Shadowing Practice: Learn English quickly with podcast conversation | English language learning | Episode 161 - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hello everyone and welcome to EnglishPod.
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My name is Marco.
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And my name is Catherine.
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And today we have a very exciting elementary lesson for you.
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That's right.
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We are going to take our clothes to the dry cleaners.
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Okay, so that means we have some dirty clothes.
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They need to be cleaned.
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Let's listen to this dialogue one time.
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And when we come back, we'll be talking about the words and phrases that you hear in it.
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Thank God you are open!
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I have an emergency!
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Hello, Mr. Henderson.
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What can I do for you?
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I need this dress and this suit dry-cleaned ASAP.
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Okay, I can have it ready by the end of the week.
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No, you don't understand.
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I need this tomorrow morning.
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I accidentally spilled beer all over my wife's dress, and we have a wedding to attend tomorrow.
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She's gonna kill me!
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Okay, I can have it ready tomorrow afternoon, but this suit is also very stained.
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I can't guarantee we can remove it completely.
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Fine.
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Can you also iron and starch this shirt?
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Certainly.
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Great.
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This is our secret.
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If you see my wife, say nothing to her about this.
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Alright, we're back.
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So now there are probably a couple of words that you didn't understand, so why don't we look at those now in language takeaway.
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Language Takeaway Marco, you already told our listeners about one phrase, to dry clean, so dry cleaned.
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Alright, so that's when you take your clothes to a professional who doesn't only wash them, right?
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You don't just put water and soap on it.
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They actually put some special chemicals and use special machines to get very hard to remove stains from it.
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Exactly.
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And so this is often what we use when we clean coats
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or fancy shirts and dresses because you don't want to clean those yourself.
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Right.
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You can't put those in the washing machine.
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No. So this is the dry cleaner.
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That's the name of the place.
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And the action, what they do is they dry clean clothes.
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Okay.
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Very good.
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All right.
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Well, I mentioned that we take them to the dry cleaners because we want to remove stains.
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Okay, so a stain is a mark or some color that does not come off, does not go away.
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All right, so for example, sometimes you can have a wine stain.
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Ooh, wine stains are the worst.
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They're red and they never come off.
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Or a blood stain.
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Or a blood stain.
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Right, so a stain is a noun, but you can also use it as an adjective.
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My shirt is stained.
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Okay, so it's stained.
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My pants are stained and I can't wear them again.
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Again, you can also use it as a verb.
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I stained my pants.
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All right.
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So it's a verb, it's a noun, and an adjective all in one.
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Easy to remember.
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Well, there's another word that's well related to this word.
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We spilled something.
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Okay, so I spilled wine and it stained my shirt.
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Okay, so to spill.
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And that means that you took some liquid and you put it onto your clothes.
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Or you dropped it and it made a mess.
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Okay, so spill.
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I spilled some milk.
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Okay, spilled.
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Now, it's pronounced differently from spell, right?
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That's right.
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Spill.
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It has an eye, spilled.
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All right, now our next word is also a noun and a verb, to iron.
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To iron means to make something flat with no lines, okay?
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To smooth it out.
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So, we use an iron to iron.
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Exactly.
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It's a metal electronic object.
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It gets very hot.
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So you wash your shirts, for example, and your shirts are wrinkled because you just washed them.
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So you need to iron them.
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That's right.
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And so you smooth them out.
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You flatten them with this object, an iron.
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Okay.
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And, well, usually if you take them to the dry cleaners, they will iron them and also starch them.
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Okay.
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So to starch something means to use some powder or chemical to make something stiff or hard.
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So the noun or the chemical is also called starch.
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Exactly.
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So you think of a shirt with many buttons that a man wears to work.
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He has a collar around his neck and that needs to be high and tall.
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It can't be flat and wrinkled.
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And so a dry cleaner will use starch to make sure that this stands up.
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Okay, very good.
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So those are five key words for the dialogue today.
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Let's listen to the dialogue again, and we'll be back with Fluency Builder.
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Thank God you are open!
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I have an emergency!
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Hello, Mr. Henderson.
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What can I do for you?
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I need this dress and this suit dry-cleaned ASAP.
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Okay, I can have it ready by the end of the week.
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No, you don't understand.
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I need this tomorrow morning.
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I accidentally spilled beer all over my wife's dress, and we have a wedding to attend tomorrow.
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She's gonna kill me.
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Okay, I can have it ready tomorrow afternoon, but this suit is also very stained.
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I can't guarantee we can remove it completely.
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Fine.
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Can you also iron and starch this shirt?
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Certainly.
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Great.
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This is our secret.
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If you see my wife, say nothing to her about this.
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All right, we're back now, so let's take a look at Fluency Builder.
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Thank God.
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Thank God.
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All right, what is this phrase, thank God?
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Okay, this is a phrase we use in English to say that we're happy about something or that we're relieved.
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Okay.
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So maybe I'm nervous that the mail isn't going to come today.
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And then the mail comes and I say, oh, thank God, the mail came.
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Yeah, I'm happy.
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I was hoping it would come.
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So you're relieved.
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Thank God.
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Now, we are using the word there, God, but it doesn't really have a religious connotation that much, right?
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No, not anymore.
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It's usually just a phrase.
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Exactly.
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Okay.
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Now, what about this acronym ASAP or ASAP?
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ASAP.
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So, as soon as possible.
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It's an acronym.
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So, the first letter comes from the word.
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It means as soon as possible, very quickly, right away.
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You always hear that in an office setting as well.
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I need those papers ASAP.
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I need those reports ASAP.
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Exactly.
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So you can say it either way, ASAP or ASAP, and it means immediately.
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Okay.
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And he said that he needed the suit ASAP, and he said, I can have it ready by the end of the week.
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Okay, so that might not be fast enough for the client, for the person here who has the stain, but the end of the week is a very,
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very useful phrase because it means that maybe today is Monday or Tuesday, by Friday or Saturday, we'll have this ready for you.
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Because we think of the end of the week as Friday, maybe.
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Thursday, Friday.
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So I can say the end of the week or the end of the day.
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Exactly.
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The end of the month.
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Or the end of the year.
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Exactly.
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So the end of is usually the last time.
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So thank goodness it's the end of the week.
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I'm ready for my weekend.
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Very good.
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Okay.
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So great phrases there as well.
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Let's listen to the dialogue for the last time.
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Thank God you are open.
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I have an emergency.
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Hello, Mr. Henderson.
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What can I do for you?
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I need this dress and this suit dry-cleaned ASAP.
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Okay, I can have it ready by the end of the week.
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No, you don't understand.
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I need this tomorrow morning.
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I accidentally spilled beer all over my wife's dress, and we have a wedding to attend tomorrow.
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She's gonna kill me.
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Okay, I can have it ready tomorrow afternoon, but this suit is also very stained.
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I can't guarantee we can remove it completely.
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Fine.
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Can you also iron and starch this shirt?
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Certainly.
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Great.
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This is our secret.
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If you see my wife, say nothing to her about this.
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Alright, we're back.
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So now, dry cleaning, ironing.
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Are you good at this or do you get a lot of your clothes dry cleaned?
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I'm pretty good at this, actually.
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I don't like to wash clothes.
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I get really bored with the washing machine, but I actually really like ironing.
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Really?
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Yeah, I find it very relaxing.
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Really?
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Mm-hmm.
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I usually find it very frustrating.
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Really?
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Why is that?
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Because I can't really iron well because I start on one side
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and I'm getting all the lines out and then the other side gets wrinkled
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or lines appear where I don't want them to appear.
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It's very frustrating for me.
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It is frustrating.
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It takes some practice.
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My suggestion is to use the spritzer.
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You know, in the iron, there's some water that can come out like that.
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Well, if you spray the water, it makes the lines go out for longer.
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Right?
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Because if you iron over that, it's more permanent.
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I've also seen some sprays sometimes
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that you can spray your clothes with some special chemical that's not actually starch but it helps remove the wrinkles quicker.
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Exactly.
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I don't use that.
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I use water generally but they're all available.
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Hello.
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I'm happy to be here again.
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How are you today?
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Hi.
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I'm doing great.
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And I'm really excited because today's topic is something useful for everyday life.
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We're going to talk about taking our clothes to the dry cleaners.
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That's right.
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It's something many people do, especially when they have special clothes like suits, dresses, or clothes with stains that are hard to clean at home.
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Exactly.
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When we take our clothes to the dry cleaners, we're not using water and soap like at home.
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Dry cleaning uses special machines and chemicals to clean the clothes gently.
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And that's important because some clothes say, dry clean only.
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If we wash them in a machine with water they can shrink or lose their shape.
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Yes, that happened to one of my shirts.
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I washed it at home, and it got smaller and didn't fit anymore.
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Now I always check the label first.
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Good idea.
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So when we go to the dry cleaners, we can take clothes that are dirty or stained.
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A stain is a mark that's hard to remove, like coffee, wine, or oil.
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Stains can be really annoying.
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Sometimes I spill something on my shirt, and I can't clean it with regular washing.
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So I take it to the dry cleaners, and they usually know what to do.
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Yes, the dry cleaner can use special tools or chemicals to remove the stain.
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But sometimes the stain is too deep, and they can't clean it completely.
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And that's okay, they always tell you first.
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They say things like, we'll try to remove the stain, but we can't promise.
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It's nice that they're honest about it.
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Another good service they offer is ironing.
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After cleaning the clothes, they can iron them so there are no wrinkles.
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The shirt looks neat and smooth.
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Yes, and they can also use starch on the shirt to make it look crisp and sharp.
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Starch is something they spray or press into the shirt so the collar and sleeves stand up nicely.
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Business shirts usually need starch, especially if someone works in an office or has to look formal.
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I agree.
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I don't always like to iron at home.
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It takes time and it's hard to do it perfectly.
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So I often ask the dry cleaners to do it for me.
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Same here.
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They know how to make the shirt look new again.
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It saves time and it looks much better than when I do it myself.
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I remember one time I spilled soda over a white dress before a party.
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I rushed to the dry cleaner and asked them to clean it fast.
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Oh no!
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What happened?
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Luckily, they helped me.
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I told them it was an emergency, and they cleaned and ironed the dress by the next morning.
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I was so thankful.
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That's great.
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Sometimes dry cleaners also offer express service.
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That means they clean your clothes faster, maybe in one day if you really need them soon.
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Yes, but express service sometimes costs more.
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Still, it's helpful when you're in a hurry or have an event to go to.
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I like how dry cleaning places often remember their regular customers.
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They greet you, ask how you are and take care of your clothes like they care.
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It feels good when people know you by name and want to help.
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It makes the service more personal.
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Some dry cleaners also fix clothes.
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If a button is missing, they can sew a new one.
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If there's a small tear, they can stitch it.
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That's really useful.
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Yes, I once had a jacket with a broken zipper.
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I took it to the dry cleaners, and they replaced it.
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It was much cheaper than buying a new jacket.
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That's a smart way to save money.
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Many people throw away clothes when they're damaged, but sometimes a small fix is all it needs.
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Exactly.
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Some places even do alterations.
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That means they can change the size of your clothes, like make pants shorter or a shirt tighter.
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I've done that before.
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I bought a dress that was too long.
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I took it to the dry cleaners and they made it the right length.
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It fit perfectly after that.
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The workers there are often very skilled.
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They know how to work with different kinds of fabric like wool, silk, cotton, or leather.
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Yes, and some fabrics need special care.
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For example, leather jackets, silk blouses, or wool coats can't go in a regular washing machine.
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That's true.
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If you wash leather in water, it can get stiff or cracked.
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It's better to trust a professional cleaner with those clothes.
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Also, when the season changes, many people take their clothes to the dry cleaner before putting them away.
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Like cleaning winter coats before summer or summer dresses before winter.
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That's a good habit.
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Clean clothes last longer, and they smell fresh when you take them out again.
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I also like using plastic or cloth covers from the dry cleaners.
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They help protect the clothes when they hang in the closet.
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Yes, especially for special clothes like suits or dresses you only wear sometimes.
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The covers keep them clean and dust-free.
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Do you ever take bed covers or curtains to the dry cleaner?
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Yes I do.
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Some big items like blankets, comforters, and curtains are hard to wash at home.
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Dry cleaners have big machines that can handle them.
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That's another great use for dry cleaners.
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It's not only clothes, they clean many kinds of fabric.
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Also, if you ever get ink or paint on something, don't try to clean it yourself right away.
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You might make it worse.
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Just take it to the dry cleaner and ask for help.
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Good advice.
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Some stains need special treatment.
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The workers can look at the stain and know what to do.
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I usually tell them what caused the stain.
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Like, this is coffee, or I dropped lipstick.
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That helps them choose the best cleaning method.
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And they often give you a small ticket or receipt.
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You use it to pick up your clothes later.
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It has the date and the price so you don't forget.
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Some people ask, how often should I dry clean my clothes?
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It really depends.
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If you wear something often, like a work suit, maybe every few weeks.
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But for special clothes, just when they look or smell dirty.
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Yes, you don't need to dry clean too much.
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Too much cleaning can hurt the fabric.
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Just clean it when it needs it.
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It's also smart to tell the cleaner if you want something special.
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For example, if you don't want starch, or if you have sensitive skin and need a gentle cleaning.
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Good point.
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Many cleaners will do what you ask, they just need to know.
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Don't be shy.
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Asking simple questions in English like, can you use less starch?
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Or, can you clean this without perfume? Is helpful.
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And it's a great chance to practice English.
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You learn words like stain, starch, iron, wrinkle, and delicate.
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Also words like pick up, drop off, press, or alter.
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These are useful words you can use in real life.
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So today we talked about what dry cleaning is, what kinds of clothes to take, and how dry cleaners help with stains, ironing, fixing clothes, and more.
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We also shared some tips about keeping your clothes nice, how to ask for help, and how to make dry cleaning part of your routine.
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We hope you enjoyed the podcast and learned something useful and simple about everyday English.
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Thank you so much for joining us today.
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It's always fun to learn together.
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If you like this podcast, please give it a thumbs up, leave a comment, and share it with your friends and family.
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And if you've ever used a dry cleaner, tell us in the comments.
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What did you bring?
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Was it a good experience?
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We'd love to hear your stories.
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And your words may help other learners too.
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Thanks again.
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Take care, keep learning, and we'll see you next time.
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The EnglishPod audio review.
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Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.
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Way to clean clothes without water using chemicals.
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Dry clean.
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To allow something to fall from the container.
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Spill.
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Marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter.
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Stained.
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Stiffen clothes, etc. with starch.
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Starch.
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To smooth clothes with a heated iron.
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Iron.
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Let's try that faster.
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Marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter.
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Stained.
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To allow something to fall from the container.
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Spill.
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Stiffen clothes, etc. with starch.
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Starch.
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Way to clean clothes without water using chemicals.
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Dry clean.
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To smooth clothes with a heated iron.
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iron now say the word
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and hear it in a sentence dry clean
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I need to dry clean my skirt dry clean
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I picked up your clothes from the dry cleaners.
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Dry clean.
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The tag on this shirt says dry clean only.
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Spill.
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She spilled her juice all over her homework.
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Spill.
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He was in such a hurry that he spilled his coffee all over the front of his shirt.
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Spill There was an oil spill just off the coast.
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Stained Her children had grass stains on their pants.
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stained I'm never going to be able to get the stain out of this shirt.
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stained The wine he spilled stained his pants.
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Starch.
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Can you starch my shirt?
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Starch.
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He starched his dress shirts so that they were nice and crisp.
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starch You can starch your jeans as well.
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iron He irons his shirt before putting it on.
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Iron I need to iron the laundry.
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Iron Every night, my mom does the ironing while watching TV.
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About This Lesson
You're practicing English with "Learn English quickly with podcast conversation | English language learning | Episode 161" using the Shadowing technique — a method originally developed for professional interpreter training.
Focus on sounding like the speaker — not just repeating words. With 15–30 minutes of daily practice, you'll build real-world speaking confidence.
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.