Shadowing Practice: My Twin and I Share Our Emotions Too! - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hi, I'm Clarissa and this is my story.

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My twin sister Bella and I look identical in every way, right down to the dimple on our left cheeks.

And I hate it.

Anyone who thinks it's cool to be identical twins is stupid.

Mom and Dad thought it was super cute to dress us up in matching outfits all the time.

But growing up, it started getting so annoying.

No one could tell us apart, not even our parents.

So they just called us the twins or the girls.

It's like I had no identity of my own.

I was just part of a pair.

Yeah, we got a lot of buy one get one free jokes too.

Also, it was everyone's favorite game to try and spot any differences.

I think this one's shorter.

Her nose is bigger, right?

Her ears stick out more.

Also, if I pinch your cheek, will your twin feel it?

If I punch your face, will your mother feel it?

You're basically a part of her.

We were in the same class in school, and we did all the same extracurricular activities.

And there was always so much pressure not to be the worst twin, because everyone made that instant comparison.

Clarissa got an A on her maths test.

Why do you have a C, Bella?

Bella beat you in that race by a mile, Clarissa.

Aren't your legs just as long?

Why was it so hard to understand that we didn't have matching abilities to go with our matching faces?

But by fourth grade, our personalities started changing.

I was academically stronger, but Bella was more athletic.

We'd both been attending dance classes since we were kids, but I eventually dropped out because she was clearly better.

I started slipping into the quiet nerd mold while she was more outgoing and loud.

So she always got more attention.

Like on our 10th birthday, Bella got her way and the whole party was Hannah Montana themed.

All my Harry Potter requests were ignored.

Mom had baked our birthday cake and it read, Happy birthday to our beautiful beauty Bella and Cluh.

Mom, what happened to my name?

Bella told me she wanted this text on the cake, honey, and there just wasn't enough space left.

Our classmates were gathered around Bella as they danced away to her playlist.

I spotted a new kid sitting in a corner and playing some game.

Hey, you think this party sucks as much as I do?

Yeah, kinda.

Sorry.

Wanna play?

I was having a really good time, till Bella and her friend started a crazy water fight and attacked us too.

And they ruined the boy's gaming console.

He left the party crying and never talked to me again.

Yeah, Bella always found a way to ruin things for me.

Then one day in seventh grade, we found mom waiting for us at home with an envelope each.

OMG, no way.

You signed me up for the tween beauty pageant?

Oh, thanks, mom.

A flyer for the middle school mathletes?

Well, what do you think?

One for my beauty and one for my brainiac.

It's perfect.

It's fine, I guess.

From then on, my sister got more and more popular, and I became more invisible.

By the time we were in high school, Bella's pageant trophies were on full display all over the house, while my Mathlete trophies collected dust in my room.

My parents clearly loved to show her off more.

Well, at least my Mathlete's teammate Eugene thought I was really cool.

The way you gave that answer right before the buzzer went off?

Oh, what an adrenaline rush.

You're so smart.

You're too nice, Eugene.

And you're like a 45 degree angle.

You know, cause 45 degrees is an acute angle.

You're a cutie.

Uh-huh, yeah, good one.

So I was thinking, um, maybe you'd like to have my phone number?

I was only half listening because just then, the football team captain, Nika, walked into the cafeteria.

Man, he was some descendant of Hercules.

Just sheer perfection.

I'd never have the guts to say hi to him, and he'd never notice me.

Larissa?

Yes, yes, sure, I'll take your phone number.

So you'll call me then?

If the need ever arises, then definitely yes.

Thanks, buddy.

I gotta go to class now.

Then one day, things took a bit of a turn when Bella came down with the flu.

Oh, my head hurts and I have a fever.

I can't perform at the mall pageant today.

Oh, no, my poor baby.

Go lie down and Clarissa will bring you some tea.

She can make her own tea and I'm busy.

She's unwell and you're not doing anything important.

Now go.

I was so sick of being second to my sister.

But when I got back with the tea, I found her snoring.

And then I got a crazy idea.

Next to her bed was her pageant bag, all packed and ready to go.

I grabbed it and snuck out the front door.

That was just as beautiful as Bella, and I was gonna prove it.

When I got to the mall, everyone was smiling and waving at me.

I felt like a movie star.

Her dress fit perfectly, and the show went super smoothly.

And the winner is Bella.

Just as I was accepting the trophy, I heard the most annoying voice in the world.

She isn't Bella.

I am.

100

Mom couldn't find you at home, and when I saw my bag gone, I knew exactly where you were.

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How dare you? So what?

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You're just mad that I could be as good as you any day.

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Shut up, loser.

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You mean, winner?

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Bella leapt onto the stage and attacked me.

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The fight not only lost us the trophy, it also got us banned from all pageants in the area for life.

107

Our parents were furious with me.

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I was grounded for two weeks, and Bella basically pretended I didn't exist after that.

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She even blocked me on all social media.

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But at school, it seemed like everyone had heard the pageant fight and people were noticing me more.

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And I almost turned to jelly when Mika approached me.

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Hey, not Bella, right?

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Right.

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I'm, uh, what's my name?

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I forgot.

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Clarissa.

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I'm Mika, the football captain.

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I loved that gutsy stunt you pulled at the mall yesterday.

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We're having cheer tryouts tomorrow.

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Why don't you come too?

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Cheer tryouts?

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Sure, I'll be there.

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Perfect.

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But, um, change your look or something?

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I want to be able to tell you apart from Bella, okay?

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Sure, Mika.

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I've wanted to change my look anyway.

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I was so excited for a fresh start.

129

At home, I looked up some videos online on how to cut my hair.

130

I decided bangs would be easiest.

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So I went to the bathroom, plugged in my dad's electric razor, and cut myself some bangs.

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And they turned out super cute.

133

That was until they moved a bit, and I saw that I'd shaved off my eyebrows too.

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I was horrified.

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There was no way I could go to tryouts looking like that.

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I couldn't even leave the bathroom looking like this.

137

I started rummaging through the cabinets to find something that could help fix my eyebrows.

138

I found a bottle of spray-on hair that my dad sometimes used to cover his bald spot, I aimed it at my forehead and sprayed.

139

But it made me look like a caveman with a bushy unibrow.

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I scrubbed it off just as there was a knock at the door.

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Clarissa, are you in there?

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Better not be stealing my makeup again.

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Just washing my face, mom.

144

I'll be right out.

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Oh, I could use my mom's makeup to hide the damage.

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I found an eyebrow pencil and quickly scrawled them on as fast as I could.

147

Then I brushed my bangs over my forehead and snuck quietly out of the bathroom.

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There you are.

149

Wait, did you just cut your hair?

150

Some people are just desperate for attention. So pathetic.

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Just trying something different.

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Mom, I have to go run to the store and get some things for a school project, so bye.

153

At the store, I was lucky enough to find the perfect solution.

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Tattoo sticker eyebrows.

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I rushed home with them and went to my room to try them on.

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Just put them on, spray a little water, and voila!

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I set the timer on the phone and laid back with the washcloth over my forehead, awaiting my beautiful new eyebrows.

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But when I looked at the results, I almost fainted.

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They looked super crooked.

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I scrubbed and I scrubbed, but they just wouldn't come off.

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I laid in my bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

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Why are you making sounds like a dying whale?

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OMG!

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What happened to your face?

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I just wanted to change my look for the cheer tryouts, but it's all gone so horribly wrong.

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What am I gonna do?

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Well, maybe if you hadn't pretended to be me and ruined my pageant career.

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Wait, that's it.

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You can pretend to be me.

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Oh, please, Bella.

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I need this.

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Mika himself asked me.

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You know I've always had the biggest crush on him.

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Yeah, I've read your dear diary sob stories.

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What?

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Not important right now.

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And okay, since you're begging and you look so ugly, it's almost sad.

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I'll do it.

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But only if you do my homework for a whole year.

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Are you kidding?

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Ugh, fine.

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I'll do it.

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Just get me the cheerleading spot, okay?

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You got yourself a deal.

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A go.

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Mom let me stay at home for a few days when she saw what I'd done.

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And Bella left for school the next morning.

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But I didn't really trust her not to mess things up for me at the tryouts.

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I needed a spy.

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So, I called Eugene.

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Hey, I know this is a lot to ask, but I'm really unwell.

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And I asked my twin Bella to do the cheer tryouts for me.

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Could you just go and see how she does?

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I don't know who else I can trust.

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Of course I'll do it.

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Want me to drop by later with some soup too?

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We could watch some MSA videos or I could show you my cat's pictures.

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That sounds amazing, but what I have is really contagious.

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So you'll report to me soon, right?

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You betcha.

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You're the best, Eugene.

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Eugene's report tallied with what Bella told me.

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She'd performed a flawless audition and I was in.

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I couldn't wait to go back and spend time with Mika.

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Thankfully, the tattoos wore off in a few days, and my eyebrows were coming back, so I could fill in the rest with pencil.

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I was ready to return to school, but that evening, Eugene told me that he'd seen Bella and Mika kissing, and when she got home that day, she was getting out of Mika's car.

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I ran down to the living room and opened the window to eavesdrop.

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Ugh, it's so hard to say goodbye to you, babe.

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It's only till tomorrow, coochie poochie poo.

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And that'll feel like an eternity, my Bella baby boo.

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Ew!

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And what the heck?

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The minute Bella walked in, I jumped in her way like an angry lioness.

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What in God's name did I just see?

215

Oh, you mean me and Mika?

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Haha, silly.

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Didn't you want to ask him out?

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I just did it for you. As you.

219

No, don't lie to me, witch.

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I heard him say, Bella Boo Boo Boo.

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He knows you're Bella and not me, Clarissa.

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And then her face turned totally evil.

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Yeah, okay, whatevs.

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I took a picture of you in your sleep

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and showed him your freaky eyebrows and told him you'd sent me in your place.

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We had a really good laugh and we just bonded.

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You took away my pageant life, I took away your guy.

228

Trust me, he's way out of your league anyway.

229

I let out a snarl and attacked her.

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My parents came running when we crashed into a table and pulled us apart.

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And I swore I'd never speak to her for the rest of my life.

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But watching her and Nika together in school

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and thinking of how they must have made fun of me made my heart burn.

234

And then I found something in the mail one day that gave me the perfect opportunity for revenge.

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I knew I was successful when Bella screamed at me in the school hallway one day.

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Clarissa, what did you do?

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What are you talking about?

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Something boring, probably.

239

Why do I have a rejection letter from the Dance Academy of my dreams, which says that my audition was way below their standards?

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I never went to any audition.

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Oh, yeah, that.

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See, I received the invitation for the audition and I decided to go as you.

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Now, I haven't danced in a really long time, so I was kind of rusty.

244

But I thought I did an impressive chicken dance.

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I will kill you!

246

Well, that was effectively the end of our relationship.

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Somehow, it didn't feel as good as I thought it would.

248

No one at home was talking to me now, and even Eugene seemed distant.

249

Hey, am I imagining it or are you avoiding me?

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No, Clarissa, you're not.

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I just don't like what you did to your sister.

252

What?

253

She started it!

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No, you started it when you went to the pageant as her.

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You don't really know everything about us, Eugene.

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It gets really tiring being overlooked and invisible.

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Actually, I do know something about that.

258

I literally joined the mathletes to get close to you.

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I've dropped every possible hint that I like you, and you're not so dumb that you didn't pick up on it.

260

But you just used me when you needed me, and now you need me again because I'm guessing other people in your life aren't talking to you.

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Well, I have a little more self-respect than that.

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Goodbye, Clarissa.

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The last few months of high school were really lonely.

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Bella got into an amazing dance school across the country, but she still didn't seem willing to forgive me.

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And even though we hadn't gotten along in a really long time, I felt sad that she'd be out of my life soon.

266

But during the summer break, Bella suddenly fell really, really sick.

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After a number of tests, the doctor told us that both her kidneys were weak, and she needed a healthy one soon.

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And of course, I was a perfect match.

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No freaking way!

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I am not taking her kidney!

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Are you crazy?

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Listen guys, can you give us a minute?

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When my parents and the doctor left.

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I turned to her.

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Look, you need this, okay?

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I know I did some awful things, and I'm really sorry.

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And for better or for worse, you're my other half, and I can't lose you.

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So just shut up and stop smirking, and you're taking my kidney.

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Say, you're my better half, Bella.

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Don't push it.

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Okay, okay.

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I know I haven't been very nice to you either, and I'm sorry too.

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I didn't even like Mika that much, so thank God he cheated on me and we broke up.

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Serves you right, which reminds me.

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I gotta call Eugene before the surgery and apologize to him too.

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What kind of name is Eugene?

287

That's Latin for ugly, girl.

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Well, Latin is a dead language, Bella.

289

Much like your love life.

290

Some things never change, do they?

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “My Twin and I Share Our Emotions Too!”. This video has 290 sentences and 2631 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:08. The speaker talks fast, about 217 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 50 of its 290 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
pageant noun	/ˈpæd͡ʒənt/	An elaborate public display, especially a parade in historical or traditional costume.
eyebrow noun	/ˈaɪˌbɹaʊ/	The hair that grows over the bone ridge above the eye socket.
tryout noun	/ˈtɹaɪˌaʊt/	A test of the suitability or effectiveness of a person or thing, especially an audition for a performer or athlete, or the advance staging of a play at a small…
audition noun	/ɑˈdɪʃən/	A performance, by an aspiring performer, to demonstrate suitability or talent.
trophy noun	/ˈtɹoʊfi/	An object, usually in the form of a statuette, cup, or shield, awarded for success in a competition or to mark a special achievement.
scrub verb	/skɹʌb/	To rub hard; to wash with rubbing; usually, to rub with a wet brush, or with something coarse or rough, for the purpose of cleaning or brightening
forehead noun	/ˈfɔɹ.hɛd/	The part of the face above the eyebrows and below the hairline.
kidney noun	/ˈkɪdni/	An organ in the body that filters the blood, producing urine.
spray noun	/spɹeɪ/	A fine, gentle, dispersed mist of liquid.
mall noun	/mɔːl/	A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct.
ruin noun	/ˈɹuː.ɪn/	The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
bang noun	/ˈbæŋ/	A sudden percussive noise.
pretend verb	/pɹəˈtɛnd/	To speak or behave so as to give a false or simulated appearance.
annoy verb	/əˈnoɪ̯/	To disturb or irritate, especially by continued or repeated acts; to bother with unpleasant deeds.
mathlete noun	/ˈmæθliːt/	A member of the math team of a primary school or secondary school.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
shut up	/ʃʌt ʌp/	Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)…
take away verb	/ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/	To remove something and put it in a different place.
break up verb		To break or separate into pieces.
come back verb		To return to a place.
come down with verb		To develop symptoms or signs of (an illness).
come off verb		To become detached.
drop out verb		To leave (school, a race, etc.) prematurely and voluntarily.
get out of verb		To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Aren't your legs just as long?
Mom, what happened to my name?
I'm, uh, what's my name?
Why don't you come too?
Didn't you want to ask him out?

Grammar in this video

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

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if I pinch your cheek, will your · If I punch your face, will your
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've wanted · I've always had · I've read
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	were ignored · were gathered · was grounded
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was having · was thinking · was smiling

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 82 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, didn't, I'm. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: mathlete /ˈmæθliːt/, washcloth /ˈwɔʃ.klɔθ/, smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/, pathetic /pəˈθɛtɪk/, athletic /æθˈlɛt.ɪk/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: audition /ɑˈdɪʃən/, washcloth /ˈwɔʃ.klɔθ/, shave /ˈʃeɪ̯v/, rejection /ɹɪˈd͡ʒɛkʃən/, perfection /pɚˈfɛk.ʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: invisible /ɪnˈvɪzəb(ə)l/, academically /ˌæk.əˈdɛm.ɪk.ə.li/, cafeteria /ˌkæ.fə.ˈtɪ(ə).ɹi.ə/, extracurricular /ˌɛkstɹəkəˈɹɪkjʊlə(ɹ)/, adrenaline /əˈdɹɛnəlɪn/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like pageant, eyebrow, tryout.

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 →

Shadowing Practice: My Twin and I Share Our Emotions Too! - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?