Shadowing Practice: Passengers evacuated from hantavirus-affected MV Hondius: BBC Learning English from the News - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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From BBC Learning English, this is Learning English from the News,
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From BBC Learning English, this is Learning English from the News,
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our podcast about the news headlines.
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In this programme, passengers leave Hantavirus ship.
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Hello, I'm Bekah.
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And I'm Phil.
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In this programme, we look at one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.
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You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode,
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as well as a worksheet on our website bbclearningenglish.com.
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So, let's hear more about this story.
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All passengers have now left the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondias after a voyage
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that led to the death of three people from Hantavirus,
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a virus usually found in rats.
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One passenger is thought to have caught the virus while bird watching in Ushuaia,
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Argentina, where the ship's journey began.
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The virus does not easily spread between people,
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but people who do catch it often die.
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The World Health Organization has said that there is no sign of a larger outbreak at the moment,
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but as the disease takes a long time to develop, this could change.
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Many countries have taken action to isolate or quarantine their citizens who returned from the ship.
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Let's have our first headline.
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This headline is from Le Monde, a French newspaper.
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Hantavirus.
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After first positive case in France,
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government aims to break chain of transmission.
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That headline again, and this is from Le Monde, a French newspaper.
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Hantavirus.
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After first positive case in France,
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government aims to break chain of transmission.
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This headline is talking about the quarantine measures taken by the French government.
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We're looking at the expression break the chain.
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To understand this we need to think about how chain works as a metaphor.
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Yes, literally a chain is lots of connected pieces, usually of metal.
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One of the metaphorical uses of chain is to talk about a sequence of connected events.
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Here we're talking about the chain of transmission,
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which is describing how infectious illnesses pass from one person to another.
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If the chain is broken,
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by quarantine for example, then it stops the disease passing from one person to another.
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There are lots of different kinds of chains that we can talk about in this way and that we can break.
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If someone interrupts you when you're being creative,
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they break your chain of thought.
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A series of connected negative events could be a chain of events.
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If you stop those events,
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you could break the chain of negative events.
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You might also talk about breaking the chain of consequences.
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We've had break the chain.
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Stop something continuing.
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For example, don't talk to me now,
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you'll break my chain of thought.
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This is Learning English from the News,
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our podcast about the news headlines.
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Today we're talking about the Hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship.
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A number of countries in Europe,
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the Americas and Asia are taking measures to test
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or isolate people who were on the ship or who have been in contact with those on the ship.
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In Britain, 20 people were taken to a specific hospital for an initial period of isolation and tests.
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And that's what our next headline is about.
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And this is from ITVX,
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the website of a British broadcaster.
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Hantavirus, testing well underway for cruise Britons isolating at UK hospital.
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And that headline again from ITVX,
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Hantavirus, testing well underway for cruise Britons isolating at UK hospital.
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We're going to learn underway.
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It means in progress.
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This is a very common adjectival phrase and we can use it to talk about any event,
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process or plan.
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A class or a party can be underway.
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Your plans can be underway.
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A testing process can be underway.
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As in this headline, we often use it after well to emphasise that something has definitely started
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or that it has been in progress for some time.
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We've had underway, in progress.
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For example, rehearsals for our play are well underway now.
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This is Learning English from the News from BBC Learning English.
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We're talking about the hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch ship MV Hondius.
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First, the ship left Ushuaia at the southern tip of South America on 20 March.
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After visiting Antarctica and returning to the city,
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it then sailed north across the Atlantic on the 1st of April.
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One passenger died 10 days later.
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His wife then left the ship and travelled to South Africa,
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where she died on the 26th of April.
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A third passenger died on the 2nd of May.
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And our next headline is about this.
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This headline is from El Pais, a Spanish newspaper.
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Logbook of the MV Hondias,
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from Ushuaia to the Canary Islands.
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chronology of a hantavirus outbreak.
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That headline again from El Pais, a Spanish newspaper.
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Logbook of the MV Hondias from Ushuaia to the Canary Islands chronology of a hantavirus outbreak.
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This headline introduces an article that explains when different events in this story happened and we're going to learn the word chronology.
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A A chronology is a description of a sequence of events,
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saying when they happened and in which order.
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A chronology can be useful when investigating an incident or to help people understand a complex series of events.
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Here, the chronology is helping people understand how the situation on the ship developed.
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We've been looking at the noun,
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but the related adjective chronological and adverb chronologically are probably more commonly used.
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If you describe events chronologically or in chronological order,
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you say what happened first and then what happened next.
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And just a note on pronunciation here,
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there's different stress on these similar words.
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Have a listen.
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Chronology, chronological.
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We've had chronology, a sequence of events.
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For example, the investigators established a chronology of what happened.
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That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News.
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We'll be back next week with another news story.
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If you want to learn more English from the news,
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try our series Our World in English,
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BBC Documentaries Made Easier for You.
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That's at bbclearningenglish.com.
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Bye for now.
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Bye.
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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will practice English by engaging with current news events. The focus will be on enhancing listening comprehension and pronunciation through the use of the shadowing technique. By listening to a real-life news story about the Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius ship, learners will not only improve their vocabulary but also gain insight into how news is reported and discussed in English. This exercise allows for effective english speaking practice as learners replicate the speech patterns, intonation, and rhythm of native speakers.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Hantavirus - A viral disease typically transmitted by rodents.
  • isolate - To set apart for special treatment or to prevent spread.
  • quarantine - A period of isolation to prevent the spread of disease.
  • chain of transmission - A sequence of events in which an infectious disease spreads from one person to another.
  • break the chain - To interrupt the sequence of infection or events.
  • positive case - An individual confirmed to have a certain disease.
  • outbreak - A sudden increase in occurrences of a disease.
  • World Health Organization (WHO) - An international public health agency.

Practice Tips

To maximize your learning during this lesson, consider using the shadowing technique. Start by listening to the transcription at a slower speed if necessary, allowing yourself to catch every detail. Then, gradually increase the speed to match the original audio, as this will help you adapt to natural speaking speeds. As you listen, pause frequently to mimic the shadow speech of the presenters. Pay close attention to the intonation and Emotional cues present in their voices; this will enhance your pronunciation and comprehension.

When you practice, try to speak along with the audio simultaneously. This method not only reinforces vocabulary but also allows you to improve fluency. Challenge yourself by timing your responses to align with the news segments. Remember to focus on clarity and confidence in your speech. The more you practice, the more your english speaking practice will improve, making your communication more effective and natural in conversations.

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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