Shadowing Practice: Superhero Minifigures VS LEGO Contraptions! - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Once again, my superhero minifigures are in mortal danger and if they're lucky enough to survive this, they will definitely want to delete this video full of creative torture.
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Let's proceed with my Lego contractions starting with Superman.
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You can't forget to mention Darkseid when speaking of Superman and the Mega Beam when speaking of Darkseid.
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But pretending to shoot the beam this way is too lame.
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So I built this to recreate the zigzag feature of the Mega Beam.
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It's capable of hitting Superman even if he's standing behind him.
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I connect the LEGO's brain loaded shooters and Darkseid triggers the chain reaction.
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It seems speed alone is not enough for Superman.
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Next I will create an awkward moment for Spider-Man.
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Last time I dismembered Doctor Strange, so for the same movie I'll try to be nice.
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However it's still fun to recreate this infinite loot.
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First I reserved a pair of holes in the wall, then I added two rings of fire to create the portal effect.
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Between them, gravity still works and Peter Parker will drop from the top hole, go into the bottom hole and repeat.
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Don't forget Doctor Strange's magic cape because at this moment he is about to throw it to grab the box from Peter.
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I don't know why but I always feel the cape is stronger than Doctor Strange himself.
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Anyway, I built many Peter Parkers and attached them to the chain.
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To finish this LEGO build, just insert the parkers into the portals and make them a loop.
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Now let's check out the effect of this build.
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Actually I think it turns out pretty well.
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Next I built a death trap for Aquaman.
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Just stick him in the sand.
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Just joking.
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Sand couldn't kill him, but the thing underneath can.
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This is a sand warp.
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Typically, it just lurks under the sand, but when its prey passes by, it senses the slightest vibration and rise from the sand,
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revealing its giant mouth full of sharp teeth.
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Then dinner time comes.
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In front of the sandworm, my Lego contraption serves as a treadmill, sending Aquaman into the sandworm's mouth.
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Seriously, would you buy a book of these Lego contraptions if there is one?
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Our contraption continues and this time I'm building a bear trap.
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Attach a rubber band onto the clamps and add this piece to hold the trap in position for now.
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The victim is Ant-Man.
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You may ask, really?
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Yeah, I mean, for a prey this tiny, it still works.
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Ant-Man gets pissed off, so the giant version comes for vengeance.
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Will the trap work for the big figure?
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Well, the answer is yes.
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I'm the Riddler and my victim is Robin!
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Come on!
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The Lego contraption I use is called the rack, and it appeared in the comics.
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Basically, it's a torture device from medieval times.
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How to use it?
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Well, just place the prisoner, tie up their hands and feet, and then stretch them in different directions.
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Sorry, Robin.
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I forgot to prepare a Batman minifigure to rescue you.
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The rack may be a horrible device, so I decided to hide my contraptions in this build.
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I want to create a street fight scene that causes a mess where the true danger hides.
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This is Scorpion, and he's ready to attack Spider-Man with his stinger on his back.
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Spider-Man however has no clue.
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Press this button, attack!
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Instead of the Scorpion minifigure, a hidden stinger on the ground expands to take down Spider-Man.
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And that is called a diversion.
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Next the Human Torch will be the victim, because Deadpool decides to pick up a job as a firefighter.
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As a trainee in Lego City, he's only given the base equipment.
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However, he has prepared a secret weapon and loaded onto his car.
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The secret weapon acts as a water cannon.
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By squeezing the soft rubber, you can create the effect of ejecting water, putting out the human torch.
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But not all fire needs to be extinguished.
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The Martian Manhunter, who we know is afraid of fire, is about to be barbecued.
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All we need to do is set up a nice bonfire and keep the flame burning.
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Then the minifigure is tied onto a wooden spit to be roasted.
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Place it and align it with the fire, then rotate it at a steady speed.
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This will make the perfect barbecue.
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Deadpool has murdered too many superheroes and many of you have asked in the comments to have him executed, so let's do it.
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Here I present to you the ultimate ruthless killing machine, the fully automatic guillotine.
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The signature feature is that it has a treadmill finely calibrated to the cycle of the guillotine.
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They are synchronized at a fixed pace, you only need to turn the crank handle and all deadpools are executed in one batch.
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The first trial is not perfect, but it works.
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With some practice, you can have the Deadpools beheaded on one assembly line or a disassembly line.
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Next, we will explore more uses for this spring that I detached from a LEGO shock absorber.
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We're making a LEGO minifigure cannon that actually launches them in the air.
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The operator is Hardy Queen and the victim is Nightwing.
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of picking up the old job.
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First load the cannon by pressing the axle into the locked position, place Nightwing at the top, get prepared, and press the trigger, and Dick is launched into the air.
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In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ghost is an intangible villain who can pass through the human body.
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Let's use a Lego contraption to recreate this lethal attack.
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Prepare a smooth surface as the floor, and place Wasp face to face with Ghost.
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they start to fight, I need to use my finger to fight the trigger.
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The contraption releases and the ghost metafigure instantly passes through the wasp.
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But Venom is worse, he got stabbed through the body by carnage.
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Carnage.
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To recreate the fight scene of these two spiky things, I need to find a way to motorize the symbiotic spikes.
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This is the base I use, and I need to insert the red pieces into the pinholes.
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After these are all set, I place the Venom minifigure at the center of the contraption facing the Carnage minifigure.
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Then turn the hidden lever underneath, Carnage will stab Venom with spikes from every direction.
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This way, Venom is pierced as if by a giant claw.
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Next, Spider-Man will try to defeat giant Ant-Man with his web, just like in the Captain America Civil War movie.
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To achieve this, he needs this tiny piece.
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Stuff countless 1 by 1 round tiles into the gap of this yellow gear ring, then cover it with a matching gearing, which gives you a perfect Lego bearing.
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This is so satisfying, just turning this bearing and listening to the grainy noise.
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Now place Ant-Man on the center plate of the bearing and fix Spider-Man on the outer disc.
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Rotate the disc and Spider-Man will weave and trap Ant-Man with his web.
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Because the giant Ant-Man lacks agility, he's eventually defeated.
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Batman gets back home after a whole day of calculations can finally relax on the toilet.
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But he's wrong.
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My Lego contraption activates, and he gets launched from toilet.
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I designed this high-pressure water pump, which is powered by Lego Motors.
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There's a reason for Batman to always stay alert.
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This is Green Arrow, and let's build a prison made by the Clock King to constrain him.
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First, attach a transparent blue bubble canopy piece to the base and another one with green tiles.
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Two of them make an egg shape.
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This is as if Oliver is dissolved into a green slime.
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Then make an identical one but this time lock Oliver inside.
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Attach the two parts to each other which makes an hourglass.
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Time is limited and Green Arrow will soon be dead.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Superhero Minifigures VS LEGO Contraptions!”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: Lego, contraption, minifigure, Ant, Spider. This video has 105 sentences and 1333 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:12. The speaker talks at a natural 162 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 73% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| minifigure noun | A small figure of a person, especially in toys such as Lego. | |
| trap noun | /tɹæp/ | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body. |
| carnage noun | /ˈkɑɹ.nɪd͡ʒ/ | Death and destruction. |
| recreate verb | /ˈɹɛk.ɹi.eɪt/ | To give new life, energy or encouragement (to); to refresh, enliven. |
| attach verb | /əˈtæt͡ʃ/ | To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively). |
| wasp noun | /wɑsp/ | Any of many types of stinging flying insect resembling a hornet. |
| cannon noun | /ˈkæn.ən/ | A complete assembly, consisting of an artillery tube and a breech mechanism, firing mechanism or base cap, which is a component of a gun, howitzer or mortar… |
| beam noun | /ˈbiːm/ | Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use. |
| trigger noun | /ˈtɹɪɡɚ/ | A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun. |
| deadpool verb | Of a company or project, to fail, to shut down, or to go bankrupt. | |
| guillotine noun | /ˈɡɪləˌtin/ | A device used for cutting the pages of books, stacks of paper, etc., to straight edges, usually by means of a hinged or sliding blade attached to a flat… |
| stinger noun | /ˈstɪŋ.ɚ/ | A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack. |
| treadmill noun | /ˈtɹɛd.mɪl/ | A piece of indoor sporting equipment used to allow for the motions of running or walking while staying in one place. |
| rotate verb | /ˈɹoʊ.teɪt/ | To spin, turn, or revolve. |
| tile noun | /ˈtaɪ.əl/ | A regularly-shaped slab of clay or other material, affixed to cover or decorate a surface, as in a roof-tile, glazed tile, stove tile, carpet tile, etc. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pass through verb | To go through, to travel through, to transit or lie across a place or from one place to another. | |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. | |
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). | |
| get back verb | Return to where one came from. | |
| put out verb | To blind (eyes). | |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| stand behind verb | To support; express one's support for, especially despite opposition; to stick with a decision. | |
| take down verb | To remove something from a wall or similar vertical surface to which it is fixed. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is called · be extinguished · be barbecued |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has prepared · has murdered |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | pump, which is · other which makes |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may ask · may be |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 9 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: underneath /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/, ruthless /ˈɹuːθləs/, lethal /ˈliː.θəl/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: contraction /kənˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/, extinguish /ɪkˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/, diversion /dɪˈvɝ.ʒən/, vibration /vaɪˈbɹeɪʃən/, calculation /ˌkælkjuˈleɪʃn̩/
- Long words — get the stress right: superhero /ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/, agility /əˈd͡ʒɪl.ɪ.ti/, disassembly /dɪsəˈsɛmbli/, firefighter /ˈfaɪ.ɚˌfaɪ.tɚ/, intangible /ɪnˈtæn.d͡ʒə.bəl/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like minifigure, trap, carnage.
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.