Shadowing Practice: RE2 Unit 9B - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Track 18.

Reading 9b.

Seeing Double.

Many scientists once believed that physical similarities between identical twins are genetic,

while their personalities, intelligence, and other differences between them are an effect of their environment.

But scientists are now discovering that the boundaries between genetics and environment are not so clear after all.

The Jim twins.

Identical twins, Jim Springer and Jim Lewis, were adopted as babies and raised by different couples.

When the two Jims finally met at age 39, they discovered they had plenty in common.

Both were 182 centimeters tall and weighed 82 kilograms.

They had the same smile and the same voice.

When psychologist Thomas Bouchard Jr. invited the gym twins to his lab, his colleagues found it very hard to tell them apart.

But the similarities didn't stop at the physical.

They had both had dogs named Toy.

They had both married women named Linda and then divorced them.

They had both been sheriffs, enjoyed making things with wood,

suffered severe headaches, and admitted to leaving love notes around the house for their wives.

They had so much in common that it seemed unlikely these were just coincidences.

Genetics and Intelligence The Jim twins were just one of 137 sets of separated twins Bouchard tested.

When they compared the twins' IQ scores, Bouchard and his team reached a surprising conclusion.

They concluded that intelligence was mostly connected to genetics rather than to training or education.

It seemed the differences in family and environment had little effect.

However, genes can't control everything, argues geneticist Danielle Reed, who also studies twins.

Reed's research shows that though nothing can truly change our DNA,

environmental differences that a child experiences before birth and in their first year can sometimes affect the way the DNA behaves.

This can make even identical twins into vastly different people.

What I like to say is that

Mother Nature writes some things in pencil and some things in pen.

She explains, things

Things written in pen you can't change.

That's DNA.

But things written in pencil you can.

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42 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

The speaker keeps coming back to these words: twins, Jim, genetic, Bouchard, identical. This video has 32 sentences and 337 words to shadow. The speech runs for 2:54. The speaker talks at a steady 116 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 79% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

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

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
twin noun	/twɪn/	Either of two people (or, less commonly, animals) who shared the same uterus at the same time; one who was born at the same birth as a sibling.
identical adjective	/ɪˈdɛntɪkl̩/	Bearing full likeness by having precisely the same set of characteristics; indistinguishable.
genetics noun	/dʒəˈnɛt.ɪks/	The branch of biology that deals with the transmission and variation of inherited characteristics, in particular chromosomes and DNA.
discover verb	/dɪˈskʌvə/	To find or learn something for the first time.
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…
pencil noun	/ˈpɛnsəl/	A writing utensil with a graphite (commonly referred to as lead) shaft, usually blended with clay, clad in wood, and sharpened to a taper.
similarity noun	/ˌsɪm.ɪˈlæɹ.ɪ.ti/	Closeness of appearance to something else.
argue verb	/ˈɑɹ.ɡju/	To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply.
compare verb	/kəmˈpɛɚ/	To assess the similarities and differences between two or more things [“to compare X with Y”]. Having made the comparison of X with Y, one might have found it…
suffer verb	/ˈsʌfɚ/	To undergo hardship.
conclusion noun	/kənˈkluːʒən/	The end, finish, close or last part of something.
connect verb	/kəˈnɛkt/	To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
divorce noun	/dɪˈvɔːs/	The legal dissolution of a marriage.
gene noun	/d͡ʒiːn/	A theoretical unit of heredity of living organisms which may take several values and (in principle) predetermines a precise trait of an organism's form…
genetic adjective	/d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/	Relating to genetics or genes.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 3 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: conclusion /kənˈkluːʒən/, sheriff /ˈʃɛɹɪf/
Long words — get the stress right: similarity /ˌsɪm.ɪˈlæɹ.ɪ.ti/, coincidence /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/, psychologist /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/, geneticist /d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪ.sɪst/

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 twin, identical, genetics.

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 →

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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?