Shadowing Practice: Scrooge Meets Marley’s Ghost! | A Christmas Carol 2 | Animated Story | Classic Tale for Kids - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
A2
Little Fox!
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Little Fox!
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He hurried toward the stairs,
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which were hidden in darkness.
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No one else lived in the run-down building,
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so there was no reason for Scrooge to expect to see anything there.
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However, tonight, he saw something moving on the stairs.
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Horses were pulling a hearse and galloping up the steps ahead of him.
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Grr.
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Scrooge groaned and closed his eyes for a moment.
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I must have eaten some bad meat at dinner, he thought.
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The inn will hear my complaints tomorrow, Christmas or not!
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He stomped up the stairs and into his apartment.
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Once again he felt oddly worried.
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He checked each room to be sure he was alone.
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To his relief, there was nobody behind the sitting room sofa or under the bed.
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All the closets looked just as they should.
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Finally satisfied, he locked the door behind him.
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He changed into his slippers and bathrobe and sat down near the fire with a cup of tea.
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Dong, dong.
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He nearly dropped the cup when a bell rang out from behind him.
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Spinning around, he saw that the bell hanging in the corner was swinging back and forth.
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Back when the building had been one large house,
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the bell had been used to summon servants.
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But since Scrooge had no use for it,
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he had never heard it ring before.
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Suddenly more bells began to ring.
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Scrooge felt a terrible dread.
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First the door knocker, then the stairs, and now this?
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What on earth is going on?
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He thought.
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All at once, the bells stopped.
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Then a loud clanking noise rose from somewhere below.
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It sounded as if someone was dragging heavy chains across the floor and up the stairs.
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What's that awful sound?
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Scrooge whispered.
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The clanking sound came closer.
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Soon it was right outside his door.
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Then, a dark figure slipped into the room.
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As the fire crackled and flamed higher,
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Scrooge could finally see his frightening visitor.
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I know you!
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Scrooge cried, dropping to the floor in shock.
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You're Jacob Marley!
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Scrooge could hardly believe his eyes.
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His former partner, Jacob Marley,
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stood there looking like a ghost.
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Metal chains wrapped all around his transparent body.
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What do you want from me, Marley?
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Scrooge cried.
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I want many things from you.
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Marley's voice sounded exactly the same.
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In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley.
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Yes?
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Scrooge felt his legs wobble. Can you sit down?
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I can.
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Let's both do it then.
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The two of them sat near the fire.
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Scrooge continued to stare at the ghost in disbelief.
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Marley cocked his head.
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You don't believe in ghosts, Ebenezer, do you?
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Not normally, Scrooge said.
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But tonight, so many strange things.
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Why do you doubt your senses?
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Marley demanded.
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Because little things can affect your senses, Scrooge said.
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For example, you could be a hallucination caused by bad food I've eaten,
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like poorly cooked meat.
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Whatever you are, you do remind me more of gravy than a grave.
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Scrooge rarely made jokes, for he had little sense of humor.
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But he was trying to keep down his terror in any way he could.
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The ghost of Jacob Marley was disturbing him to his bones.
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The figure moaned and shook his chains loudly, clearly not amused.
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Scrooge held on tightly to his chair to prevent himself from fainting.
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Dreadful creature!
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Why are you here?
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Do you believe in me or not?
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Marley demanded.
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Scrooge closed his eyes.
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I do!
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You are here, so I must believe in you.
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But why have you come to me?
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I wear these heavy chains which I made myself,
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link by link and yard by yard.
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They are the result of the poor choices I made while alive.
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Marley glared at Scrooge with his awful eyes.
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You have made the same choices, Ebenezer.
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You continue to make them.
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Jacob!
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Scrooge said.
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This is terrifying!
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Say something that will comfort me!
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I have no comfort to give.
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Marley said.
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I am doomed to drag these chains with me as a ghost.
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It's my punishment for a lifetime of selfishness, pettiness, and greed.
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But you were always so good at business!
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Scrooge said.
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Business?
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Ha!
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Marley scoffed.
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Humans should have been my business.
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Charity, mercy and kindness should have been my business.
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But listen to me closely, Ebeneezer.
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My time with you is short.
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And I'm here to warn you that you have only one chance of escaping the same fate.
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Tonight, you will be haunted by three ghosts.
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Scrooge gulped.
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More ghosts?
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I think I'd rather just go to bed.
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Without their visits, you are doomed to follow the same path that I walk.
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These ghosts will show you the way to save yourself.
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Expect the first one very soon.
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Goodbye, Ebenezer, and good luck.
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Marley backed away, clanking his chains and moaning.
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Scrooge cowered as the ghost floated out through the window.
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After Marley was gone, Scrooge hurried to the window.
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Outside, the air was filled with phantoms floating here and there,
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moaning as they went.
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Every one of them wore chains like Marley's ghost.
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Scrooge went pale as he recognized some of his old business acquaintances.
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Turning away from the dreadful sight,
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he went to the door to make sure it was locked.
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Then, holding his head in his hands,
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he went into his bedroom.
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He climbed into bed and fell asleep instantly.
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Scrooge woke up some time later.
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It was very dark, and the church bell was ringing.
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Scrooge counted the bells' chimes,
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expecting them to stop, as they always did.
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But they continued on and on.
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How strange, Scrooge thought. Am I dreaming?
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At last, the chimes stopped,
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and a loud boom shook the walls.
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At the same moment, an eerie light filled the room.
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Scrooge's eyes opened wide at the sight of a figure standing beside his bed.
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The figure was a strange combination of a young child and an old man.
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Its hair was long and white,
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but its face was smooth without the slightest wrinkle.
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It wore a white tunic and held a fresh green holly branch in one hand.
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I suppose you're one of the ghosts that Marley told me about?
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Scrooge's voice shook as he spoke.
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I am.
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The ghost's voice was soft and gentle.
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Do you have a name?
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Scrooge asked.
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I am the ghost of Christmas past.
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The spirit clasped Scrooge gently by the arm.
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Arise and walk with me.
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Context & Background
The animated story of "Scrooge Meets Marley’s Ghost!" from "A Christmas Carol 2" serves as an engaging entry point to explore English dialogue through a classic tale. In this excerpt, we find Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly man accustomed to solitude, faced with supernatural revelations. Scrooge's interactions with the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley, provide rich material for understanding emotional expression and narrative flow in English. The tension builds as Scrooge grapples with fear, confusion, and ultimately, a desire for redemption—emotions that resonate deeply within communication.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "What on earth is going on?" - A way to express confusion or surprise when encountering unexpected situations.
- "I must have eaten some bad meat." - A humorous way to excuse oneself for feeling ill or uneasy.
- "You're Jacob Marley!" - Recognizing someone or something that evokes strong memories, often used in contexts involving surprise.
- "What do you want from me?" - An essential phrase to seek clarification in conversations, especially in perceived confrontational scenarios.
- "He felt a terrible dread." - Describing feelings of fear can enhance your storytelling and conversational skills.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To master the art of English speaking through shadowing, particularly using the essence of "A Christmas Carol," follow these steps:
- Listen Actively: Play the video segment a few times while focusing on the emotion behind the phrases. Notice Scrooge's changes in tone and intonation as he interacts with Marley.
- Isolate Phrases: Identify the top phrases listed above. Repeat each sentence after the character, mimicking their tone and speed to enhance your emotional delivery.
- Practice with Context: Create scenarios where you might use these phrases in daily conversations or IELTS speaking practice. For instance, "What on earth is going on?" could fit a discussion about unexpected news.
- Use a Shadowing App: Incorporate a shadowing app to record your voice as you repeat the dialogues. This self-assessment will help improve your fluency and pronunciation with each practice.
- Engage in Role-Play: Pair up with a study buddy or use online forums to practice these lines in context, adding layers to your understanding through role-playing. You can switch roles to explore different perspectives in conversations.
By implementing this step-by-step shadowing guide, learners can enhance their spoken English and foster a deeper understanding of emotional contexts through shadowspeak. Regular practice of these techniques will make your English communication more fluid and engaging.
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.
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