Shadowing Practice: My Life as The Youngest Child In The House - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hey, I'm Iris from Atlanta, and I'm a triplet.
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Hey, I'm Iris from Atlanta, and I'm a triplet.
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Before I continue, please like and subscribe.
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While mom was pregnant, she was told by the doctor that she was having twins.
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But I popped out right after my brother, making three of us.
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Illyana, Isaac, and me.
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Dad wasn't around for most of our childhood.
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He was the assistant vice president at a huge music production company, and was always busy with some meeting or event.
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But mom showered us with love and attention.
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She would sing upbeat songs in the morning and hum soothing lullabies each night.
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Plus, she bought us whatever we wanted with dad's money.
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One of my earliest memories was when she gifted us with a karaoke machine as kids.
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The three of us sang all the time, and mom never got annoyed.
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Encore!
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Encore!
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Sometimes she would join in too.
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She had a great voice.
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By eight, my siblings and I were called the Turner Threes, and we had some serious musical talents.
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Ileana could sing just like mom.
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Isaac played great riffs on the guitar, and I rocked out on the drums.
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One day, the live band that was hired to play at our parents' anniversary party canceled at the last minute.
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Mom suggested we play, and we did.
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It was awesome.
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Soon, the Turner Threes were playing at all the family events.
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Things stayed pretty entertaining throughout middle school, but then life took an unexpected turn during our freshman year of high school, one day, Ileana, Isaac, and I were relaxing by the pool when we heard a loud thud inside the house.
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We found mom unconscious on the floor.
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It turned out that she had a stroke and would need at least three months to recover.
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Then, dad lost his job shortly after.
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The company he worked for lost a massive copyright infringement lawsuit.
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Dad needed to find work soon to pay for mom's medical bills and keep the roof over our heads.
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He took up the first job he could find, freelancing as an agent for local musicians.
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One evening, Dad invited a client over for a business meeting who overheard the three of us practicing our music.
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I heard him ask Dad about the music coming from down the hall.
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My kids have a band thing just for family events.
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The client requested to hear more of our songs and suggested Dad help us book bigger shows.
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They're pretty good.
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If you set up their career now, they'll have some real financial independence in the future.
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For the first time, Dad took interest in our music and took his clients' advice.
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And soon we were playing at cafes, restaurants, and private events.
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We weren't making much, but it was a start.
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Dad didn't have the same positive attitude, though, especially as Mom's recovery was taking a while.
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The bills were never-ending, and his savings were running low.
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He was always in a sour mood and fell into a deep depression.
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But despite her health issues, Mom kept cheering us on.
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Keep playing.
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Keep sharing your talent.
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So we stayed consistent.
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Thankfully, by our junior year of high school, the Turner 3's got more popular.
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We had enough gigs to keep the house and help mom medically, but dad was so depressed that he stopped work altogether.
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He barely left his man cave.
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Halfway through the school year, extracurricular activities began taking up a lot of time.
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Ileana excelled in her studies and joined the AP Physics Club to get a head start on college credit.
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Isaac was naturally gifted at baseball and became co-captain.
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And I was one of the best actresses in the theater class.
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Oh, Happy Dagger, this is thy sheath.
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It was getting harder trying to balance school, shows, and home finances, and it seemed like the Turner 3's differences were splitting us apart.
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I think you should sing at a higher pitch.
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Baseball puns?
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Seriously?
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I don't need advice from you.
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This band would be nothing without me.
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You're not that special, Ileana.
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I have mom's voice.
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What do you have?
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The arguments were getting ridiculous.
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Then one day, we got invited to a music competition.
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First place would get $10,000.
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I was over the moon, but Ileana...
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I have a test to study for, and I can't afford to mess up my 4.0 streak for some songs.
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Some songs?
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Our music has been keeping the bills paid.
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But Ileana was adamant.
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Isaac and I went to the competition anyway and tried to make do with what we had.
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We were practicing in our room backstage and trying to sing together, but we just couldn't hit the right key.
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Just then, we heard a voice behind us.
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I could sing if you want.
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I turned around, and a girl with a blue afro and a turtleneck was leaning against the door.
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And you are...
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Kat.
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Kat was apparently the only child of the venue owner.
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I never get to perform, but it sounds like you two could use some extra help.
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You can't just barge in here and join our band.
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Maybe she can help, Isaac.
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Why don't you sing something for us, Cat?
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Cat opened her mouth to sing, and the voice that came out was horrible.
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Is this girl serious?
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I couldn't believe such a hideous voice came from such a gorgeous girl.
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Let's just say nails on a chalkboard sound better.
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We're on in 10 minutes, and this is what we've got?
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I need some air.
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Frantic, I left the room.
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The view from the balcony was relaxing.
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I remembered the melody mom hummed to us as kids and started to sing along to it to calm down faster.
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Your voice is good.
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I turned around and saw Kat walking toward me.
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You know, you could just sing and this entire problem could be fixed, right?
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And you don't need to sing with Isaac.
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He's holding you back.
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And I could play a simple beat on the drums.
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I promise.
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And better at drums than singing.
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I mean, I had trouble trusting her after her horrible audition.
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But maybe it was the only option we had right now.
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So we decided to follow Kat's plan.
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Isaac stayed on the guitar.
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Kat got on the drums, which she was surprisingly not bad at, and I stepped up in front of the mic.
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To her surprise, the crowd loved our performance.
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We got second place for the cash reward of $5,000, which was great.
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And we were invited back in three months for the next showcase.
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Later, on my way to our backstage room, I found Ileana waiting in the hall.
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I was so mad to see her there.
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You're bold to show up here, considering you were willing to let us fail.
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We're the Turner Twos now, Ileana.
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I wanted to make her feel bad, but what she said shocked me.
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Good.
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You've got that sorted out, because I'm leaving the band.
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Permanently.
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What?
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She explained she wanted to dedicate herself to her studies and the band was taking too much of her time.
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This pays the bills.
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What about mom?
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A real job with a real degree also pays the bills.
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I need to focus on college so I can have a better future and also take care of our parents.
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Both mom and dad didn't graduate from college and look where they are now.
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That's not fair, Ileana.
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Mom is sick.
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Education won't stop you from getting sick.
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Plus, Dad had a good job.
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Life happens.
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Well, I'd rather have my education to fall back on when accidents happen.
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Plus, education will give me the job I need to pay for medical expenses if I get sick.
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And with that, she stormed out.
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At the music showcase after party, I found myself sitting alone outside.
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I hadn't even broken the bad news to Isaac yet.
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Soon after, Kat joined me, asking why I looked so worried.
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And I ended up spilling everything about our family problems and Ileana's selfishness.
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Sorry you're going through all that.
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Why don't you take your mind off of it for a bit and enjoy your win for a few hours?
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So we went back inside, and I was glad for the distraction.
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There were CEOs, music producers, and of course, super attractive celebrities.
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One woman came up to me and introduced herself as Risa.
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And then she pulled out a contact card and shoved it into my hand.
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You've got some raw talent.
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The world needs to see it.
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Sounds like something my mom would say.
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Your mom sounds like a smart woman.
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Since there was no changing Ileana's mind, we recruited Kat as a permanent member of our band.
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With practice, she got better on the drums, and we quickly fell into sync.
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We continued participating in competitions Risa signed us up for and making money.
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And Kat and I grew super close.
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We painted each other's nails.
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I love this color.
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Shared clothes.
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Wow.
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Do you only wear turtlenecks?
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Did each other's hair?
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A high puff looks so good on you.
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And I love the middle part on you.
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Plus, Kat and Mom hit it off.
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She even met Dad one time and didn't judge how scruffy he looked or acted.
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But Ileana didn't like her at all.
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Anytime she saw Kat, she would glare at her from across the room and then go off in the opposite direction.
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I'd become so annoyed with Ileana that I tried to get Kat to help me prank her.
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I typed up a fake acceptance letter to a prestigious university and slipped it under her door.
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Kat didn't approve, but I did it anyway.
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Ileana was so excited when she saw the letter, it was comical.
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When I told her it was fake, her happy bubble popped.
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Honestly, it felt good seeing her get humbled, but Kat was clearly disappointed in me.
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We were hanging in the kitchen before practice one night when Ileana walked in.
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Hey, how was it at the library?
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But Ileana just made her way to her room without even acknowledging Kat, and she kept behaving like that all the time.
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One day, Kat and I were keeping mom company at the hospital for her checkup when Ileana randomly showed up.
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Oh, I didn't expect to see her here.
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Hey, Ileana.
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Of course, Ileana pushed past Cat and went straight to Mom.
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It made things so awkward.
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Even the nurse looked uncomfortable.
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Mom, how are you doing?
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Honey, I think Cat said hi to you.
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Ileana looked Kat up and down, rolled her eyes, and continued talking to Mom.
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I was so fed up with her.
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I couldn't take it anymore.
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What is wrong with you?
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Kat has helped his family stay afloat by joining the band, and that's how you treat her?
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I was so angry I could feel my face burning.
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Calm down, Iris.
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Yeah, Iris.
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This isn't the time or place.
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Let's get to Mayer.
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What is this turtleneck-wearing weirdo even doing here?
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And I don't owe her anything.
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She didn't join the band to help our family.
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She just did it because she was some friendless loser.
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I lunged at Ileana, but the nurses came between us.
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Kat grabbed me by my arm quickly and dragged me out of the room.
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We went for a walk and then sat down on some swings so I could breathe.
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You're still fuming.
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She's just so rude.
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And since she's my sister, I'll yell back unapologetically.
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Kat stopped swinging and turned to me with a serious look.
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She lowered her turtleneck and held up a dainty necklace with a locket.
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This is my brother Austin.
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I thought you were an only child.
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Now I am.
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Austin got into a car accident with my mom when he was 10.
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Mom made it.
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He didn't.
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What?
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Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.
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Why didn't you ever say anything?
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I don't like to talk about it because I feel guilty.
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Why?
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She explained how much she and her brother argued a lot growing up.
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They would fight over who would use the bathroom first, who would get the biggest slice of cake.
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Yeah, but that's normal sibling stuff.
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Before he left the house the morning of the accident, we got into a screaming fest over some video game.
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The last thing I said to him was that life would be better if he just didn't exist.
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Kat's eyes started watering.
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I felt horrible for everything she'd experienced, including the drama with me and Ileana.
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I've been so focused on being angry and making money, I've let it ruin my relationship with Ileana.
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The good thing is that you realized arguments aren't always worth it.
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A few weeks passed, and Mom was recovering well at home.
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I also asked Risa to help find Dad a job, and she actually got him an interview.
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Things were looking up, but even though I made an effort to stop arguing with Ileana, we still weren't talking.
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One evening, Cat, Isaac, and I were heading to a gig when Ileana got home.
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She walked past us silently, but I told Cat and Isaac to go sit in the car, and I followed her.
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Wait, can we talk, please, like normal people?
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I miss you.
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Ileana turned around.
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Tears were streaming down her face.
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I miss you too, Iris.
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If singing isn't your passion anymore, it's totally okay.
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It was wrong of me to be mad at you for that, and I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry too.
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I was overwhelmed with school, and then I got really jealous of Kat.
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Yeah, I don't want to do music anymore, but I felt like I got replaced really quickly.
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You're my sister.
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No one can come in the middle of that.
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Now how about you drop studying for one night and come see us perform?
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I'd love that.
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And I'll see you next time.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
This video, featuring Iris sharing her experiences as the youngest child in a triplet family, provides a rich context for English learners to practice speaking. Engaging with real-life stories enhances your understanding of narrative structure, emotions, and culture. By replicating Iris's dialogue through the shadowing technique, you will not only improve your pronunciation but also your ability to convey similar feelings and experiences in your own words. Using the context of family, music, and personal challenges, learners can connect emotionally while practicing their speaking skills.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Here are some key structures and expressions from the video that can enhance your speaking skills:
- Past simple tense: "I popped out right after my brother." This highlights personal experiences and helps articulate events clearly.
- Compound sentences: "Dad wasn't around for most of our childhood, and he was always busy..." This structure allows you to combine thoughts effectively, providing greater detail in conversations.
- Use of quantifiers: "the Turner Threes had some serious musical talents." Quantifiers like "some" help express quantity and emphasis, useful in everyday dialogue.
- Reported speech: "He heard him ask Dad about the music..." This construct is crucial for relaying information or conversations you’ve heard, improving both comprehension and storytelling abilities.
- Expressions of encouragement: "Keep playing. Keep sharing your talent." These phrases can motivate not only the speaker but also the listener, enhancing interpersonal communication.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While watching the video, pay attention to certain words and phrases that may be challenging:
- "triplet": Ensure you clearly pronounce the 'tr' and the short vowel sound, as it can be tricky for some non-native speakers.
- "karaoke": Many learners mispronounce this word, but emphasizing the 'aoke' as /ki/ can help sound more fluent.
- "financial independence": The blend of 'financial' may challenge some, so practice the transition from the 'fi-' to '-nancial' smoothly.
- "encore": The 'on' can often blend with the 'core,' so make sure to separate the two sounds for clarity.
By utilizing a shadowing app like Shadowspeaks, you can repeat these phrases and improve your pronunciation. This method enables you to learn English with YouTube videos effectively, as you shadow native speakers in real-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.
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