Shadowing Practice: National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 4 The Red Planet - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
26 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Mars is the most studied planet in the solar system after Earth.
2
Today, NASA and other space programs are working to send people to Mars.
3
However, we still have much to learn about the Red Planet.
4
Scientists believe Mars was formed about 4 .5 billion years ago.
5
It is the fourth planet from the Sun.
6
and the second smallest planet in the Solar System.
7
Its diameter is almost the width of Africa.
8
and its surface area is similar to that of all of Earth's continents combined.
9
Just like Earth, Mars is a rocky planet.
10
The ancient Romans named the planet Mars after their god of war because of its blood -red appearance.
11
We now know that Mars is red because it is covered with red dust.
12
Today, Mars is dry, barren, and cold.
13
Temperatures can be as low as -142 degrees Celsius.
14
But scientists think billions of years ago.
15
Mars was much warmer and had liquid water on its surface.
16
Scientists have found lake beds and river valleys on Mars, showing us where water once flowed.
17
Mars also has volcanoes, such as Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system.
18
It is three times the height of Mount Everest.
19
and was once active.
20
But by about 50 million years ago, All volcanic activity on Mars stopped.
21
water can still be found on Mars in the form of polar ice caps.
22
Because of this, some scientists believe that life may have once existed on the Red Planet.
23
Since the 1960s, Scientists from around the world have launched missions to Mars.
24
They want to understand the planet, its past and its present.
25
They hope to discover that the planet can support life once again.
26
There are some who even think that life on Mars might be the key to a bright new future for humanity.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
📺 Same Channel
B14
National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 3 The Mozart Effect
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B12
National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 11 Our Plastic World
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B113
National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 2 Exploring Laponia
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 9 Snake Catchers
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B137
National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 5 New York Skyscraper
TOEFL PrepCambridge Exam PrepHigh School Students
B12
National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 3 Walking with Giants
Cambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B124
National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 1 Space Food
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B12
National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 6 Bioblitz
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B13
National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 8 Fairy tale Castle
Cambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
A22
National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 10 City in the Clouds
Daily ConversationUniversity Students
C14
National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 2 The Lion's Roar
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B2National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 12 Sea Caves
TOEFL PrepUniversity Students
B1National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 11 Smile Trial
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B1National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 10 The Sled Dogs of Greenland
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B1National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 9 The Global Village
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepCambridge Exam Prep
B2National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 8 The Legend of Marco Polo
Cambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B1National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 7 Flowers from Ecuador
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B2National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 6 Ocean Megabuilders
Cambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students
B2National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 5 Digging into the Past
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B1National Geographic Reading Explorer 2 Unit 4 Dragon Boat Festival
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
✨ Recommend Video
B14
29 sentences
READING EXPLORER 1 UNIT 4B LIVING IN SPACE
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B14
49 sentences
A student discussion
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepCambridge Exam Prep
B14
8 sentences
gloeng 2ed s4 vid 2 1 1
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B15
32 sentences
Unit 13 Growing Deserts
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B16
20 sentences
Reading Explorer Foundations - Third Edition - Unit 1 Moon Mystery
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B14
13 sentences
NE1 U7
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B137
17 sentences
Reading Explorer Foundation, Unit-2 Science of Taste
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B147
35 sentences
READING EXPLORER 1 UNIT 5A GLOBAL CITIES
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B24
64 sentences
Vol 2 - test 3 - section 3
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepCambridge Exam Prep
B14
12 sentences
What Do Plants Needs to Live and Grow
TOEFL PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B12
19 sentences
Day and Night – The Rotation of the Earth
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
B24
140 sentences
Mars Used to Be Blue... Then Something Happened
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “National Geographic Reading Explorer 1 Unit 4 The Red Planet”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Mars, planet, scientists, solar. This video has 26 sentences and 300 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:51. The speaker talks slowly, about 105 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 84% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 14 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| scientist noun | /ˈsaɪəntəst/ | One whose activities make use of the scientific method to answer questions regarding the measurable universe. A scientist may be involved in original research… |
| volcano noun | /vɑlˈkeɪ.noʊ/ | A vent or fissure on the surface of a planet (usually in a mountainous form) with a magma chamber attached to the mantle of a planet or moon, periodically… |
| dust noun | /dʌst/ | Fine, dry particles of matter found in the air and covering the surface of objects, typically consisting of soil lifted up by the wind, pollen, hair, fiber… |
| discover verb | /dɪˈskʌvə/ | To find or learn something for the first time. |
| 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… |
| humanity noun | /hjuˈmænɪti/ | Humankind; human beings as a group. |
| rocky adjective | /ˈɹɑki/ | Abounding in, or full of, rocks; consisting of rocks. |
| combine verb | /kəmˈbaɪn/ | To bring (two or more things or activities) together; to unite. |
| diameter noun | /daɪˈæmɪdɚ/ | Any straight line between two points on the circumference of a circle that passes through the center of the circle; a chord that passes through the center of… |
| continent noun | /ˈkɑntɪnənt/ | One of the main contiguous landmasses, separated by water or geological features, on the surface of a planet, sometimes including its continental shelves and… |
| width noun | /ˈwɪtθ/ | The state of being wide. |
| polar adjective | /ˈpoʊlɚ/ | Of, relating to, measured from, or referred to a geographic pole (the North Pole or South Pole); within the Arctic or Antarctic circles. |
| volcanic adjective | /vɔlˈkænɪk/ | Of or pertaining to a volcano or volcanoes. |
| barren adjective | /ˈbæɹən/ | Not bearing children, childless; hence also unable to bear children, sterile. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was formed · is covered · be found |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have found · have launched |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may have · might be |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most studied · the largest |
Pronunciation to watch
- Long words — get the stress right: humanity /hjuˈmænɪti/, diameter /daɪˈæmɪdɚ/
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 scientist, volcano, dust.
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.