Shadowing Practice: Reading Explorer Foundations - Third Edition - Unit 2 Science of Taste - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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The way we taste food is not as simple as you might think.
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It's true that when we put food in our mouths, taste buds on our tongues help us work out what we're eating.
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However, the experience of what we call taste doesn't just happen in our mouths.
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In fact, 75 to 95 percent of what we call taste is really about how a food smells.
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And there are other senses, too, that we use when we taste food.
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Our brains take information from all our senses,
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even sounds we hear, and create the experience we know as taste.
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For example, if we see a food that is red, our brain will guess that it is sweet.
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As a result, it may taste sweeter than it really is.
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Green foods may taste more sour, black foods may taste slightly more bitter, and white foods a little more salty.
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Even shapes affect the way we taste.
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For example, a dessert served on a round plate may taste a little sweeter.
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If it is served on a square plate, it may taste more bitter.
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By learning more about taste, scientists believe we can develop healthier food that still tastes good.
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Making sure we all have a healthier and tastier future.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Reading Explorer Foundations - Third Edition - Unit 2 Science of Taste”. This video has 15 sentences and 207 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:45. The speaker talks at a steady 118 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 84% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| bitter adjective | /ˈbɪ.tɚ/ | Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance). |
| 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… |
| bud noun | /bʌd/ | A newly sprouted leaf or blossom that has not yet unfolded. |
| sour adjective | /ˈsaʊ.ə/ | Tasting of acidity. |
| tasty adjective | /ˈteɪsti/ | Having a pleasant or satisfying flavor. |
| dessert noun | /dɪˈzɝt/ | The last course of a meal, consisting of fruit, sweet confections etc. |
| salty adjective | /ˈsɔlti/ | Tasting of salt. |
| plate noun | /ˈpleɪ̯t/ | A slightly curved but almost flat dish from which food is served or eaten. |
| affect verb | /əˈfɛkt/ | To influence or alter. |
| smell verb | /smɛl/ | To sense a smell or smells. |
| taste noun | /teɪst/ | One of the sensations produced by the tongue in response to certain chemicals; the quality of giving this sensation. |
| sweet adjective | /swit/ | Tasting of sugars. |
| brain noun | /ˈbɹeɪ̯n/ | The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is responsible… |
| serve verb | /sɝv/ | To be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity. |
| mouth noun | /maʊθ/ | The front opening of a creature through which food is ingested. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is served |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | might think · may taste |
| Comparatives -er than / more … than — comparing two things | sweeter than |
| Present continuous am/is/are + -ing — something happening right now or around now | we're eating |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: mouth /maʊθ/, healthy /ˈhɛl.θi/
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 bitter, scientist, bud.
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.