Shadowing Practice: Midas (Mythology) - Animated Tutorial King Midas - Learn English Speaking with Video
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28 sentences
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In the land of Lydia, in the kingdom of Pesidus, capital of Phrygia, lived
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King Midas, a great lover of life's pleasures.
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He spent much of his time admiring the many earthly bounties of his rich kingdom, and took a particular delight in his beautiful rose garden.
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One day, Midas' kingdom had a most unusual visitor.
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Silean, satyr.
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Like all satyrs, Silenus was constantly intoxicated and engaged in the pursuit of wine and women.
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For Silenus and his brethren were the worshippers of Dionysus, the god of pleasure.
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After one of his many drunken revelries, Silenus became groggy and slept in King Midas's rose garden.
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Midas recognized him as a child of Dionysus and offered Silenus his hospitality.
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Silenus accepted and was entertained for five days and five nights in the king's plush palace.
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Dionysus came looking for Silenus and found him enjoying all the comforts the king could offer.
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The god was so impressed with the treatment of his faithful worshipper that he granted
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King Midas a wish.
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Midas wished that all he touched would turn to gold, thus increasing the value of all his earthly possessions.
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Dionysus warned King Midas that granting such a wish would ultimately cause the king sorrow,
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but Midas, overcome by the prospect of increased wealth, insisted.
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With the granting of his wish, King Midas was thrilled and began to touch all he saw.
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Flowers, fabrics, stones, sculptures all became gleaming gold.
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Midas decided to hold a banquet to celebrate his new prosperous power.
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But as he picked up his food to eat it, the food turned to gold.
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When he tried to quench his thirst, his wine turned to liquid gold in his mouth.
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Distraught, he called for his daughter to comfort him.
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But when she tried to embrace her father, Midas' loving touch turned her from his beautiful daughter into cold gold.
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Desperate, King Midas pleaded with Dionysus to deliver him from his golden touch.
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The god told him to wash his hands in the river Pactolus, to wash away his terrible power.
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King Midas did as he was told, and thus gave his gift to the river.
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From that day on, the river Pactolus provided much gold to the Lydian kings.
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The region was wealthy forevermore.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Midas (Mythology) - Animated Tutorial King Midas”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Midas, king, Silenus, gold, Dionysus. This video has 28 sentences and 375 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:05. The speaker talks at a steady 121 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 74% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| comfort noun | /ˈkʌm.fət/ | Contentment, ease. |
| palace noun | /ˈpælɪs/ | Official residence of a head of state or other dignitary, especially in a monarchical or imperial governmental system. |
| unusual adjective | /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/ | Not usual, out of the ordinary. |
| flower noun | /ˈfloʊɚ/ | A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens… |
| liquid noun | /ˈlɪk.wɪd/ | A substance that is flowing, and keeping no shape, such as water; a substance of which the molecules, while not tending to separate from one another like those… |
| possession noun | /pəˈzɛʃn̩/ | A control or occupancy of something for which one does not necessarily have private property rights. |
| engage verb | /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/ | To engross or hold the attention of; to keep busy or occupied. |
| desperate adjective | /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹɪt/ | In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire. |
| overcome verb | /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/ | To surmount (a physical or abstract obstacle); to prevail over, to get the better of. |
| lover noun | /ˈlʌvɚ/ | One who loves and cares for another person in a romantic way; a sweetheart, love, soulmate, boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. |
| wealthy adjective | /ˈwɛl.θi/ | Possessing financial wealth; rich. |
| embrace verb | /ɛmˈbɹes/ | To clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection; to take in the arms; to hug. |
| prospect noun | /ˈpɹɑspɛkt/ | The region which the eye overlooks at one time; a view; a scene; an outlook. |
| pursuit noun | /pɝˈsut/ | The act of pursuing. |
| faithful adjective | /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/ | Loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
| wash away verb | To eliminate or destroy by fast-moving water, such as a flood or a high sea. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: wealthy /ˈwɛl.θi/, faithful /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/, thrill /θɹɪl/, thirst /θɝst/, brethren /ˈbɹɛðɹən/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, possession /pəˈzɛʃn̩/, worshipper /ˈwɝʃɪpɚ/, plush /plʌʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, hospitality /ˌhɑ.spɪˈtæl.ə.ti/, forevermore /fɔːɹˈɛv.ɚ.mɔːɹ/, intoxicated /ɪnˈtɑksɪkeɪtɪd/
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 comfort, palace, unusual.
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.