Shadowing Practice: 我们为什么相爱？哲学探究 - Skye C. Cleary - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 59 sentences and 642 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:36. The speaker talks at a steady 114 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 91% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• mirror /ˈmiɹɚ/ (noun) — A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it.
• sin /ˈsɪn/ (noun) — A violation of divine will or religious law.
• sake /ˈseɪ̯k/ (noun) — Cause, interest or account.
• scary /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ (adjective) — Causing fear or anxiety
• highlight /ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/ (verb) — To make prominent; emphasize.
• grief /ɡɹiːf/ (noun) — Suffering, hardship.
• satisfy /ˈsætɪsfaɪ/ (verb) — To be enough (for)
• temptation /ˌtɛmpˈteɪʃən/ (noun) — The act of tempting.
• soulmate (noun) — Someone, especially a romantic partner, with whom one is exceptionally or uniquely compatible or has a special, almost spiritual connection.
• angry /ˈæŋ.ɡɹi/ (adjective) — Displaying or feeling anger.
• desire /dɪˈzaɪɹ/ (noun) — The feeling of desiring; an eager longing for something.
• teach /ˈtiːt͡ʃ/ (verb) — To pass on knowledge to.
• express /ɪkˈspɹɛs/ (verb) — To convey or communicate; to make known or explicit.
• scientific /ˌsaɪ.ənˈtɪf.ɪk/ (adjective) — Related or connected to science
• journey /ˈd͡ʒɝni/ (noun) — A set amount of travelling, seen as a single unit; a discrete trip, a voyage.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• look for (verb) — To seek.
• show up (verb) — To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as can't, don't, didn't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• Long words — get the stress right: scientific /ˌsaɪ.ənˈtɪf.ɪk/, literature /ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/, entertainment /ˌɛn.tɚˈteɪn.mənt/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like mirror, sin, sake.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: