Shadowing Practice: Storyfun 4 Unit 7 The grey cloud - Learn English Speaking with Video

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7. The Grey Cloud I was on a long, boring train ride with my aunt.
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I looked out of the window at the rain.
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The countryside looked grey and cold.
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Tell me a story, Aunt Claire, I said.
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One about the rain.
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"'All right,' she said.
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"'This is the story she told me.
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"'There was a small cloud in the sky above the apartment where Lily lived.
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"'Sometimes the cloud got angry because the wind was too strong "'or because it was alone in the sky.
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"'When the cloud got really angry, it got slowly bigger and grayer.
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Its grey colour fell onto the roof of Lily's apartment building
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It also fell into Lily's roof garden And
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when Lily went outside to skip She couldn't see the red and yellow flowers there She could only see grey ones
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Lily often got angry then too Sometimes the cloud wasn't only angry it got really sad.
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When the cloud felt really angry and sad it felt worse
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and it cried and its wet rain fell on Lily's windows and balcony.
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Lily didn't like being wet.
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She couldn't go outside and dance on the garden table because she didn't like getting her head, neck and shoulders wet.
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Lily often got angry and sad then too.
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Sometimes, the cloud wasn't only angry and sad.
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It often got frightened.
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When the cloud felt frightened, it felt colder.
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Then its snow fell quietly on the ground and rocks
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And on the mountains behind Lily's home And water changed to ice
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Walking in the snow and on the ice was difficult and dangerous Lily often got angry, sad and frightened then too
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Monday wasn't a good day The cloud was huge and very grey
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Lily couldn't see any light from the sun She couldn't see her feet on the ground And at night,
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Lily couldn't see any light from the moon or stars Tuesday and Wednesday were worse Nothing was different On Thursday morning,
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when Lily got up and saw no light outside again, she thought, I've got to do something about this.
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She climbed up the stairs to the roof garden.
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Cloud, Lily called from the top of the roof.
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This is the worst day of my week.
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I love looking at you when you are small and white
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and when you skip and dance and climb in the wind But why are you huge and so gray now?
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What is the matter?
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The cloud started to cry.
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The wind is strong, and I am weak, and I have no friends, cried the cloud.
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That makes me angry and sad, and I get bigger and grayer.
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I feel worse and worse, and then my rain falls.
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Oh, dear, said Lily.
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And sometimes I get frightened because I have no friends.
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When I feel frightened, I get really cold and my snow falls, added the cloud.
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Well, shall I be your best friend today?
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I know I can make you feel better again,
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stronger too, Lily said to the cloud and started to skip along the roof garden.
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And when you feel happy again, I can be happier too, she said.
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Come on, let's skip.
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Lily took off her coat and started to skip around the gray flowers, and the clouds slowly started to skip around the sun.
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That's better, but more quickly.
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More quickly, laughed Lily.
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Come on, my friend Now let's dance
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Lily jumped up onto the table
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Waved her arms around and started to dance and the clouds slowly started to dance in the wind
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fantastic laughed Lily now come on are you feeling better or worse better said the cloud.
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Great!
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Then now let's climb.
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Lily started to climb her favorite rock, and the cloud started to climb in the sky.
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Higher!
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Higher!
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Lily called.
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And when the cloud skipped and danced and climbed with Lily, its color changed from gray to white,
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and a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky.
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The cloud was happy again, and Lily couldn't stop laughing.
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That's better!
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But it wasn't always like that.
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On some days of the year, the clouds rain and snow fell because it felt angry or sad or frightened again.
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Lily understood that.
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We can't always feel happy, Aunt Claire said, but skipping,
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dancing and climbing and laughing and playing with really good friends can always help us feel better again.
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Now pick up your bag.
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Here's our station.
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you

About This Lesson

In this lesson inspired by the story "The Grey Cloud," learners will practice English speaking and comprehension skills. The narrative follows a young girl named Lily and her experiences with a grey cloud that influences her emotions. Through this engaging storyline, students will explore themes of friendship, emotions, and the weather while enhancing their vocabulary and speaking abilities. This lesson is particularly beneficial for those preparing for IELTS speaking practice or anyone interested in learning English with YouTube content.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Angry: Feeling strong displeasure or rage.
  • Sad: Feeling sorrow or unhappiness.
  • Cloud: A visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere.
  • Skip: To move along lightly or quickly from one point to another, often in a playful manner.
  • Frustrated: Feeling upset or annoyed as a result of being unable to change or achieve something.
  • Snow: Frozen water vapor that falls to the ground in white flakes.
  • Roof garden: A garden located on the rooftop of a building.
  • Light: The natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.

Practice Tips

To effectively use the shadowing technique while watching "The Grey Cloud," follow these specific tips:

  • Slow it down: Start by playing the video at a lower speed to fully grasp the tone and pronunciation used by the speakers.
  • Focus on emotions: Pay attention to the characters' feelings (e.g., angry, sad, frightened) and try to replicate their emotional tone in your voice when shadowing.
  • Repeat key phrases: After hearing important vocabulary, pause the video and repeat the phrases aloud to reinforce your memory.
  • Use a shadowing app: Consider utilizing a shadowing app that allows you to synchronize audio with your speaking practice, enhancing your ability to learn English with YouTube effectively.
  • Vary your pace: As you become more comfortable, gradually increase your speed to match that of the speakers, which will help you improve your fluency and confidence in speaking.

By engaging with this captivating story and implementing these practice tips, learners can boost their English speaking skills while enjoying the process!

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.