Shadowing Practice: Man Kills Rattlesnake, Drinks Own Urine While Lost During Hike - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

B1
I'm alive.
⏸ Paused
106 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
I'm alive.
2
Put a helmet on you.
3
I've been in so many miraculous situations where I should have died in Nam and car accidents, motorcycle.
4
And because of my wife and my wonderful family,
5
I just didn't feel that it was my time.
6
You know, my time's not up.
7
And so I just said, keep going.
8
76-year-old Vietnam vet Mark Eric Young shares how he survived five days lost in the Arizona wilderness.
9
He was in town for a wedding and decided to go hiking.
10
I made several mistakes.
11
The first one was I have a GPS.
12
And because I've been in this area,
13
I never turned it on until I really needed it.
14
And when I turned it on, it wasn't functional.
15
Coming back, I decided to come back on a different cow trail to make a shortcut.
16
That was the second long decision.
17
He camped out since he didn't need to meet with a friend until the next night.
18
I've spent many nights out.
19
Vietnam, wilderness, hikes, whatever, campouts.
20
So that wasn't a big thing.
21
And I had enough survival gear for certainly two days, right?
22
Plenty of water, plenty of food.
23
So I wasn't overly concerned until the next day,
24
I figured that I would just go over one mountain
25
and then I would hit that riverbed and then make my way back to the vehicle.
26
Well, again, a wrong decision.
27
When I hiked over one mountain,
28
there was another, one after the other.
29
On day three, he ran out of water.
30
I'd say Saturday was my roughest day,
31
and I was dehydrated, and my brain went right.
32
Just overly fatigued.
33
And so I drank my own urine and that helped.
34
He eventually found water but had a run-in with wildlife.
35
I came around a tree and this rattlesnake, it's a blacktail.
36
I heard the rattle, but I was looking at the ground.
37
And then when I heard him, I looked at him.
38
He opened his mouth and he struck at me.
39
I took a step back,
40
picked up a rock and killed it. in anger.
41
Even with everything he was dealing with,
42
he kept his family on his mind and tried to stay calm.
43
You have to not panic.
44
Even in Nam, you can get scared and you can get nervous,
45
but you've got to keep your self-control.
46
You've got to be able to think straight.
47
It's important when you're in very stressful situations to try and,
48
you know, keep your head, You know, keep calm.
49
There were times when he was uncertain if he'd be found.
50
Yeah, of course I prayed.
51
I never felt that I was going to die.
52
You know, you're sweating during the day and shivering at night.
53
But I definitely got discouraged because of the dehydration on Saturday.
54
I mean, I'm totally exhausted.
55
That was when I just thought,
56
because I was so tired and not motivated,
57
I thought, you know, dying ain't so bad.
58
With a little bit of a dash of humor in it.
59
On day five, he found more water and was on the move again.
60
Then he heard familiar voices.
61
I heard hikers for the first time there on Monday,
62
and I hollered down.
63
And then I heard Dad,
64
and then I saw him.
65
And because it was the fifth day and I was exhausted,
66
I just, man, I cried like a baby.
67
They came up and we huddled.
68
And to have your two sons find you was nothing short of a miracle.
69
Mark is grateful for all the people he knew and didn't know that came together to find him.
70
The rescue people, the helicopters,
71
the drones, the volunteers, local cowboys with horses,
72
old friends, my family, my brothers.
73
Unbelievable.
74
I had no idea how loved and how wonderful these people are themselves.
75
Again, it just wasn't about me.
76
It's their character, their toughness, their selflessness.
77
The people that showed up to me represents America and Americans.
78
They don't know me from Adam.
79
They've never even laid eyes on me, right?
80
And yet they're willing to lay their lives down to help another person.
81
It blows me away.
82
Mark was taken to the hospital and didn't have any serious injuries.
83
He says he returned home to 413 text messages and had family,
84
friends, and people from all chapters of his life reach out to him.
85
It's hard for me not to even leak a little bit right now.
86
It's overwhelming, and I'm so encouraged and so thankful.
87
I'm renewed as a result of it.
88
And again, I'm trying not to cry,
89
Dr. I try not to get emotional.
90
But I'm 76 six.
91
And, you know, the reality is,
92
is I'm in the last quarter of my life,
93
but I'm blessed with good health.
94
Although this incident scared Mark,
95
he still plans on reuniting with nature soon.
96
Are your hiking days over or are you going to get out there again?
97
You can take the boy from the mountains,
98
but you can't take the mountains from the boy.
99
Yeah, I'll be out, but I will never,
100
at my age I will never do that again.
101
I'll be back in Arizona this fall for sure.
102
But I won't be alone.
103
If I would have got hurt I'm not sure I would have made it out.
104
I don't know.
105
You just never know.
106
For Inside Edition Digital, I'm Andrea Swindle.

Download App

AI scoring for every sentence you speak

Scan To Download
Scan To Download
Download on theApp Store
Get it onGoogle Play
TRENDING

Popular

Context & Background

In a gripping story of survival, 76-year-old Vietnam veteran Mark Eric Young recounts his harrowing experience of being lost in the Arizona wilderness for five days. While there for a wedding, his unplanned hiking journey quickly turned dangerous due to misused technology and poor decision-making. Mark's narrative emphasizes the importance of maintaining composure and using one’s instincts in life-threatening situations. He shares insights into survival tactics, personal reflections on fear, and the motivation driven by thoughts of family. This enriching content offers a unique opportunity for English learners to engage with practical vocabulary and emotional narratives while improving their language skills.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I made several mistakes.” - A candid admission that highlights accountability.
  • “I wasn’t overly concerned.” - A phrase that reflects confidence and preparedness.
  • “You have to not panic.” - Essential advice for maintaining calm in crisis situations.
  • “I came around a tree and this rattlesnake…” - Describing a startling encounter that adds tension to the narrative.
  • “It’s important to keep your head.” - Words of wisdom emphasizing self-control and rational thinking.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve your English speaking skills using this video, follow this step-by-step shadowing technique:

  1. Watch the Video: Begin by watching the complete video to understand the context and tone. Pay attention to Mark's emotional delivery, as it enhances the language comprehension.
  2. Listen Actively: As you rewatch segments, focus on specific phrases. Notice the rhythm and pronunciation, key elements that form part of the shadowspeak technique.
  3. Repeat Aloud: Pause after each sentence and try to mimic Mark's pronunciation and intonation. This practice improves fluency and encourages natural speech patterns.
  4. Break It Down: Segment challenging phrases or sentences. Practice these in isolation before integrating them into full sentences to reinforce your learning.
  5. Write and Reflect: After shadowing, jot down new vocabulary and phrases along with their meanings. Discuss or use them in conversations for practical application, enhancing your learn English with YouTube experience.

Engaging with real-life narratives like Mark’s not only enriches your vocabulary but also builds your confidence in speaking. Remember to practice regularly, and you will see significant improvement in your English speaking practice skills over time.

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.

☕ Buy us a coffee