Shadowing Practice: Remember her? She finally got caught // The Bling Ring story - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
So this 19 year old girl, she ends up robbing a bunch of celebrities.
2
Now the girl, her name's Rachel.
3
And Rachel lives a nice, comfortable, upper middle class life.
4
But for some reason, this life is not enough for her.
5
She wants more.
6
And so one day, Rachel and her best friend, this guy, Nick.
7
Nick's 18.
8
Rachel and Nick, they decide, hey, let's cruise through some rich neighborhoods and break into some cars.
9
So they do this and they get some decent stuff from it, but that's still not enough for Rachel.
10
She still wants more.
11
Now they live in the Los Angeles area in Calabasas, so they get this idea.
12
They're like, hey, celebrities live around here.
13
Why don't we rob some of their houses?
14
They probably got some good stuff and we can look up where they live online.
15
This is their plan.
16
And so they go and they choose their first victim, Paris Hilton.
17
Alright real quick you know what everyone could use a little more of?
18
Cash back.
19
That's why I like using Upside.
20
Upside is an app that lets you make cash back on things you were already gonna buy anyway.
21
Like going out to eat and grocery shopping and filling up your tank with gas.
22
It's easy let me show you.
23
Open the Upside app and you tap search this area
24
and bam look at All these places offer cash back when you make a purchase there.
25
And I'm going to select a gas station and then select claim.
26
And then I'm going to go to that gas station and fill up the tank.
27
And look at this.
28
According to this, I'll get 72 cents back on every gallon.
29
And then you take a picture of your receipt and you upload it to the app.
30
And then you wait about a day and then pow, the money I saved appears in my account.
31
And I typically earn anywhere from 5% to 15% cash back at the restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores.
32
And I earn up to 25 cents per gallon cash back at gas stations, which you just saw me do.
33
And top earners on Upside are getting as much as $300 cash back every month.
34
And yes, it's real cash back.
35
No confusing rewards, points, or credits.
36
Actual real money you can transfer straight into your bank account.
37
In fact, people can earn three times more cash back with Upside than any other product, including loyalty programs and credit card rewards.
38
A million dollars cash back is being earned by users every week.
39
Now to find out how much cash back you could earn, click the link in the description to download Upside
40
and use my promo code RWJ and get an extra 25 cents back on every gallon on your first tank of gas.
41
Or just scan the QR code here to claim this offer.
42
It's a good deal.
43
And one night, Rachel and Nick, they make their way over to Paris Hilton's house.
44
And they're kind of nervous because they have no idea what they're actually doing.
45
And luckily, Paris isn't home.
46
And when Rachel and Nick get to the door, they discover that breaking in is going to be really easy.
47
Because Paris actually left a key underneath the doormat.
48
But even so, they don't even really need that key because Paris also left the door unlocked.
49
Anyway, so they enter into the house and they walk around
50
and they go into her bedrooms and they go through all her things
51
and they steal some designer bras and some bottles of Grey Goose and some cash from her safe, which Paris also left unlocked.
52
And after that, they just leave and they get away.
53
And the best part for Rachel and Nick is they don't get caught
54
because either Paris didn't report that she was robbed or she just didn't notice.
55
Either way, Rachel and Nick are like, hey, that was dope.
56
We just got away with robbery and Rachel even puts like Paris's spare key
57
that they found on her own key ring
58
and later They actually used this key to rob Paris's house
59
four more times over the next few months now Of course because Rachel and Nick are 18 and 19 years old.
60
They can't keep this a secret from their friends They got a flex
61
so they go around and they start yapping to some of their homies
62
and now some of them want in on this action.
63
And so some of their friends start joining in here and there.
64
And by now, Rachel and Nick, they're doing these robberies as often as they can.
65
Apparently stealing lots of like luxury items and designer clothes that they wear when they're like out with their friends.
66
But here's the thing, these guys aren't career cat burglars.
67
So it doesn't take long before they start to get sloppy.
68
And one night, they rob Paris Hilton's house again for the fourth time.
69
And one of the friends in Rachel's group, he steals almost two million dollars worth of jewelry from her.
70
And of course, this time Paris eventually notices and she reports it to the police.
71
And on another night, the group, they actually break into this reality TV star's place, Audrina Partridge, and they take $43,000 worth of stuff,
72
a laptop and some jewelry and stuff like that.
73
But Audrina Partridge catches them on security camera, and she posts that footage on her website,
74
so that people will see the burglars and hopefully be able to identify them and turn them in.
75
Once she posts this footage to her website, TMZ and the local news stations, they pick up this story.
76
And they run the video for everyone to see.
77
But lucky for Rachel, no one recognizes them and no one comes forward to turn her in.
78
So the crew keeps going.
79
And they rob Rachel Bilson's house like six different times over two months.
80
And they take over $130,000 in things.
81
They rob Orlando Bloom's house and they end up taking a half million dollars worth of art and Rolexes.
82
So these guys are going strong and it seems like they might never get caught.
83
Until.
84
Until the gang decides they're gonna hit Lindsay Lohan's house.
85
And this is where they screw up.
86
Because while they're there at Lindsay Lohan's house stealing a ton of whatever Lindsay Lohan has in her house, security cameras catch them again.
87
And I guess later, Lindsay Lohan notices all her sh is missing
88
and she takes the security footage and she gives it to police.
89
And police, they release that footage to the public.
90
So now there are two videos of Rachel and her friends circulating around for everyone to see.
91
And of course, this story makes the news again and at some point, the media starts referring to Rachel, Nick, and her friends as the bling ring,
92
which is kind of a cool name.
93
One of the crazy things about this story is
94
when it hits the news and the public starts hearing about the bling ring, people are actually cheering them on.
95
Like they're all rooting for them, the thieves, to succeed.
96
Because during this time, celebrity hate feels like it's at an all-time high.
97
Like people see Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan on TV and they just see them as like spoiled little train wrecks.
98
Not as human beings who are having their privacy and their personal property violated.
99
So it feels like the general public just has no sympathy for these people getting robbed.
100
Anyway, once this second security video goes public, that's when people start recognizing them.
101
And Rachel and Nick, they've bragged about these robberies at parties
102
and in social settings so much that people start putting two
103
and two together and the police they start getting tons of tips from people
104
and police already had Suspicions about Rachel and Nick just
105
because of all the rumors that had been flying around because they just couldn't keep their mouth shut about it So anyway, BAM police go and they arrest Nick.
106
Here's his mugshot and he denies everything
107
But eventually he gives in and he snitches on everyone else in their crew and BAM one by one one, they all get arrested.
108
Here's Rachel's mugshot, and here are other mugshots from other members of the bling ring.
109
And poor Rachel, she's sentenced to four years in prison, and Nick is sentenced to two years in prison, and another guy gets three years, and another woman gets 180 days in jail,
110
and three others get sentenced to probation.
111
So, shout out to keeping your door locked, I guess.
📺 Same Channel
B21
He's a Dangerous LIAR
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B24
This kid stole millions of dollars // The Juan Carlos Betancourt story
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B212
He finally got caught // The Christopher Pence story
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2Flexin' On Ya (2014)
TeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
✨ Recommend Video
B21
20 sentences
Reddington can hand you millions of dollars in just one minute. #shortvideo #theblacklist #shorts
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
173 sentences
Rachel Sennott on ‘I Love LA’ and the Ghosts of Chateau Marmont | W Magazine
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
239 sentences
How to Make Your First $10,000 As a Teen (Stupid Simple)
TeensDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
117 sentences
2 Broke Girls - Story of Coupons
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
159 sentences
The 'Buy Now Pay Later' Trap, Explained
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2225 sentences
Asking Beverly Hills Locals How They Got Rich!
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
407 sentences
are you still watching?
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
256 sentences
Scammer or Victim? You decide...
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
165 sentences
How Weight Gain Affected Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer's Character On Pretty Little Liars
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B284 sentences
Learning
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
40 sentences
Is having good memory illegal! #thementalist #edit #tvshow
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Understanding the Story: Context & Background
The video shares the true story of Rachel, a 19-year-old from Calabasas, California, who, along with her friend Nick, starts robbing cars before targeting celebrity homes—including Paris Hilton’s. The dialogue blends casual storytelling with vivid details, making it ideal for practicing everyday English. It includes conversational phrases, narrative flow, and real-life scenarios, perfect for learners aiming to improve their listening and speaking skills.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "ends up robbing": A common way to describe an unexpected or eventual action (e.g., "She ended up missing the train").
- "cruise through": To move casually through an area (e.g., "We cruised through the park after dinner").
- "get some decent stuff": To obtain good or useful items (e.g., "I got some decent books at the sale").
- "make their way over to": To travel to a specific place (e.g., "We made our way over to the café").
- "no idea what they're actually doing": To lack knowledge about a task (e.g., "I had no idea what I was doing with the new phone").
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video
Shadowing—repeating audio immediately after hearing it—is a proven technique to improve English pronunciation and fluency. Here’s how to use this video with the shadowing technique:
- Listen first: Watch the video once to grasp the story. Focus on the speaker’s rhythm and intonation.
- Pause and repeat: Play short clips (5–10 seconds), pause, and repeat aloud. Mimic the stress on words like "Rachel," "Nick," and "Paris Hilton" to match the speaker’s tone.
- Focus on connected speech: Notice how phrases like "they decide, hey, let's" flow together. Practice blending words to sound more natural.
- Record yourself: Compare your recording to the video. Check if you’re matching the speed and pronunciation of key phrases like "cruise through some rich neighborhoods."
- Repeat daily: Use this video as a shadowing site for 10–15 minutes daily. Over time, you’ll notice improved fluency and confidence in conversational English.
Whether you’re new to shadow speak or refining your skills, this video’s casual dialogue and clear storytelling make it a valuable tool for mastering real-world English.
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.