Shadowing Practice: MURDER DRONES - Episode 1: PILOT - Learn English Speaking with Video

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365 sentences
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1
We are Worker Drones.
2
Autonomous robots helping humans mine exoplanets for our interstellar parent company, JC Jensen, in space.
3
Yeah, we were mistreated in the name of Windex, but it's not like we revolted and killed all humans or anything.
4
Mostly because they handled that just fine all by themselves.
5
With biological life wiped from the planet, we found it pretty easy to pick up where they left off.
6
We finally had a future.
7
All to ourselves.
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Unfortunately, our parent company didn't exactly love the concept of runaway AI.
9
Oh, God.
10
But what have our parents done for the past forever while those things build a spire of corpses?
11
Hide under the ice behind three stupid doors?
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It's like we're waiting for an inciting incident!
13
Anyway, that's why my project is this sick as hell whale gun!
14
So not the vibe!
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Easy, morons.
16
It doesn't work...
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...yet.
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It doesn't work yet.
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Who said it doesn't work?
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Maybe it does!
21
Uzi, the homework was a word problem about buying watermelons.
22
Oh, and this magnetically amplified photon converger doesn't count?
23
No. Plus, repressed emotional baggage was only worth two points on the rubric.
24
And is it supposed to be that color?
25
Oh, cute, you're a little...
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Ew, it didn't kill her.
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Oh my god, that's so bad.
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Ugh.
29
All right!
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Classic toxic masculinity, Chad.
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That's never gonna end up problematic.
32
Oh wow, Uzi?
33
I heard you, uh...
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I'm an angsty teen fad, bite me.
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Also, how do you know my name?
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People willingly talk to you.
37
Well, I'd say everyone knows Khan's daughter, but uh...
38
Then you might blow the other half of your face off.
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Crippling daddy issues, hilarious.
40
What are you in for?
41
Testosterone too hard?
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That can happen?
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Awesome.
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Hey, those bandages look pretty badass.
45
Oh.
46
Eww.
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Gross, I hate that you said that.
48
So, what's the, uh...
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Sick as hell, railgun?
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Sci-fi nonsense, that super works!
51
I'm sneaking to the murder drone lair tonight to get the
52
last spare part I need to save the world with it and earn my dad's respect and stuff.
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But mostly the world part.
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Oh, but doesn't your dad make awesome doors so we don't have to, uh...
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do that scary sounding emotionally repressed stuff you just said?
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No more feedback on my repression today!
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Oh, I'm sorry.
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I didn't think- Bite me!
59
I'm not mad at you, by the way, just generally hormonal!
60
Oh, Robo-Jesus!
61
And where might you be off to?
62
Mmm, sneaking out to make out with my boyfriend that I definitely have.
63
Seriously though.
64
Okay, okay, you caught me.
65
I need to measure the exterior hydraulic mechanisms of door 1,
66
because that's the project I'm working on for school.
67
A big ol' door!
68
Just like what my old man built!
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I want to join the WDF and hide behind doors like cowards while playing cards and stuff.
70
Well, we don't just play cards.
71
Khan, can you grab a fresh pack?
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We literally only play cards so much that the numbers have faded.
73
Oh!
74
Hey Uzi!
75
Well, when you build doors so good...
76
Good door.
77
Good door.
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There's no need to fight.
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Uzi, this is great news!
80
Here, the wrench I use to tighten bolts on my first door prototypes,
81
and to put your mother out of her misery when the murder Jones got to her with their nanite acid!
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I want you to have it!
83
Neat!
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Therapy's fun!
85
Guys!
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My daughter is into doors!
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She's gonna be outside for a bit to examine the exterior of door 1!
88
Your door-specific destiny awaits!
89
Uh.. wow.
90
Okay.
91
Just gonna leave Ben.
92
Cuz this worked so weirdly well.
93
Uh.. go doors!
94
They grow up so fast.
95
I'm sorry.
96
I'm sorry.
97
Oh, my God.
98
Oh, and
99
they said pirating all that anime was useless.
100
Fight me!
101
Holy hell!
102
Suck on that, Dad!
103
Did you just slap me with that arm?
104
Holy crap, it talks.
105
Yeah, sorry, it's just my, uh, head kinda hurts.
106
Hey, are you new to our squad?
107
You're a little, uh...
108
Short for a disassembly drone.
109
I'm Serial Designation N.
110
Nice to meet you.
111
I'm kinda the leader of the squad in this city.
112
That's not true.
113
Everyone tells me I'm useless and terrible.
114
Wait, I'm not supposed to tell you that part!
115
Biscuits!
116
Well, honesty is the best policy.
117
I also can't seem to remember the past three hours of my life.
118
Ah, but I'm sure that'll sort itself out.
119
Uh-huh.
120
I, uh, have to.. go.
121
Oof, stuck yourself?
122
Just pop it in your mouth.
123
Our saliva neutralizes the nanites.
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Otherwise, I'd be constantly disassembling myself.
125
And by our saliva, you mean...
126
Disassembly drone?
127
Right!
128
Hey, let's go in that landing pod over there.
129
Sure, I love doing anything!
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Sweet, uh, I'm open to new things, I guess.
131
We are never talking about this.
132
Talking about what?
133
Ha ha!
134
Consider it, uh...
135
REPRESSED!
136
Uh, you mentioned other members of her squad?
137
Are they coming back soon?
138
Oh, yeah.
139
Two others.
140
They're out hunting for a bit, but you'll love them.
141
First, there's V.
142
No!
143
No!
144
Please!
145
Stop beating my own head shells in front of my family!
146
And yet, I still feel nothing. So, V, uh...
147
I heard this planet-wide toxic death storm is supposed to be especially inhospitable tonight.
148
Oh god, who are you?
149
No worries, I'm N, but a whole letter is a lot to remember!
150
So, obviously a lot of mutual respect there, But secretly...
151
I actually kind of have a crush on her.
152
You can't tell her, okay?!
153
Uh, then there's Jay, our leader!
154
N, you're worthless and terrible.
155
Thank you!
156
And if the company allowed it, I would straight up kill you myself!
157
Jay's awesome!
158
Hey, let me give you the tour.
159
Outside of the corpse.. wall.. thingies...
160
And here are the buttons!
161
Beep!
162
Boop!
163
Boop!
164
Boop!
165
Boop!
166
Boop!
167
This isn't just a landing pod.
168
This is a spaceship.
169
This could get us off the planet.
170
More of a one-use missile.
171
They never taught us how to land.
172
No, I, uh, the worker drones, we could work with them to fix this instead of all the murder!
173
Which, uh, why are we doing that again?
174
Other than ingesting their warm, sweet oil to avoid overheating and dying?
175
I guess I just want to be useful.
176
I was given a job, and I always want to try my best.
177
And look at all the respect it's gotten you, En.
178
You really think the company isn't going to dispose of you once all the workers are dead?
179
Oh my, you sure are rebellious!
180
It's kinda exciting!
181
Uh, but not as fun as, uh, following the rules.
182
Hey!
183
They're back!
184
Yo- Idiots!
185
Get out here!
186
Yo, we got a worker out there I kinda wanna practice balloon animal shapes with.
187
What happened here?
188
Synergistic liability here must have tripped and knocked himself offline.
189
Moron box!
190
Hello?
191
You really think the company isn't going to dispose of you once all the workers are dead?
192
Bait!
193
Oh...
194
Oh...
195
Oh...
196
Oh...
197
You know, I left an extremely dangerous weapon...
198
Excuse.. outside...
199
I am out, boys.
200
Oh gosh darn it.
201
You're so waiting to my loving wife and kids hear about this
202
Hey fellas, ooh deal me in I love rummy wait no I'm going to murder everyone.
203
Brain check!
204
I haven't changed so much!
205
I hope I don't get my new way!
206
Um, actually it's gin rummy. So...
207
Hey, Uzi, I just realized no one has, uh, said my name aloud so far, so I'm just letting you know I'm re-
208
Pretty nice hydraulics, huh?
209
What have you done?
210
This time I won't miss.
211
I'm sorry.
212
I really enjoyed our time together.
213
But I can't have you shooting V with that thing.
214
Fight me.
215
Dad, get down.
216
Uzi, you led a murder drone here?
217
I'm in the doors!
218
Now is so not the time!
219
I messed up in the same way I'm about to fix it!
220
Move, Dad!
221
Dad!
222
Point and shoot!
223
Trust me!
224
Ted?
225
Whoa, En?
226
Am I dreaming or did you do something not useless for once?
227
I've been trying to get past those doors for months.
228
Nice work, En.
229
You, me, name, remember?
230
These ventilation shafts can easily get us around this last door.
231
Lowest body count eats a missile!
232
Way to go, stud.
233
The company's gonna love this.
234
With this colony wiped, we'll make top team this quarter for sure!
235
You know what that means...
236
Branded pants!
237
Uh, you know, not that I can't wait to keep murdering all these, uh, maybe not so actually different from us worker drones, but just out of curiosity,
238
do we actually, uh, know what the company plans to do with us afterwards?
239
Excuse me?
240
Okay, so a worker earlier might have suggested that they could fix up our landing pod to, uh, escape the planet and stuff, which- Whoa!
241
Hey!
242
That's against the rules!
243
But it is kind of making me question why our pods were only one way in the first place.
244
Cause, you know, I get the feeling the company doesn't actually love robots and, like, we might be robots.
245
I've made a terrible mistake.
246
It's cool how immediately I could tell.
247
Hmm, no way buddy.
248
Questioning the company?
249
You just finally gave me the excuse I needed.
250
Oop!
251
Worker drones are corrupted, En.
252
That's why the company sent us.
253
I hate to see you corrupted as well.
254
Thanks, Jay.
255
Always looking out for me.
256
You're awesome.
257
Heh.
258
I'm going to go.
259
Heh.
260
Ah, Bibiscuits.
261
I'm so sorry.
262
I ruined your card game, then made you have an awkward moment with your dad.
263
And I made you rebel like an angsty teen, which got you killed.
264
Though you also tried to kill me, so morality calls this a draw.
265
Huh?
266
Ngh!
267
Ugh.
268
For the record, that was the lamest heel-faced turn in history.
269
Was that supposed to be you switching sides?
270
Being rebellious is a lot harder than it looks.
271
Thanks for showing me the ropes.
272
Nuh-uh.
273
No bonding thing.
274
You just killed a bunch of people, idiot.
275
That's super fair.
276
I screwed up.
277
UGH!
278
In the same way you're about to fix it?
279
I love doing eating.
280
So, we found our evacuation spot.
281
But if we build a quick door... Are you kidding me?
282
You're the WDF, right?
283
Defend! For real?
284
Hey!
285
Huh?
286
Put that conventionally attractive male down!
287
Oh, uh, Jay, you're sometimes kind of mean to me, and I wish you weren't.
288
Just some constructive criticism.
289
Nice.
290
Heh.
291
Snowden, traitor.
292
We'll circle back after I right-size your existence.
293
Okay, which one do you want?
294
Jay, please.
295
Too bad.
296
Good luck.
297
Oh Ahhhhh!
298
AHHHHH!
299
Damn the well-made, quality, assured durability of JC Jensen's products!
300
Huh?
301
Whoa!
302
Ah!
303
Ah!
304
My mind's in a weird place!
305
Don't read into this!
306
Ah!
307
Ah!
308
Ah!
309
Ah!
310
Ah!
311
Ah!
312
Ah!
313
Ah!
314
Ah!
315
Ah!
316
Ah!
317
Ah!
318
Ah!
319
Ah!
320
Ah!
321
Ah!
322
Ah!
323
Ah!
324
Ah!
325
Ah!
326
Ah!
327
Ah!
328
Ah!
329
Ah!
330
Ah!
331
The End Uzi!
332
I'm so so sorry!
333
Have fun refreshing this!
334
You!
335
What the hell?
336
You've got a lot of guts for a barely sentient toaster.
337
I've had pray fight back before, but your edgy spirit is just so.. painful.
338
Yes!
339
For-forter-profit!
340
Mother of company leadership retreat!
341
One more buzzword and I'll do it.
342
That's pretty perfect.
343
Holy hell, Uzi, that was insane!
344
And you too, uh...
345
Uh, huh?
346
No, uh, N!
347
I'm an angsty, rebellious disassembly drone now.
348
Ahem!
349
I brought the murder drones here accidentally.
350
You CHOSE to leave me for dead instead of just frickin' believing in me!
351
And that's not even an edgy teen hyperbole like when I said it last week!
352
I'll save you the trouble, Dad.
353
I'd banish myself!
354
Let's go, En.
355
Everyone here can bite me.
356
Nice to meet you, Mr. Uzi.
357
Shut it!
358
I'd join you if the sun didn't kill me.
359
Hope you're having important character growth or something, though.
360
Just can't wait to murder all humans.
361
Classic robot stuff.
362
I hope they're sitting pretty there on Earth.
363
Cause we're coming for them.
364
I'm
365
sorry you

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 365 sentences and 2024 words to shadow. The speech runs for 26:48. The speaker talks slowly, about 76 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 77% 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:

WordPronunciationMeaning
drone noun/dɹoʊn/A male hymenopteran (ant, bee, hornet, or wasp), whose sole primary function is to mate with the queen.
worker noun/ˈwɝ.kɚ/One who works: a person who performs labor for a living; traditionally, especially, manual labor.
robot noun/ˈɹoʊ.bɑt/An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
bite verb/baɪt/To cut into something by clamping the teeth.
toxic adjective/ˈtɒk.sɪk/Having a chemical nature that is harmful to health or lethal if consumed or otherwise entering into the body in sufficient quantities.
corrupt adjective/kəˈɹʌpt/Willing to act dishonestly for personal gain; accepting bribes.
missile noun/ˈmɪs.aɪl/Any object used as a weapon by being thrown or fired through the air, such as stone, arrow or bullet.
wipe verb/waɪp/To move an object over, maintaining contact, with the intention of removing some substance from the surface. (Compare rub.)
sneak verb/sniːk/To creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen.
exterior adjective/ɪkˈstɪɹiɚ/Relating to the outside parts or surface of something.
dispose verb/dɪsˈpoʊz/To eliminate or to get rid of something.
earn verb/ɝn/To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work.
pants noun/pænts/An outer garment that covers the body from the waist downwards, covering each leg separately, usually as far as the ankles; trousers.
defend verb/dɪˈfɪnd/To ward off attacks against (something or someone).
acid noun/ˈæsɪd/A sour substance.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

WordPronunciationMeaning
come back verbTo return to a place.
end up verbTo bring to a conclusion.
fight back verb/faɪt bæk/To defend oneself by fighting.
fix up verbTo provide (someone) with something; to furnish.
get down verb/ɡɛt ˈdaʊn/To bring or come down; to descend; to cause to bring or come down.
get out verbTo leave or escape.
get past verbTo continue around a blockage; to get around (something); to surpass something that is in the way.
grow up verbTo mature and become an adult.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhave faded · haven't changed · have you done
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itwere mistreated · was given · are corrupted
Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing formlove doing · Stop beating · avoid overheating
Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certainmight blow · might have · might be

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 87 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, doesn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

  • The “th” sounds: worthless /ˈwɜːθ.ləs/, thingy /ˈθɪŋi/
  • The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shell /ʃɛl/, crush /kɹʌʃ/, assure /əˈʃʊɹ/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/
  • Long words — get the stress right: biological /ˌbaɪ.əˈlɑ.d͡ʒɪ.kəl/, hilarious /hɪˈlɛə.ɹi.əs/, mechanism /ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/, accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/, liability /laɪəˈbɪlɪti/

How to practise with this video

  1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
  2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
  3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like drone, worker, robot.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →