Shadowing Practice: LA fires: Death toll rises to five as new fire erupts in Hollywood Hills | BBC News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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In L.A., four massive wildfires continue to spread in the suburbs of Los Angeles,
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In L.A., four massive wildfires continue to spread in the suburbs of Los Angeles,
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and more fires are still popping up.
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The latest has broken out in the Hollywood Hills.
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It is burning in the area between Runyon Canyon and Wattles Park and has triggered more mandatory evacuations.
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More than 137,000 people have been forced to evacuate.
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Officials say, despite best efforts,
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the fires are 0% contained due to the strong winds and shortage of water.
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Now for the latest, let's speak to CBS reporter Ashley Sharp.
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Ashley, thanks for joining us.
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What more can you tell us about the fires that continue to rage across Los Angeles?
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Hi, Steve.
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Well, of those major fires that are burning here across Los Angeles,
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I'm covering the Eaton Fire currently.
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We're in Altadena, California, just outside of L.A.
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The Eaton Fire is the second largest in size,
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but has the most fatal.
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We've rep fatalities so far that th been responsible for.
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And firefight is active around a spot fire behind me wher to the ground and just up where I'm standing,
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dozens actively fighting the eaten fire up on the hill.
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You'll hear off and on fire alarms that are sounding around me as well and smoke has filled the air.
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What I can tell you Steve is the difference is the wind,
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what were hurricane force gusts yesterday have calmed which is a help to those fire crews tonight.
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And speaking of those fire crews actually how they've been coping
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and they've been on the move been fighting these fires for well over a day now.
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Steve, they're exhausted.
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We're standing right across from a fire hydrant where those crews have been coming down the hill,
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filling up with water and going right back up.
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It's an all-hands-on-deck situation.
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Crews from across the state,
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from northern California, where we are very familiar with fighting wildland fire,
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crews have made their way down south.
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So it's an all hands on deck situation.
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And as you can imagine to the emotional weight of seeing a lot of what they're seeing,
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you're seeing families flee their homes with their pets in their arms.
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You're seeing people having to watch their homes burn to the ground all across Los Angeles County.
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It weighs heavily on these firefighters and they too know
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that they have such an important job to do in getting these very,
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very dangerous fires contained that right now are sitting at 0% containment.
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And tell us a bit about those people that have been leaving their homes and how the evacuations have been going.
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I understand there was some reluctance from some residents in Los Angeles yesterday to evacuate as they were being instructed.
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The evacuation orders have continued tonight.
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I mean, tens of thousands of people under evacuation order.
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And Los Angeles' mayor warning tonight that there could be more evacuation orders coming through the night and into the morning.
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So if you're living in this Los Angeles area,
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you're glued to your phone.
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You're glued to information about where this fire is moving and where,
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in turn, you need to move.
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You asked about people who have evacuated.
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We showed images from CBS last night of seniors who had been evacuated from a senior center.
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They were sitting outside on their hospital beds in wheelchairs with
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only masks to help protect themselves as flames surrounded their senior center.
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We did get to stop by the Pasadena Convention Center earlier today where some of those seniors were taken.
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That's the question, right?
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When you evacuate people from places like this,
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from places like hospitals, where do you take them?
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Regional transit busses showed up
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and they got those seniors to places like the pasadena convention
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center where right now it's a waiting game as to what comes next yeah
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and speaking of what comes next you mentioned earlier about how
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the wind was not as strong as it was yesterday
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that is a key component here for how firefighters are able to battle this blaze is there any confidence
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that the wind will not pick up again For perspective,
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I could tell you this, Steve.
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Yesterday, I could not be standing safely where I am right now because that wind would carry this small fire right here.
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The embers would catch, and the brush surrounding me would be just a nearly certain risk that it would catch on fire.
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So we have a bit more confidence today,
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and most of these fires,
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yes, they are moving, but you can see my hair is not moving,
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much behind me is not moving.
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So we're a bit more confident.
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You know, it's just a bit safer in this scenario.
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Now, of course, we always have our eyes on our backs in a scenario like this.
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But when you talk about those winds tonight,
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calm, but we could see gusts returning tomorrow.
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That's what people are going to be watching for.
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But hopefully we're not going to see the hurricane force winds
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that we're topping near 100 miles per hour in some instances here across Los Angeles.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

The video discussing the wildfires in Los Angeles provides an excellent opportunity for English speaking practice. The context is timely and relevant, reflecting real-life situations that can resonate with listeners. Speaking about emergencies, weather, and community responses allows learners to engage with current events, which is vital for improving conversational skills.

By practicing with this video, you can enhance your ability to communicate effectively under pressure and express empathy. The emotional weight of the firefighters' experiences and the evacuations resonates deeply, providing learners with language that can be used in discussions about crises and community support. Furthermore, using a shadowing technique to model speech patterns will help you mimic the natural flow and tone used by native speakers.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

In the video, several key grammatical structures and expressions emerge that are useful for learners:

  • Present continuous tense: "the fires are burning" illustrates ongoing action.
  • Passive voice: "has been responsible for" highlights the action's recipient, which is common in news reporting.
  • Imperatives: "evacuate" is used as a strong command, teaching learners how urgency is conveyed.
  • Adjectives and intensifiers: Terms like "massive," "dangerous," and "exhausted" help learners describe situations more vividly.

Understanding these structures within the context makes them easier to remember and apply in your own speaking practice.

Common Pronunciation Traps

As you engage with the video, pay attention to pronunciation challenges that may arise:

  • The word "evacuate" may be tricky due to its vowel sounds and syllable stress, so practice breaking it down: e-vac-u-ate.
  • Words like "firefighter" can be difficult because of the blending of sounds; try repeating it slowly at first, then speed up.
  • The phrase "mandatory evacuations" can pose difficulties due to its rhythm, so use the shadowing technique to mimic the natural cadence.
  • Be mindful of the accent and regional intonations of the speaker, which can help improve your English pronunciation through active listening.

Engaging with these elements will facilitate a deeper learning experience and support your goal to improve English pronunciation effectively. By consistently practicing with this video, you can leverage the power of the shadowspeaks method, fostering a more confident speaking style.

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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