Shadowing Practice: One of these celebs used to work for the CIA - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B2
Today, I'm going to share three stories about ordinary people who at some point made a decision
203 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Today, I'm going to share three stories about ordinary people who at some point made a decision
2
that not only completely changed their lives, but also impacted the lives of millions and millions of other people as well.
3
But before we get into today's stories, if you're a fan of the Strange, Dark, and Mysterious delivered in story format, then you've come to the right place, because that's all we do,
4
and we upload two, three, even four times every week.
5
So, if that's of interest to you, please rewire the like button's house so that every time they turn on their desk lamp, the stove turns on.
6
Also, please subscribe to our channel and turn on all notifications so you don't miss any of our weekly uploads.
7
Okay, let's get into today's stories.
8
One morning in the early spring of 1943, a 29-year-old woman named Carolyn hunched over a sink basin
9
that was inside of a laboratory in a US government building in Washington, DC.
10
And this basin was full of this greenish-blue liquid that smelled so bad it actually was making Carolyn nauseous.
11
But she couldn't leave the room.
12
Because this was her job.
13
This was a highly classified and potentially life-saving thing that she was doing.
14
And so Carolyn checked the recipe one more time on the clipboard right next to her, and then measured out one cup of the special type of acidic salt, and she poured it into the liquid
15
and she sort of plugged her nose as it began to bubble
16
and more gross vapors began to come up into the air.
17
So Carolyn worked for a government agency called the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, which was a precursor to the CIA.
18
Carolyn had actually tried first to join the Navy and also the Army.
19
She had applied to do administrative work because at the time, women were not allowed to do anything in combat roles.
20
However, both the Navy and the Army turned her down for a really weird reason.
21
So at the time, these two branches of the military were looking for people to fill their administrative roles.
22
Namely, they were looking for secretaries.
23
But specifically, they were seeking secretaries who could take notes in meetings and go basically completely unnoticed.
24
But Carolyn was sort of impossible to ignore.
25
She was 6 foot 2 inches tall, and she had a booming voice and a huge personality.
26
And so basically, she drew a lot of attention.
27
And the military had known that very likely her presence would be too distracting in these meetings.
28
And so that's why they turned her down.
29
So when she was rejected, Carolyn had gone on to apply for work at the OSS, hoping to maybe become a spy.
30
But they also turned her down, really for the same reason.
31
She was just too conspicuous to blend into a crowd, so how could she possibly be a spy?
32
Now for Carolyn, this had been sort of heartbreaking.
33
I mean, it was sort of like she thought she was going to be able to serve her country, and now she's being told, you know, you basically can't.
34
And so feeling like she didn't have much to lose, she just went to the OSS and just said, look, I know I can't be a spy,
35
but do you have any other jobs available that I could do.
36
Like, what do you got?
37
Anything.
38
I'm open to it.
39
And it was through this approach that the OSS said, actually, yes, we do have something for you.
40
And she would go on to become the executive assistant to one of the lead scientists for the OSS.
41
And so now, in that capacity, she was working on a very important secret science project for the government.
42
And so that day in the lab after the mixture had stopped bubbling a little bit, Carolyn very carefully added some more ingredients.
43
There was some copper acetate and black food dye, and then once they were in the wash basin as well, it was done.
44
At this point, Carolyn very carefully scooped some of this mixture up in a ladle, and she poured it into a glass beaker
45
and then handed it off to a lab assistant and told him she had followed the recipe exactly.
46
He took the mixture and thanked her, and told her he was now going to dehydrate it into several solid cakes, and then they would test it.
47
A few weeks later, Carolyn was back in the laboratory, copying some notes from some of the more recent versions of the experiment she'd been working on.
48
And she looked up when her boss, a scientist named Major Harold J.
49
Coolidge, walked into the room.
50
Major Coolidge was a scientist from Harvard University, and he was in charge of this whole secret project that Carolyn was working on.
51
And he walked in and he had a big smile on his face
52
and he put a memo down on the table in front of Carolyn.
53
Carolyn grabbed it and she read it over and as she did, her heart began to race.
54
The memo said that the U.S.
55
Navy had taken different versions of the dehydrated cakes
56
that they had been making out into the ocean to shark-infested waters
57
and then attached these cakes to bags of raw fish meat and submerged them in the water.
58
And a lot of curious sharks had come over to investigate the meat, but none of them had actually taken a bite.
59
And this was exactly what Carolyn and her boss and her colleagues had all hoped for.
60
So the government had basically hired the OSS to create a brand new life-saving product, shark repellent.
61
And soon, this very same shark repellent that Carolyn worked on was actually issued to the entire US Navy.
62
However, while this shark repellent was undoubtedly Carolyn's first big recipe, it would not be her last.
63
After she left the OSS, she eventually moved to Paris, France, where her life would change forever.
64
Because there, Carolyn fell in love with French cuisine.
65
And even though she had literally zero culinary training aside from mixing up shark repellent recipes,
66
she enrolled at a legendary culinary school called Les Cordon Bleu.
67
Now, she was the only woman in her class, and at first, because again, she had no skills in cooking, she really struggled to hang on to the curriculum.
68
But she would figure it out, and eventually she would not just graduate, she would go on to become an exceptionally talented chef.
69
She went on to co-author a cookbook that sold more than three and a half million copies, and then after that she landed a deal for a cooking show on TV.
70
And viewers all over the world not only loved her cooking, but they really just fell in love with her, like her personality.
71
And so she would go on to become one of the most beloved and influential chefs in history, credited with bringing French cooking into American homes.
72
Before there was Gordon Ramsay or Barefoot Contessa,
73
there was Carolyn, a 6'2 celebrity chef with a booming voice and a magnetic personality who used to make shark repellent.
74
The very traits that initially kept her from serving her country made her unforgettable in every kitchen in America.
75
Her middle name was Carolyn, but you know her as Julia Child.
76
Minimum payments are not designed to get people out of debt.
77
They're designed to keep them stuck.
78
That's why so many people are turning to PDS Debt for a real solution.
79
PDS Debt can reduce up to half of what's owed on credit cards, personal loans, and even medical bills.
80
The process starts with a free 30-second assessment at pdsdebt.com slash mrballin.
81
PDS uses AI and data to go beyond the numbers and personalize saving solutions for each person's situation.
82
Instead of juggling multiple payments every month, PDS Debt can help combine them into one lower monthly payment with zero credit impact.
83
And savings can start the same day the 30-second assessment is completed.
84
If there's a balance sitting on credit cards right now, interest charges are adding up every single day.
85
PDS Debt offers a way to finally take control, and there's no minimum credit score required.
86
PDS Debt is one of the top-rated companies in the industry, with thousands of 5-star reviews and an A-plus rating from the Better Business Bureau.
87
Get your free 30-second personalized assessment today at pdsdebt.com slash mrballing.
88
On the afternoon of June 12, 1962, an 18-year-old boy named George Jr. drove through his hometown of Modesto, California on his way home for dinner.
89
But as he was driving, George Jr. could not help but feel like he was really, really dreading actually getting there.
90
So, he and his father had been fighting a lot lately, ever since he had told his dad that he did not want to go to college.
91
And instead, he wanted to become a race car driver.
92
And his dad thought this was a ridiculous idea, and that George Jr. was wasting his potential.
93
So, George Jr. was a very smart kid.
94
In particular, he was very good at art and photography, but he also got distracted really easily,
95
and because of that, he really had not pursued anything all that seriously at any point in his life.
96
That is, except for cars.
97
A few years back, George Jr. had begun hanging around mechanic shops and sort of fell in love with cars.
98
He thought they were fascinating.
99
And at that point, his father actually bought him a small Italian car called a Fiat, and George Jr., after getting this car, sort of became obsessed with it,
100
and he wound up souping up the engine and basically turned this little car into sort of like a race car.
101
And he'd actually begun entering his little car into local car races.
102
And he'd actually even won a few of these races.
103
But his father, you know, despite being the one who literally gave him the Fiat, he just didn't get his son's obsession with cars.
104
Like, why aren't you able to, you know, take that focus and apply it to other things, you know, that will get you a real job and give you a real future?
105
And so basically every dinner these days, it became this huge argument between father and son.
106
But, you know, George Jr., as frustrated as he was with the whole situation, couldn't really change it, at least not for now, because he still lived with his parents.
107
And so he just had to accept that if they were going to fight, they were going to fight.
108
And so George, he came to this intersection where it was right near his home.
109
He just needed to make a left and, you know, pull over and he was home.
110
He comes to a stop, he puts on his blinker, and he begins making the turn when he hears this really loud screeching sound
111
and then feels his own car jolt forward and then everything went black.
112
Two weeks later, George Jr. was laying in a hospital bed in the intensive care unit at the local hospital, watching daytime reruns on the TV in his room.
113
He was in so much pain that he could barely move.
114
So all he did was just watch TV.
115
So two weeks earlier, when George was making that turn and then something happened, well, what it was is another car came speeding down the road
116
and smashed into George's car so hard that it sent his car, his little Fiat, flying and it flipped three times.
117
And while it was flipping, George Jr. was ejected from the car.
118
And actually, it saved his life because the moment he was ejected, his car smashed into a tree and sort of wrapped around it.
119
I mean, George was very badly hurt.
120
He had multiple bone fractures, bruised lungs.
121
I mean, he was really beaten up, but he had survived.
122
However, the doctors told him that because of how extensive his injuries were, he would basically be recovering in bed in the hospital for months.
123
But again, George Jr. just felt lucky to be alive at this point.
124
And really, as he laid in bed, you know, watching TV and just sort of stuck there, he began to think that, you know what, maybe this is my wake-up call.
125
Maybe I do need to make some changes in my life.
126
Two years later, George Jr., who by this point was fully recovered from his injuries, stood at the finish line at a racetrack and raised his camera.
127
And the race cars came whipping toward him on their last lap, and he snapped the photo finish.
128
So, since his near-death experience, George Jr. had made some big decisions.
129
In the hospital after his accident, he had realized that really, his dad had been kind of right.
130
That in some ways he was wasting his potential.
131
So after getting out of the hospital, George Jr. had enrolled in community college, and he really applied himself to his schoolwork,
132
to the point where his father was really impressed.
133
Also, George Jr. had decided that he really didn't want to race cars anymore.
134
You know, he loved cars still, but it just felt like it was sort of reckless and not so much his thing anymore.
135
Instead, he had, along with, you know, focusing on his schoolwork, he had also picked up his camera and really gotten back into his old hobby of photography.
136
In fact, George Jr. had grown to love photography so much that after community college,
137
he had applied to the prestigious cinematography program at the University of Southern California.
138
But after sending off his application, you know, he was pretty sure he would not get in because despite his efforts with his schoolwork at community college,
139
he still knew his grades likely were not up to snuff.
140
Now, George Jr. walked over to the podium to take some photos of the winning driver.
141
But as he walked over there, this middle-aged man came up beside him and just asked George Jr. about his photography.
142
They spoke for a few minutes, and then at some point, the man actually formally introduced himself as Haskell Wexler,
143
and he said that he was actually a cinematographer in Hollywood.
144
And George Jr., when he heard this, he sort of felt starstruck.
145
And he told Haskell about how he had recently applied to USC to try to get into their cinematography program, but he felt like it was kind of a long shot.
146
And when Haskell heard this, he said, George, I know people at USC.
147
Let me make some calls.
148
I'll get you in.
149
And sure enough, not long after this fateful meeting, George Jr. would receive an acceptance letter from USC's film school.
150
But this moment in George Jr.'s life, you know, receiving this unbelievable acceptance letter, did not just alter George's life forever.
151
It also would go on to completely alter cinema in general forever.
152
Because about 13 years later, George Jr. would go on to create one of the most groundbreaking films in history.
153
His movie revolutionized sound design and visual effects, and it would go on to become part of the most successful movie franchise of all time.
154
George Jr. is better known today as George Lucas, and his film franchise was Star Wars.
155
On a Sunday evening in the spring of 1938,
156
eight-year-old Carolyn Jones hurried after her mother as they both carried platters of food down a street in Amarillo, Texas.
157
It was Easter Sunday and Carolyn and her mother were going to their neighbor's house to celebrate the holiday.
158
Carolyn's dad was not in the picture, so when they had moved into this neighborhood a few years ago, Carolyn's mom had made a big effort to get to know their neighbors to make sure
159
that they had a lot of friends and community and support around them.
160
And so as a result, Carolyn's mom had actually really bonded with a specific middle-aged couple, whose name was Mr. and Mrs. Franklin, that lived right down the street.
161
And that's whose house they were going to right now.
162
And Carolyn was really excited, because the Franklins had always been so nice to her,
163
and this holiday dinner usually meant sweets and some fun Easter games like decorating eggs.
164
Six than an hour later, Carolyn, her mother, and the Franklins were all sitting around the table eating some food.
165
The grown-ups were having a very animated discussion about something very boring, and Carolyn was feeling just completely antsy.
166
You know, she just wanted this very boring adult part of the evening to end
167
so she could have some candy and go play.
168
And so while she's feeling this way, the phone rang in the Franklins' house.
169
And since the grown-ups were very busy talking, Mrs. Franklin asked Carolyn if she wouldn't mind going and answering the phone and seeing who it was.
170
So Carolyn, who was excited to have really anything to do at this point, she jumped up and she grabbed the phone and said hello.
171
And on the other end was an operator who said this was a collect call coming in from somebody named Joyce.
172
Carolyn knew that Joyce was the Franklin's adult daughter.
173
And also Carolyn knew from her own mother
174
that Joyce had moved away a few years ago to go to school in Missouri.
175
So when Carolyn heard this, she called over to the table and said there was a collect call coming in from Joyce.
176
But when she did this, the room, which just a second ago had been, you know, sort of noisy as the adults were chatting the whole time,
177
the room went completely silent.
178
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin just stared at Carolyn, and to Carolyn's surprise, they sort of looked mad.
179
Then Mr. Franklin got up and he walked over to Carolyn and sort of aggressively took the phone out of Carolyn's hand, and then to To the operator, he said, put the call through.
180
Carolyn felt like she'd done something wrong, but she had no idea what.
181
So she was just feeling totally shocked and embarrassed
182
and just kind of stepped aside to watch Mr. Franklin as he listened to the caller speak.
183
It would turn out that in past years, at Easter dinners before this one,
184
the Franklin's daughter, Joyce, would always make the drive home from her school in Missouri to be with her parents in Texas.
185
And in years past, when she couldn't make the trip, she'd always been really good about calling her parents and letting them know.
186
And that was what Joyce had been calling about that night.
187
When her father answered the phone and Joyce was put through, she said, Daddy, I can't get home.
188
But this year, Joyce's call was not routine.
189
In fact, it was like the single most shocking thing that could have happened.
190
Because a year earlier, during last Easter, when Joyce had been literally on her way home from school to see her parents,
191
she'd gotten in a car accident and died.
192
No one was ever able to explain that phone call, but the experience of being the one who actually answered the phone
193
and being there when Mr. Franklin's face went white and he fainted, like that experience for eight-year-old Carolyn was incredibly formative.
194
In fact, in many ways, it's like her life changed in that exact moment.
195
And from that point forward, Carolyn really went on to fully embrace the macabre in her life.
196
And through that, she ultimately became a very famous actress and scream queen, appearing in dozens of thrillers and horror films.
197
Her most iconic, macabre role was being Morticia Adams in the original Addams Family TV series.
198
Thank you so much for watching.
199
Let me know what you thought of today's episode in the comments.
200
And remember, we have hundreds of videos for you to binge right now.
201
But if you're looking for a recommendation from me of that one video that's worth your time, well, it's this one right here.
202
So give it a watch.
203
Alright, until next time, see ya.
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
Context & Background
In the fascinating video titled "One of these celebs used to work for the CIA," the speaker engages the audience with intriguing narratives about individuals who faced significant challenges and made life-changing decisions. The stories are not only captivating but also serve as excellent material for learners of the English language. This content showcases the importance of determination and adaptability, which can inspire English learners seeking to improve their skills through various mediums, including English speaking practice sessions and engaging with dynamic content online.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "I know I can't be a spy, but do you have any other jobs available?" - A useful phrase to express openness to various opportunities.
- "I followed the recipe exactly." - A statement that can be used in both cooking and describing processes accurately.
- "Do you have anything for me?" - A polite inquiry that can be applied in job searching or asking for assistance.
- "Can you take notes in meetings?" - A phrase suitable for professional contexts regarding documentation responsibilities.
- "I poured it into a glass beaker." - A specific action that can be related to laboratory settings or procedural descriptions.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
Shadowing is an effective method for enhancing your English proficiency, particularly in listening and speaking. Follow these steps to maximize your learning from this video:
- Watch and Listen: Begin by watching the video without subtitles to familiarize yourself with the speaker's tone and rhythm.
- Use a Shadowing App: Utilize a shadowing app to help you isolate phrases and practice speaking along with the video. Try to mimic the pronunciation and intonation of the speaker.
- Break it Down: Divide the video into smaller segments. Focus on a few sentences at a time, repeating them aloud until you feel comfortable.
- Record Yourself: While practicing, record your voice and listen critically to compare your delivery with that of the speaker. Note areas for improvement.
- Engage with Content: After shadowing, write down your own version of the stories or summarize what you learned. This practice enhances retention and helps with your IELTS speaking practice.
By using these techniques, you can effectively learn English with YouTube as a resource. Engage with the enriching stories and language presented, elevating your communication skills while enjoying captivating narratives.
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.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏