food crops.
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Poor countries would be particularly affected
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because they would have to rely on imported foods to survive
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and people would end up having to pay greatly inflated prices for basic foods.
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There's also the concern over environmental damage.
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In order to provide land for palm oil or sugarcane plantations,
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for instance, companies are cutting down vast areas of rainforest which can never be replaced,
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and this in turn results in the disappearance of wildlife which depended on that habitat.
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You can also imagine that such deforestation makes a considerable contribution to global warming.
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Furthermore, opponents also reject the idea that biofuels are a carbon neutral source of energy.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 56 sentences and 717 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:07. The speaker talks slowly, about 88 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 80% 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:
- seed /siːd/ (noun) — Any propagative portion of a plant which may be sown, such as true seeds, seed-like fruits, tubers, or bulbs.
- fossil /ˈfɑsl̩/ (noun) — The mineralized remains of an animal or plant.
- furthermore /ˈfɜː(ɹ).ðə(ɹ)ˌmɔː(ɹ)/ (adverb) — In addition; besides; further; what's more (i.e. to denote additional information).
- vast /væst/ (adjective) — Very large or wide (literally or figuratively).
- diesel /ˈdisəl/ (noun) — A fuel derived from petroleum (or other oils) but heavier than gasoline/petrol. Used to power diesel engines which burn this fuel using the heat produced when…
- plantation /plænˈteɪʃən/ (noun) — A large farm; estate or area of land designated for agricultural growth. Often includes housing for the owner and workers.
- poverty /ˈpɑːvɚti/ (noun) — The quality or state of being poor; lack of money
- alongside /əˌlɔŋˈsaɪd/ — Side by side with.
- compare /kəmˈpɛɚ/ (verb) — To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it…
- suffer /ˈsʌfɚ/ (verb) — To undergo hardship.
- procedure /pɹəˈsiː.d͡ʒə/ (noun) — A particular method for performing a task.
- electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/ (noun) — Originally, a property of amber and certain other nonconducting substances to attract lightweight material when rubbed, or the cause of this property; now…
- soil /sɔɪl/ (noun) — A mixture of mineral particles and organic material, used to support plant growth.
- whereas /(h)wɛɹˈæz/ — In contrast; whilst on the contrary; although.
- organic /ɔːˈɡænɪk/ (adjective) — Pertaining to or derived from living organisms.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- point out (verb) — To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body.
- cut down (verb) — To cut downward.
- do for (verb) — To doom; to bring about the demise of someone; to injure or harm someone.
- end up (verb) — To bring to a conclusion.
- go by (verb) — To pass or go past without much interaction.
- go on /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/ (verb) — To continue in extent.
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
- rely on (verb) — To be confident in.
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: furthermore /ˈfɜː(ɹ).ðə(ɹ)ˌmɔː(ɹ)/, ethanol /ˈɛθ.ə.nɑl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: plantation /plænˈteɪʃən/, contribution /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/, beneficial /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əl/, modification /ˌmɑdɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/, erosion /ɪˈɹəʊʒən/
- Long words — get the stress right: electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/, contribution /ˌkɑntɹɪˈbjuʃən/, considerable /kənˈsɪdəɹəbl̩/, productivity /ˌpɹɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/, beneficial /ˌbɛn.ɪˈfɪʃ.əl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like seed, fossil, furthermore.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | being considered · is wasted · has been extracted |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | biofuels, which are · biomass, which can · seeds which are |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have gone · has been extracted · has been |
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.