Shadowing Practice: RE2 Unit 11A - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

38 sentences

If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.

Track 21.

Reading 11a.

The Knowledge Illusion.

A bat and a ball cost $1 .10 in total.

The bat costs $1 more than the ball.

How much does the ball cost?

If you answer $0 .10, you're not alone.

Most people give the same answer.

The correct answer is $0 .05.

It's an example of how we often rely on intuitive responses, answers we feel are true.

People give answers that pop into their mind, says cognitive scientist Stephen Sloman.

We don't spend much time reflecting and checking whether the answer is right or wrong.

The bat and ball question helps explain why we often believe in fake news.

It is part of human nature to believe, says Sloman, but the trick with fake news is to know to verify,

in other words, to stop and question what you know.

In one experiment, Sloman and a colleague invented a discovery called helium rain.

They told a group of volunteers about it, but admitted they could not fully explain what it was.

They then asked the volunteers to rate their own understanding of helium rain.

Most volunteers rated themselves one out of seven, meaning they did not understand the concept.

The researchers then told another group of volunteers about the discovery.

This time, they said that scientists could fully explain how it works.

When asked to rate their understanding, the volunteers gave an average answer of two.

The scientists' confidence gave the volunteers an increased sense of their own understanding, Sloman says.

According to Sloman, studies show that knowledge spreads like a contagion.

This idea can be seen in many fields, including politics.

If everyone around you is saying they understand why a politician is crooked, Sloman says, then you're going to start thinking that you understand too.

Another explanation for the spread of fake news is motivated reasoning, writes Adam Waits, a management professor at the Kellogg School.

We are naturally more likely to believe things that confirm our existing opinions.

If you already have a negative opinion about someone, you're more likely to trust damaging stories about them.

Over time, Waits argues, motivated reasoning can lead to a false social consensus.

So, in a world where misleading information is common, is there a way to protect ourselves?

I don't think it's possible to train individuals to verify everything that they encounter, Sloman admits.

It is just too human to believe what you're told.

However, training people to care about fact -checking is important, he argues, especially in online communities.

Think of the headlines and stories that are shared on your social media feed every day.

Probably these fit in with your own worldview, but perhaps not all of them are true.

Develop a norm in your community that says we should check things and not just take them at face value, Sloman says.

Verify before you believe.

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence

IPA PracticeMaster every sound

VocabularyBuild your word bank

Vocab GameLearn while playing

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Same Channel

RE2 Unit 10A

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

Recommend Video

654 sentences

Stuart & Cliffe Knechtle | Do Agnostics Just Want To Have Control? | Give Me an Answer

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

27 sentences

The psychology of persuasion, as told by an Ivy League professor | Jonah Berger for Big Think+

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “RE2 Unit 11A”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Sloman, answer, volunteers, ball, verify. This video has 38 sentences and 470 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:27. The speaker talks at a steady 136 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 83% 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

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
volunteer noun	/ˌvɑlənˈtɪɹ/	One who enters into, or offers themselves for, any service of their own free will, especially when done without pay.
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…
verify verb	/ˈvɛɹɪfaɪ/	To substantiate or prove the truth of something.
argue verb	/ˈɑɹ.ɡju/	To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply.
discovery noun	/dɪˈskʌv.ɹi/	Something discovered.
motivate verb	/ˈmoʊ.tɪ.veɪt/	To provide someone with an incentive to do something; to encourage; to actuate.
naturally adverb	/ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/	In a natural manner.
trick noun	/ˈtɹɪk/	Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle.
explanation noun	/ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/	The act or process of explaining.
confirm verb	/kənˈfɝm/	To strengthen; to make firm or resolute.
reflect verb	/ɹɪˈflɛkt/	To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.
experiment noun	/ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/	A test under controlled conditions made to either demonstrate a known truth, examine the validity of a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of…
rely verb	/ɹɪˈlaɪ/	To trust; to have confidence in; to depend.
encounter verb	/ɪnˈkaʊntɚ/	To meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly.
rat noun	/ɹæt/	Any of the numerous members of several rodent families that usually have short limbs, a pointy snout, a long, hairless tail, and a body length greater than…

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 6 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/
Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, explanation /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/, experiment /ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/, politician /ˌpɑ.ləˈtɪʃ.ən/, intuitive /ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv/

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 volunteer, scientist, verify.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: RE2 Unit 11A - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Download App

G7 U7 Essay

RE2 Unit 9B

RE2 Unit 12A

G8 U2 Mindmap

RE3 Unit 6A

RE2 Unit 7B

RE2 Unit 7A

RE3 Unit 8B

G7 U11 Q&A Des

RE3 Unit 8A

G8 U4 Mindmap

G6 U5 des

RE2 Unit 10A

RE2 Unit 11B

G7 U10 mindmap

RE2 Unit 10B

RE2 Unit 8A

GS8 U1 Mindmap

RE3 Unit 4A

G7 U10 Q&A Topic

Stuart & Cliffe Knechtle | Do Agnostics Just Want To Have Control? | Give Me an Answer

Vietnam to combat fake news surge | Vietnam Today

The uncomfortable truth | Yuval Noah Harari

Core Knowledge (Stanford Psych 60)

EVERY LEVEL OF MANIPULATION

Game Theory #3: Rich Dad, Poor Dad

"Where are we not telling the truth?" | Jon Lovett | Google Zeitgeist

When AIs act emotional

The Surprising Reason Your Past Still Controls You

How Can You Change Somebody's Opinion?

Psychological Research: Crash Course Psychology #2

The psychology of persuasion, as told by an Ivy League professor | Jonah Berger for Big Think+

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?