Shadowing Practice: Strict Dad Takes Kid’s Phone For A Week | Dhar Mann Studios - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
No, no, no, behind you!
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Whoa, Jayden, behind you!
3
Mason, can you help me practice?
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I have to read my poem aloud in class this week.
5
Yeah, in a second.
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You'll cover me while I heal?
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You said that an hour ago.
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Well, bro, you're supposed to cover me!
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It's only eight lines.
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Can you please just leave me alone?
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Come on!
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I was just finishing up homework.
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Okay, so I was taking a break.
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Miss Revere says that your presentation is a huge part of your grade.
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And you haven't even handed an outline in yet.
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Presentation is not due till Friday.
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I have plenty of time.
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Is this why you were up until 2 a.m last night?
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You know what?
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That's it.
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Give me that.
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What are you doing?
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Something I should have done weeks ago.
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You are getting a dopamine detox.
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No, Dad, you can't just take everything away.
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This isn't everything.
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You're gonna thank me one day.
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Where are the toaster pastries and the chips for lunch?
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Gone.
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You cleaned out the whole kitchen?
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When your brain is running on caffeine, sugar, and junk all day, all day, you're craving this quick fix instead of real focus.
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So, I detox the kitchen.
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Why don't you have some real food?
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Can I read my poem to you before we leave?
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I'm busy.
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Doing what?
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Suffering, for no reason.
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I'm going to need my screens to do my presentation.
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Well, you can use the family laptop on the kitchen table to do your work.
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You don't understand.
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I need my phone.
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I'm gonna be the only person at school not responding and they're gonna think I die.
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I'll tell them you're alive.
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Look, it's temporary.
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For one week, no phone, no gaming, no streaming, no social media, and no junk food.
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Today.. is day one.
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Who's the bus?
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No, no, no, no, no!
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Don't throw that out.
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Bro, what happened?
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Why are you ignoring the group chat?
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He made you into a missing person picture.
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My dad took away my phone for a week.
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A week?
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What'd you do, rob a bank?
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Just making me do a dopamine detox.
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No phone, no games, no life.
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You're gonna turn into one of those offline kids who don't get any jokes.
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I know.
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He doesn't get it.
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She wants to control me.
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I'm not gonna let him win.
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Reminder, your future me presentations aren't just about what kind of job you want.
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Okay, they are about who you are becoming and why it matters.
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This presentation will count towards a major part of your grade.
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Family members are invited to attend.
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Mason, I am especially hoping to see more of your game designer concept.
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The concept art was very impressive.
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Video game designer?
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Lame.
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Shut up.
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Do you have your outline today?
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I'm still refining it.
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Mason, you are very talented.
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But talent won't help if you don't put in the work.
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Okay?
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Alright, so continue to work through the period.
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Hey, make sure you're paying attention to the drill.
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You mess it up, you'll be running laps.
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We always run laps anyway.
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Hey, nice try Detox Boy.
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Come on, I'm so bored.
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Mason, Jayden, you're up next.
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Okay, Mason.
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What?
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Okay, lucky shot.
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You see, that's what happens when you pay attention to the drill.
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Hey, keep it up.
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Jayden, lapse.
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Lapse.
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Let's go.
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Anyone?
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Jayden?
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Uh, mm, 17?
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Mason. Is it 42?
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Correct.
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Good job, Mason.
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Oh, that's good.
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Don't make it weird.
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Can you listen to my poem now, Mason?
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Fine.
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Just once.
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Okay, it's not done yet, but this is how it goes.
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My family is a team.
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Even when we fight.
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My dad makes breakfast.
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My brother says goodnight.
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He used to build me.
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Castles out of cardboard and string.
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He made boring days feel like anything.
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That's as far as I got.
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It's good, but...
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What if you changed the last two lines to He used to build me castles of cardboard and string
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and you'd make every day feel like a magical thing.
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Wait, say it again!
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Seriously?
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Seriously.
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We have a problem.
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He posted this?
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So social media is fine for him, but not for me.
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I'm a hypocrite.
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That's parents for you.
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The caption makes me want to vomit.
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It gets worse, bro.
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My mom saw this, and now she's talking about how digital detoxing sounds like an interesting idea.
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I mean, if this crazy punishment spreads, who knows how far it'll go.
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It could take our phone away for weeks, months, years.
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You have to do something.
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I've been trying to prove that this plan is dumb.
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Taking away my screens makes things worse, not better, but...
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It hasn't been working.
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Think bigger.
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These are desperate times.
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This presentation will count towards a major part of your grade.
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Family members are invited to attend.
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My presentation.
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What?
138
I'll do everything he banned.
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Gaming, junk food, energy drinks, scrolling.
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Then I'll do my presentation and get an A.
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That's not a presentation.
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That's a funeral for every parent's dumb rule.
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This is good, huh?
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That's really good.
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I like that.
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Wow.
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Mason, what are you looking for in that closet?
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Uh, just a game.
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Ooh, a game.
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Can we play together?
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Yeah, sure.
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Yeah, that sounds like fun.
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I'll make some popcorn, we'll make a night of it.
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Uh, not all night, though.
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I have to record my presentation.
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What was that?
157
Must be all that detox food.
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You still
159
haven't written past the title?
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No, I have.
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I just...
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I've been brainstorming on another doc.
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I haven't transferred it yet.
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Future me, game designer.
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Oh.
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You used to spend hours making games out of cardboard.
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This is great.
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What are you smiling about?
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Nothing.
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Okay, don't react.
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Consider this your anti-detox survival kit.
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So tonight, you game, you snap, you scroll.
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In two days, you crush your presentation.
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Boom.
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Our plan works.
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Detoxed is proven.
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And when I get an A?
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You tell your dad the truth in front of everyone.
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He can't argue with results.
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So the presentation becomes proof.
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Exactly.
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Science, bro.
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My mom threaded me with digital detox this morning.
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Your dumb idea is trying to get out of control.
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It's not my idea, it's my dad's.
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Well, you better do something about it before all of our lives are ruined.
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If you're gonna pull this off, your dad wins, we all lose.
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Hey, you ready?
189
Jayden?
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Yo, bro, hurry up.
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I want an hour.
192
An hour, bro?
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T-talks make you soft.
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I'm not soft.
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Add the kitchen basket.
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That thing is hilarious.
197
What?
198
I finished my poem.
199
Will you listen to the final version?
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Now I'm busy.
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I have to recite it in two days!
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I said I'm busy, Mia!
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Let's get to work.
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Today is the last work period before our presentations.
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So, by the end of class, I expect a finished draft from everyone.
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Um, I don't want you to see it until I present it.
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I have a special surprise.
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Hey, tomorrow's gonna be so funny, bro.
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Everybody's expecting a show.
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What do you mean, everybody?
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You told people?
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No. I built up hype.
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Now it's up to you to deliver it.
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You're still awake?
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You're working on your presentation?
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Yeah.
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I wish I could be there to cheer you on, but I'm reading my poem to my class tomorrow.
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You're nervous?
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Kinda, but it's okay.
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I practice by myself in the mirror.
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Mia, I...
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Alright, Mia.
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Come on, time for bed.
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Wow, you look exhausted.
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I've been working hard.
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I'm excited to see your presentation tomorrow.
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Proud of you, Mason.
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Alright, let's go.
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Just one game.
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You said one round.
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You didn't say one win.
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Fine.
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One win.
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No!
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That doesn't count.
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I was lagging.
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I'm not sure I have to go more game.
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What happened?
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Did you forget the combination?
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No, I just...
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Get it together, dude.
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Today's the day.
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I know.
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It's just gonna be like...
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It's gonna be weird during the presentation with my dad standing right there.
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Well, that's the whole point.
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Remember what he posted?
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Yeah, but...
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Mason, you're really roasting your dad.
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This better be good.
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Hey, don't forget how much is riding on this.
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Eating what you want, gaming when you want.
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This is your life.
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Take it back.
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Alright.
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Welcome, parents.
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Mason Hendricks will be our first presenter today.
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So, for my future me presentation, I was supposed to talk about who I'm becoming.
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But this week, my dad decided who I was becoming.
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According to him, phones, games, junk food, energy drinks were ruining my focus.
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So I ran an experiment.
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For the past few days, I secretly broke every rule.
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I used an old phone, I played games, I drank energy drinks,
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I ate junk food, and I still made this presentation. Which proves... Which proves, um...
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Detox is dumb.
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Right.
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Detox is dumb.
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Mason, is this your actual future me presentation?
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No, I...
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Yes, but I was supposed to finish that after, um...
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After what?
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That was supposed to be the ending.
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But you didn't finish your assignment.
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I'm sorry, I have more.
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No, no more.
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That's enough.
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Mason.
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The point of this presentation was to have you seriously consider who you are and who you want to become.
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I think you still have some major work to do there, okay?
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Whether you're willing to do that work is up to you.
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But as it stands right now, you are failing my class.
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My family poem.
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My family is a team, even when we fight.
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My dad makes breakfast and my brother says goodnight.
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He used to build me castles from cardboard and string and make a boring day feel like a magical thing.
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But lately, he is busy.
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His eyes are on screens all day.
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He can be sitting right next to me, but he's always far away.
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I miss how things used to be, the three of us a team.
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I hope we can find our way back to the other side of the screen.
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Your home was really good, Mia.
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Wait, you heard it?
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Dad, I...
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Mason, we'll talk about this when we go home.
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No, can you hear me out, please?
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I'm...
297
I'm sorry, okay?
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I was just mad that you took everything away that I cared about.
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Mason, you're a talented kid.
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The talent doesn't help if you don't put in the work.
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You're always tired, you're looking down at your phone.
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I don't want to see you waste your potential.
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I thought maybe, just maybe, if we could have silenced the noise for one week, you might remember what you used to care about.
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I'm
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going to
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go to the next video.
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I'm sorry I embarrassed you with my presentation.
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And I'm sorry I ignored Mia.
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I just want us to be a team again.
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Look, honestly, there's something for all of us to work on, okay?
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Look, I had no right to post that picture of you
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and Mia after I just asked you to do a digital detox.
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It was hypocritical.
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I'm sorry.
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Come here.
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Team Hendrix!
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Yeah!
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And, as part of my team, I was wondering if you could help me with something.
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Sure.
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So, yesterday I tried proving my dad wrong, but I didn't even finish the real assignment.
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I kept saying I needed my phone to focus, but the only times I actually focused were when I didn't have it.
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I hated it at first, but I guess being bored for five seconds didn't ruin my life.
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It actually reminded me I liked making things.
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Let me tell you about it.
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Miss Rivera gave me an A.
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Yes!
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I made this for you.
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It's perfect.
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It's perfect.
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Now the week isn't over, but you earned some trust today.
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You got an hour.
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Actually, can I use the hour tomorrow?
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I need to work on level two.
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Level two?!
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Yeah.
336
Like action figures and stuff?
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Yeah, it's gonna be harder.
338
Harder?
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We're excited.
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monsters, somebody come out of a cave.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Strict Dad Takes Kid’s Phone For A Week”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: presentation, Mason, dad, detox. This video has 340 sentences and 2019 words to shadow. The speech runs for 22:45. The speaker talks slowly, about 89 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding. 58 of its 340 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| presentation noun | /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/ | The act of presenting, or something presented. |
| detox noun | /ˈdiːtɒks/ | Detoxification, especially of the body from alcohol or addictive drugs. |
| poem noun | /ˈpoʊ.əm/ | A literary piece written in verse. |
| junk noun | /d͡ʒʌŋk/ | Miscellaneous items of little value, especially discarded or unwanted items. |
| cardboard noun | /ˈkɑɹdˌbɔɹd/ | A wood-based material resembling heavy paper, used in the manufacture of boxes, cartons and signs. |
| bore verb | /boɹ/ | To inspire boredom in somebody. |
| ruin noun | /ˈɹuː.ɪn/ | The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle. |
| dopamine noun | /ˈdoʊ.pəˌmin/ | A monoamine C₈H₁₁NO₂ that is a decarboxylated form of dopa, present in the body as a neurotransmitter and a precursor of other substances including adrenalin. |
| lapse noun | /læps/ | A temporary failure; a slip. |
| scroll noun | /skɹoʊl/ | A roll of paper or parchment; a writing formed into a roll. |
| outline noun | /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ | A line marking the boundary of an object figure. |
| drill noun | /dɹɪl/ | A tool or machine used to remove material so as to create a hole, typically by plunging a rotating cutting bit into a stationary workpiece. |
| lap noun | /læp/ | The loose part of a coat; the lower part of a garment that plays loosely; a skirt; an apron. |
| assignment noun | /əˈsaɪn.mənt/ | The act of assigning; the allocation of a job or a set of tasks. |
| magical adjective | /ˈmæd͡ʒ.ɪ.kəl/ | Of, relating to, or by means of magic. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| take away verb | /ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/ | To remove something and put it in a different place. |
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. | |
| clean out verb | To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents. | |
| finish up verb | To complete the last details of a task. | |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. | |
| shut up | /ʃʌt ʌp/ | Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)… |
| work through verb | To get past a difficult or stressful situation by thinking or talking about it. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Mason, can you help me practice?
- You'll cover me while I heal?
- Why don't you have some real food?
- What'd you do, rob a bank?
- You're working on your presentation?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to build · used to spend · used to be |
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been trying · hasn't been working · I've been brainstorming |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are invited · is proven · are ruined |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | haven't even handed · haven't written · haven't transferred |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 93 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, caption /ˈkæp.ʃən/, crush /kɹʌʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: hypocritical /hɪpəˈkɹɪtɪkəl/, hilarious /hɪˈlɛə.ɹi.əs/
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 presentation, detox, poem.
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.