Shadowing Practice: Oxford Bookworms - Stage 0 - Red Roses - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Oxford Bookworms.
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Starter.
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Red Roses by Christine Lindup.
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Read by Eliza Foss.
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Published and copyright Oxford University Press, 2008.
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Chapter 1 White Roses It's August.
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Anna is playing her guitar on the balcony of her new apartment.
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I like it here, she thinks.
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Then her phone rings.
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It's her friend, Vicki.
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I'm coming now, Anna.
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Anna?
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It's Grandview Apartments, Charlton, isn't it?
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That's right.
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See you soon.
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Anna takes her guitar and goes out of her apartment.
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She goes down in the elevator and goes outside.
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Anna is waiting outside the apartment building.
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A young man is walking along the street.
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He is carrying a bunch of white roses.
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Anna looks at them.
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What beautiful roses, she thinks.
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Then she looks at the young man.
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He's nice too, she thinks.
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The young man looks at her and smiles.
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And suddenly Anna's face is pink.
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Will is walking along the street when he sees a young woman with a guitar.
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Hmm, a guitar, he thinks.
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I must play my guitar more often.
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Then he looks at the young woman.
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She's nice, he thinks, and he smiles at her.
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Anna's face is pink and she looks away.
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Will goes into Grandview Apartments.
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Just then, Vicki arrives in her car.
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Hello, Anna, she says.
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Are you okay?
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Your face is a bit pink.
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What's the matter?
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Oh, uh, nothing," says Anna.
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They drive away.
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Vicki talks to Anna.
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But Anna is thinking about the young man. Who is he?
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She thinks.
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Does he live in the building?
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Who are the roses for?
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His wife?
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His girlfriend?
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His mother?
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Anna, are you listening?" says Vicki.
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Oh, sorry Vicki, says Anna.
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Her face is red now.
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What are you thinking about? says Vicki.
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Tell me.
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Well, I'm thinking about a bunch of roses, says Anna.
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And a man.
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Aha!
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Who is he?
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Says Vicki.
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I don't know, says Anna.
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But I want to know, she thinks.
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Will arrives at his Gran's apartment.
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Hello, dear, she says.
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Oh, you are a good boy.
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You always bring me roses.
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Of course, says Will.
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Gran makes Will some coffee.
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She asks him a question,
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but Will does not answer. Will, are you listening?
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You're thinking about something, aren't you?
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What is it?
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Oh, sorry, Gran.
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It's.. it's not important.
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Later, Will says goodbye to his gran.
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Then he gets into his car and drives away.
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In the car, he thinks about the young woman with the guitar.
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Where does she live? he thinks.
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Does she live in one of the apartments or has she We got a friend there.
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How can I meet her?
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Who is she?" Five minutes later,
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Anna and Vicki arrive outside the apartment building.
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"'Good night, Vicki,' says Anna.
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"'Quick, go inside,' says Vicki.
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Think, you walk out of the elevator and there is a young man with a bunch of roses.
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And he says, Oh, be quiet, laughs Anna.
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See you tomorrow.
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Chapter 2 Pink Roses It's September.
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Will is visiting his gran again.
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It's a lovely day, Will, she says.
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Let's have our coffee on the balcony.
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Will and his gran are sitting on the balcony in the sun, when suddenly Will hears a guitar.
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Listen, he says.
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That's a guitar.
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Where's it coming from?
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He stands up and looks around, but he cannot see the guitar.
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Excuse me, Gran, he says.
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I...er...back soon.
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And he runs out of the apartment.
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Will runs along the corridor. Where is the guitar?
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And who is playing it?
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He stops outside an apartment and listens.
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Nothing.
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Perhaps it's outside, he thinks.
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Perhaps she's on her balcony.
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So he goes down in the elevator and goes outside.
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Upstairs Anna takes her guitar and goes inside.
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She closes the door to the balcony.
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That's it for today, she thinks.
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Will looks at all the balconies, but he cannot see or hear a guitar.
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He goes back to his gran's apartment.
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Are you all right, dear?
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She says.
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Yes, thanks, Gran, says Will.
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It's just.. oh, it's not important.
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Well, it is important, but...
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And Will tells Gran about the girl with the guitar.
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A week later, Anna is coming home.
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She can see a young man near the apartment building, and he is carrying a bunch of roses.
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Pink roses today.
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But he is not looking, and he does not see her.
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Anna walks more quickly, but when she gets to the building, there is nobody there.
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She gets into the elevator.
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There is nobody in the elevator.
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But she can smell roses.
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Beautiful pink roses.
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One day Anna comes home and finds Gran at the door of the building with a lot of bags.
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Oh, can I help you?" she says.
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Can I carry something?
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Thank you very much," says Gran.
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At the apartment Gran says, Come in, dear.
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Would you like some coffee?
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Oh, that's very nice of you," says Anna.
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I'm new here and I don't know anybody in the building.
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What do you do? asks Gran.
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I'm a music student, says Anna.
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Gran brings some coffee into the room.
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These are lovely apartments, aren't they?
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Says Anna.
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Oh yes, says Gran.
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I like it here very much.
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She tells Anna about her apartment and about Charlton.
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Later Anna gets up.
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I must go now, she says.
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Thank you for the coffee.
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Goodbye dear," says Gran, and Anna goes out.
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What a nice girl, Gran thinks.
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But just a minute.
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A music student.
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Perhaps she's the girl with the guitar.
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I can ask her over one day when Will comes.
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No, I can't.
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I don't know the number of her apartment.
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Later that week, Vicki talks to Anna.
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I'm having a party on Saturday, she says.
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Can you come?
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Yes, of course, says Anna.
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Your parties are always wonderful.
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Vicki calls her brother.
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Come to my party on Saturday, James, she says, and bring some friends.
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On Saturday, James and his friends arrive at Vicki's house.
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Hi, Vicki, says James.
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Meet my friends.
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This is Tom. And Daniel.
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And Will." Just then Vicky's phone rings.
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"'I'm sorry, Vicky,' says Anna.
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"'I can't come to your party because I'm not feeling well.' "'Oh,
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Anna, I'm sorry too,' says Vicky.
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Well, stay in bed and get better soon.
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Vicki's party is wonderful.
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Will meets Natalie and Jane and Katie, but he does not meet Anna.
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Chapter 3 Red Roses Now it's October.
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Will visits his gran, but he does not see Anna.
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He walks along the corridor, but he does not hear a guitar.
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Where is she? he thinks.
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Anna visits her family for a week.
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Then she comes back to her apartment.
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She looks for Will, but she does not see him.
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There are lots of men, says Vicki, but Anna cannot forget Will.
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Then Gran goes to hospital for two weeks.
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One day Will visits her there.
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"'How are you today, Gran?' he asks.
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"'Very well, thank you, dear.
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I'm going home on Friday.' "'That's good,' says Will.
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I can get some things for you on Thursday and take them to the apartment." That's very nice of you,
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Will," says Gran.
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After work on Thursday, Will goes to the shops and gets some things for Gran.
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He gets some roses, too, and he puts everything in his car car.
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Suddenly it begins to rain.
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Will is getting into his car when he sees his friend, Tom.
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Where are you going, Tom? says Will.
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Home, to Eastfield.
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I'm going to my gran's apartment in Charlton, so I can take you to Eastfield first.
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Can you take my friend, Anna, too?
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She's going to Charlton.
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Yes, of course, says Will.
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Tom and Anna get into Will's car.
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Thanks, Will, says Tom.
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It's not a very nice night.
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That's all right, Tom, says Will.
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He drives Tom home.
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And then he says to Anna, where are you going, Anna?
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I'm going to Grandview Apartments.
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It's on Park Road." That's funny," says Will.
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I'm going to Grandview Apartments." Is it her?
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He thinks.
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The girl with the guitar?
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He looks in the mirror.
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But he can't see her face very well. Can I smell roses?
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Thinks Anna. Is it him?
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The man with the roses?
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Then they are outside the apartment building.
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They get out of the car.
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And then they begin to talk at the same time.
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Oh, it's you.
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You play the guitar.
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And you come here with roses.
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Yes, I always bring roses to my gran.
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His gran, thinks Anna.
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Not his wife.
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Not his girlfriend.
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She's coming home from hospital tomorrow, so I'm taking some things to her apartment," says Will.
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"'Can I… would you like some help?' says Anna.
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"'Yes, please,' says Will." They go up to Gran's apartment.
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Will puts things away, and Anna puts the roses in a vase.
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"'There!
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Aren't they lovely?' she says.
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"'I like roses.
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They smell wonderful.' "'Thank you for your help, Anna,' says Will.
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"'That's all right,' Anna says.
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Look, would you like to come up to my apartment for coffee?
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I'd like to very much, says Will.
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He smiles, and she smiles.
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They go upstairs.
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On Friday, Gran comes home.
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Will goes to see her.
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He is carrying a bunch of red roses.
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That's a big smile, Will, says Gran.
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Red roses.
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Don't they say red roses for love?
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Well, Gran, says Will.
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Ten minutes later, Will comes out of Gran's apartment and goes upstairs.
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He's carrying a bunch of red roses.
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Gran goes out onto the balcony and sits down in the sun.
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She can hear a guitar.
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Then it stops.
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Gran hears Will's voice and Anna's voice.
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Then Anna laughs.
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Gran smiles.
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She can smell roses, beautiful red roses, in the sun, outside, on a balcony.
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Thank you.
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Who Will Benefit from This Video?
This video is perfect for beginner to intermediate English learners aiming to build confidence in everyday conversation. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or simply want to sound more natural, the slow, clear dialogue in "Red Roses" makes it ideal for shadowspeak—a technique where you mimic speech in real time. Its focus on casual interactions (phone calls, first meetings) aligns with real-world communication goals, making it a standout tool for learners ready to move beyond basic phrases.
Words & Idioms Worth Stealing
The dialogue is packed with practical, high-frequency language. Here are key terms to add to your toolkit:
- "a bunch of": A group or collection (e.g., "a bunch of roses"). Useful for describing quantities in casual speech.
- "looks away": To turn one’s gaze from someone/something. Natural for showing shyness or distraction.
- "What’s the matter?": A common way to ask about someone’s well-being (softer than "What’s wrong?").
How to Get the Accent Right with Shadowing
The speaker’s clear, mid-paced delivery is a goldmine for improving English pronunciation. Use the shadowing technique (or "shadow speech") to master her rhythm: Pause the video after short clips (2–3 seconds), then repeat immediately, matching her tone and stress. Focus on reduced speech—notice how "I’m coming now, Anna" flows smoothly, with "I’m" and "coming" blending slightly. For tricky sounds, like the soft "th" in "the young man," use shadowspeak to mimic her mouth shape and airflow. This isn’t just about copying—it’s about training your brain to think in English. Pair this with IELTS speaking practice by role-playing Anna and Vicki’s conversation, and you’ll see faster progress in fluency and accent.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | is playing · I'm coming · is waiting |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | Will is · Will goes · Will arrives |
| Obligation: must / have to / need to saying that something is necessary | must play · must go |
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.