Shadowing Practice: كورس power English - الدرس الأول - 03 - story - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hi, this is AJ Hoag.
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Welcome to the mini-story for Introduction to Power English.
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Let's get started.
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In the mini-story, I will tell a kind of strange, funny, stupid story.
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Usually actually I will ask the story, it means I will ask a lot of questions.
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The reason I ask these questions is to get a lot of repetition so that the grammar structure,
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the grammar pattern will go into your brain deeply because you're getting again and again and again.
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You don't need to think about it.
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Just relax, listen to the story, answer the questions quickly.
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If you need to, you can pause your iPod, pause your computer and answer the questions.
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Or if it's too fast, just listen.
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You don't have to speak.
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Speaking is optional.
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If you can do it, if you want to answer the questions, great, shout them out.
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If you don't, if it's too difficult or you're in a train with other people, it's fine.
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Just listen and relax.
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It's okay too.
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Start.
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There was a beautiful woman named Sophie.
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Sophie had to play Tiger Woods in golf in just one month.
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Who had to play Tiger Woods in golf in just one month?
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Well, Sophie.
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Sophie had to play Tiger Woods in golf in just one month.
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What kind of woman was Sophie?
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Sophie was a beautiful woman.
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Who did she have to play?
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Tiger Woods.
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She had to play Tiger Woods.
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Who had to play Tiger Woods?
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Sophie.
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Sophie had to play Tiger Woods in tennis, right?
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No, no, no, not in tennis.
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In golf, Sophie had to play Tiger Woods in golf.
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When did Sophie have to play Tiger Woods in golf? In one month.
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Sophie had to play Tiger Woods in golf in just one month.
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Was Sophie worried or was Sophie happy?
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Sophie was worried.
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Why was she worried?
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Well because Tiger Woods is the number one golfer in the world and Sophie was not.
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Was Sophie a good golfer?
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No, no, no, no, no. Sophie was a terrible golfer in fact.
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Was Tiger Woods a good golfer?
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Well, yes, of course.
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Tiger Woods was a great golfer and he still is a great golfer.
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So Sophie went to Japan. Where did she go?
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Japan.
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Sophie went to Japan.
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Who went to Japan?
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That's right, Sophie.
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Sophie went to Japan.
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Why did she go to Japan?
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Well, to find a golf coach, of course.
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She went to Japan to find a golf coach.
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Where did she go to find a golf coach? To Japan.
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She went to Japan to find a golf coach. To find what?
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A golf coach.
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She went to Japan to find a golf coach.
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She found a coach named Yoda.
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What was the coach's name?
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Yoda.
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The coach's name was Yoda.
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Was the coach's name Bob?
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No, the coach's name was not Bob.
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The coach's name was Yoda. Whose name was Yoda?
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Well, the coach's name was Yoda.
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What was Yoda?
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Yoda was a golf coach.
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He said, I can help you learn golf, Sophie.
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He said, if you use your subconscious, you will become a golf master.
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What did Yoda say?
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He said, if you use your subconscious, you will become a golf master.
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What did Sophie need to use?
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Her subconscious.
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Marta said if you use your subconscious you will become a golf master.
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So if she used her subconscious what would she become?
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A golf master.
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He said if you use your subconscious you'll become a golf master.
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Would she become a tennis master or would she become a golf master if she used her subconscious?
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Well if she used her subconscious of course she would become a golf master.
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What did she have to use?
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Her subconscious.
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She had to use her subconscious to become a golf master.
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Who said this to Sophie?
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Yoda.
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Yoda said this to Sophie.
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What did he say?
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He said, if you use your subconscious, you will become a golf master.
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So Sophie tried to use her subconscious.
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She closed her eyes every time she played golf.
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Yoda said, Use your subconscious.
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Close your eyes.
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Unfortunately it didn't work.
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Did Sophie become a golf master?
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No, she didn't.
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She did not.
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Every time she hit the ball, it went into the trees.
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Did Sophie try to use her subconscious?
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Yes, she did.
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She tried to use her subconscious.
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She closed her eyes and tried to use her subconscious.
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When she tried to use her subconscious, was she successful?
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No, she wasn't.
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She was not successful when she tried to use her subconscious.
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Every time she hit the ball, it went into the woods, into the trees.
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Ah, poor Sophie.
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So Sophie went to Hawaii. Who went to Hawaii?
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Yoda?
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Not Yoda.
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Sophie.
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Sophie went to Hawaii.
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Why did she go to Hawaii?
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To find another golf coach.
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Why did she go?
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To find another golf coach.
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Did Tiger Woods go to Hawaii?
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No, no, no. Tiger Woods didn't go to Hawaii.
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Where did Tiger Woods go?
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South Carolina.
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Tiger Woods went to South Carolina. Where did Sophie go?
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She went to Hawaii.
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Why did Tiger Woods go to South Carolina?
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Well, to find a coach.
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He also wanted a golf coach.
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He found an army golf coach.
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The army golf coach said, you must run 30 miles every day.
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Did Tiger Woods close his eyes when he played golf?
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No, no, no, he didn't try to use his subconscious.
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Tiger Woods ran 30 miles every day.
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He did not try to use his subconscious.
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Sophie had tried to use her subconscious.
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Tiger Woods did not.
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So Sophie went to Hawaii and she found a surfing golf coach named Farley.
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What kind of golf coach did she find?
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A surfing golf coach.
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Who found a surfing golf coach?
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Sophie.
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Sophie found a surfing golf coach.
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He said, if you You practice and surf every day.
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You will always succeed." What did she have to do?
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She had to practice golf while surfing.
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Did she have to practice golf and surfing at the same time or at different times?
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Well, at the same time she had to practice golf while surfing, at the same time as surfing.
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So she got on the surfboard, she was surfing and she was trying to play golf at the same time.
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Who was trying to practice golf while surfing?
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Tiger Woods?
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No, not Tiger Woods.
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Sophie.
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Sophie was trying to surf while playing golf.
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She was trying to play golf while surfing. Was she successful?
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No, unfortunately not.
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She got very wet but she did not improve.
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Was Sophie successful practicing golf and surfing?
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No, she wasn't.
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She fell into the water every time, every time she got wet.
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She was still a terrible golfer.
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Was Tiger Woods still a terrible golfer?
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No, of course not.
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Tiger Woods was still a great golfer, the best golfer.
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So who was still a terrible golfer?
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Sophie.
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Sophie was still a terrible golfer.
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She had tried to use her subconscious and she failed.
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She had tried to surf and play golf and she had failed.
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Now she was very worried.
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Only one more week to play Tiger Woods.
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She went to San Diego.
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Why did she go to San Diego?
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Well, of course, she went to San Diego to find another golf coach.
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Why did she go?
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To find another golf coach.
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She went to Tony Robbins. Who was Tony Robbins?
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Tony Robbins was a peak performance coach.
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Was he a peak performance coach or did he teach people to do things badly?
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Well, of course he was a peak performance coach.
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He taught people to do things very well.
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Who was a peak performance coach?
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Tony Robbins.
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Robbins was a peak performance coach.
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Was Sophie a peak performance coach?
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No, she wasn't.
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Sophie was a terrible golfer.
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Tony Robbins was a peak performance coach.
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Sophie said, help me Tony, help me.
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Tony said, if you engage your physiology, you will be a master.
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What did he say?
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He said, if you engage your physiology, you will be a master.
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Did Tony want her to use her mind, her brain?
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No, no, no. He said if you engage your physiology,
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you will be a master, your body.
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Did he want her to use her body very well or did he want her to use her mind, her brain very well?
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He wanted her to use her body, her physiology.
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He said if you engage your physiology, if you use your body, you will be a master.
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Who wanted Sophie to engage her physiology?
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Tony Robbins.
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Tony Robbins wanted Sophie to engage her physiology.
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Tony Robbins wanted Sophie to use her body correctly in a peak performance way.
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Tony taught her to get into a peak state.
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Did he teach her to feel bad?
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No, no, no, he taught her the opposite.
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He taught her to get into a peak emotional state.
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He taught her to feel really great.
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Was she in a peak emotional state or a bad emotional state?
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She was in a peak emotional state, a top emotional state.
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She felt top, great, wonderful, Beth who was in a peak emotional state.
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Sophie.
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Sophie was in a peak emotional state.
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Then Tony said, now practice golf.
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Did Sophie practice golf while she was in a peak emotional state?
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Yes, exactly.
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Sophie practiced golf while she was in a peak emotional state.
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Did she practice golf at the same time that she was in a peak emotional state?
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Yes, at the same time.
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She practiced golf while she was in a peak emotional state.
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She improved very quickly.
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Finally the day came.
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Sophie played Tiger Woods.
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Tiger was very tired.
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He looked very tired.
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But Sophie was in a peak emotional state during the whole game.
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Finally at the end of the game, Sophie won.
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She beat Tiger Woods.
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Tiger cried, Sophie you're the best now.
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He wrote a check to Sophie for $85 million.
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How much money did Tiger give Sophie?
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$85 million.
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He wrote a check for $85 million.
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He gave Sophie $85 million.
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How much did Sophie earn?
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She earned $85 million.
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Did Tiger Woods earn $85 million or lose $85 million?
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Tiger lost $85 million. Was Tiger happy?
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No he wasn't.
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Tiger cried and cried.
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He was very sad.
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Was Tiger in a peak emotional state?
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No, Tiger was in a terrible emotional state.
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He was sad.
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He was depressed.
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He was in a very bad emotional state.
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How about Sophie?
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Was Sophie in a great top peak emotional state?
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Oh yeah, she was in a top great fantastic peak emotional state.
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She was happy.
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She was excited and now she was rich.
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Okay that is the end of the mini story for the introduction to Power English.
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Again listen to this mini story once or twice every day for seven days or more.
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The questions, the repetition will help you effortlessly learn the vocabulary and you'll be learning grammar too.
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It's kind of a secret grammar method.
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Don't think about the grammar.
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Please do not think about it.
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Just relax, listen to the questions, answer the questions.
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And every day you'll start to learn these basic patterns of English again and again and again more deeply each day.
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So again, listen to this lesson every day for seven days or more.
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If you get bored, move your body, jump up and down, feel better, and then start again.
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Understanding the Power English Mini-Story Approach
In this video, language instructor AJ Hoag introduces a "mini-story" from the Power English course, designed to help learners absorb grammar and vocabulary through repetition. The story follows Sophie, a woman facing a daunting golf challenge against Tiger Woods, and uses a question-and-answer format to reinforce key details. This method aims to make language learning intuitive, encouraging learners to relax and engage without overthinking.
5 Practical Phrases to Use in Daily Talks
Extract key phrases from the story to boost your conversational skills:
- "had to play" – Expresses a necessary action (e.g., "I had to play piano at the party").
- "in just one month" – Specifies a short time frame (e.g., "We need to finish in just one month").
- "was worried" – Describes anxiety (e.g., "She was worried about the test").
- "terrible golfer" – Labels skill level (e.g., "I’m a terrible cook, but I try").
- "went to Japan" – States a past destination (e.g., "They went to Japan last year").
How to Shadow This Video Like a Pro
Shadowing—repeating phrases immediately after the speaker—is a great way to improve English pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how to tackle this mini-story:
Step 1: Listen First, Don’t Rush
Watch the video once without speaking. Focus on the rhythm and intonation of AJ’s questions and the story flow. Notice how he emphasizes key words like "Sophie" or "Japan" to guide attention.
Step 2: Pause and Repeat Short Chunks
Use the pause button to break the dialogue into 2-3 second segments. Repeat after AJ, mimicking his tone and speed. This helps with "shadow speak"—training your mouth to form sounds naturally.
Step 3: Focus on Question Patterns
The video uses repeated questions (e.g., "Who went to Japan?") to reinforce information. Shadow these questions to practice forming similar ones in daily life. For example, try "Who had to play tennis?" to adapt the structure.
Step 4: Use a Shadowing App for Feedback
Record yourself shadowing and compare it to the original. Apps can help identify areas where your pronunciation differs, making it easier to refine your "shadow speech" over time.
Step 5: Gradually Increase Speed
Once you’re comfortable, try shadowing without pausing. This builds fluency and trains your brain to process and respond quickly—key for real-life English speaking practice.
Remember: Speaking is optional at first. Even just listening and absorbing the repetition will boost your language skills. Keep practicing, and you’ll notice progress in no time!
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 you use your subconscious, you will become · if you use your subconscious you will become · if she used her subconscious what would she |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was surfing · was trying |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the best |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will tell · will ask · will 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.