Shadowing Practice: Tactics for Listening Third Edition Developing Unit 6 Gifts - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Listening 1 1 Who are you buying a gift for?
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It's a present for Annie, to say thank you for helping me with a school project.
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Any ideas?
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I think some jewelry would be nice, maybe a bracelet?
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I don't know.
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A bracelet sounds expensive.
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How about this keychain?
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That's a great idea.
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2 Are we getting Mom a Mother's Day present this year? Of course.
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I was thinking of getting her some flowers.
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Oh, flowers are nice, but it's our Mom.
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We should get her something really special.
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I know.
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Let's get her some really nice jewelry.
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I agree.
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Let's get her that bracelet we saw last week.
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3. Are you going to Brandon's graduation party, too?
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Yes, and I think we need to bring a gift.
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Oh, that's right. For Brandon.
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Hmm.
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How about a necktie?
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I don't know.
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I wonder if a tie is really useful.
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You're right.
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I know.
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A pen.
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Perfect.
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Let's get him a pen.
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Four.
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Do you see anything here that we can get to take to Jason and Allison's wedding?
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Not really.
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Can't we just bring them some flowers?
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No, flowers aren't right for a wedding.
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We have to bring them something nice for their home.
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Oh, I see.
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Hey, how about this teapot?
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Yeah, that looks nice.
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Let's get it.
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Five.
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That was nice of the Roberts to invite us to dinner.
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Yes, and we need to bring something.
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Like a hostess gift?
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Exactly.
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What about that teapot we saw at the store today?
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Well, for dinner, you usually bring something a little less expensive, like, um...
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Like flowers?
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Perfect.
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Six.
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I'm trying to think of a gift for my dad for Father's Day.
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Any ideas?
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How about a pen?
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That's a good idea, but he has so many pens.
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I see.
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What about a tie?
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Um, yeah.
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He certainly needs ties to wear to work.
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Okay.
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Let's go to the department store.
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I'll help you pick one out.
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Listening to 1.
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What do you think of this necklace for Mother's Day?
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Well, the style is good.
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Is it too big for her, though?
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Is it too wide?
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No, the size is okay.
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How much is it?
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It's, um, wow, $150.
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That's pretty expensive.
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Well, how about the color?
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The color is perfect.
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So is the style.
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You should just put it on your credit card.
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It is Mother's Day, after all.
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Two.
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Wow, look at this shirt.
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What a great color.
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Yes, the color is nice.
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Is it his style?
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Yeah, the style is okay.
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And Dad can use a shirt this color.
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How much is it?
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It's $50.
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Hmm, that's okay.
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Not great, but okay.
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Yeah, I see what you mean.
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What about the size, though?
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Yeah, it's too big, and this is the only size.
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Well, should we buy it?
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No. The color is good, but the size isn't right.
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So even though the price is okay, let's keep looking.
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3. How about these glasses for Laura and David's wedding?
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The style is good.
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They have a nice shape.
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Let's see.
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They're $60 for four glasses.
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Doesn't that seem expensive?
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They're awfully small.
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No, the size is okay, and the price is actually okay, too, for a really nice set like this.
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Okay, but do they only have that color?
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Hmm, yeah, it looks like they're all blue.
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Are blue glasses useful?
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I mean, will they go with their other stuff?
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Now that you mention it, I don't think blue is a good idea.
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Yeah.
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Let's look for something similar in another color.
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Four.
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I have to get my brother a graduation present.
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He loves clothes.
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What do you think about this jacket?
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It's exactly his size.
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Hmm.
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I would prefer blue, but I guess brown is okay for him.
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That's what I thought.
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And the price is right.
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How much is it?
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It's only $29.99.
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Well, that's a great price.
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And the size is good, but what about the style?
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Hmm, you don't like the style?
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No, the sleeves are wrong.
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I don't like that style at all.
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Yeah, I agree, but I'm gonna get it anyway because the price is so good.
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Okay, he's your brother.
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Listening to...
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One.
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What do you think of this necklace for Mother's Day?
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Well, the style is good.
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Is it too big for her, though?
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Is it too wide?
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No. The size is okay.
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How much is it?
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It's, um, wow. $150.
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That's pretty expensive.
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Well, how about the color?
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The color is perfect.
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So is the style.
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You should just put it on your credit card.
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It is Mother's Day, after all.
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2. Wow, look at this shirt.
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What a great color.
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Yes, the color is nice.
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Is it his style?
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Yeah, the style is okay.
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And Dad can use a shirt this color.
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How much is it?
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It's $50.
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Hmm, that's okay.
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Not great, but okay.
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Yeah, I see what you mean.
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What about the size, though?
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Yeah, it's too big, and this is the only size.
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Well, should we buy it?
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No. The color is good, but the size isn't right.
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So even though the price is okay, let's keep looking.
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Three.
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How about these glasses for Laura and David's wedding?
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The style is good.
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They have a nice shape.
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Let's see.
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They're $60 for four glasses.
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doesn't that seem expensive they're awfully small no the size is okay
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and the price is actually okay too for a really nice set like this okay
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but do they only have
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that color hmm yeah it looks like they're all blue are
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blue glasses useful I mean will they go with their other stuff now
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that you mention it I don't I think blue is a good idea.
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Yeah.
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Let's look for something similar in another color.
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Four.
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I have to get my brother a graduation present.
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He loves clothes.
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What do you think about this jacket?
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It's exactly his size.
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Hmm, I would prefer blue, but I guess brown is okay for him.
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That's what I thought, and the price is right.
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How much is it?
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It's only $29.99.
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Well, that's a great price, and the size is good, but what about the style?
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Hmm, you don't like the style?
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No, the sleeves are wrong.
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I don't like that style at all.
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Yeah, I agree, but I'm gonna get it anyway because the price is so good.
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Okay, he's your brother.
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Listening 3 1.
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I see you're looking at the chocolates.
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That's a perfect gift to take your host for a dinner here.
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but not a good idea to take home as a souvenir.
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They'll melt.
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But these chocolates are very high quality, and they aren't imported.
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They're made right here from local ingredients.
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There are two kinds, dark chocolate and light chocolate, but only one size.
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They're all two-pound boxes, but they might not be right for everyone because some have nuts.
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You have to be careful because some people are allergic to nuts.
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Two.
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These candles are a good gift if you are going to a housewarming party.
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They come two to a box, so the number is perfect.
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You don't want to get four of anything.
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It's bad luck.
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There are three sizes.
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These are medium-sized, but you can get shorter and taller ones, too.
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They're really convenient because they come already wrapped.
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And notice the wrapping paper is yellow.
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Yellow is a perfect paper color for wrapping this kind of gift because it means happiness.
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Oh, and they're completely natural.
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They're made of beeswax and other natural ingredients.
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Three.
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Let's see.
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If you want to get some souvenirs for teenagers, I recommend these T-shirts.
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T-shirts with pictures and writing on them are very popular with young people.
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There are two styles, red with black writing and black with red writing.
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As for sizes, we have, let's see, small, medium, large.
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I'm afraid they don't come in extra large.
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Anyway, they're made from 100% organic cotton, too.
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They're a great deal for the price.
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Four.
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These watches are very popular souvenirs for any girls or women on your gift list.
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They're quite pretty, aren't they?
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They're more like jewelry than just watches.
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Local artists make the wristbands.
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The beads in the bands are all made from stones that come from the local region.
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And they're all different.
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Notice, here's one with mostly green stones, and here's one with mostly blue stones.
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The watch part itself comes from Japan.
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It's very good quality.
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And the great thing about these, because the band is elastic, One size fits all.
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Listening three.
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One.
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I see you're looking at the chocolates.
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That's a perfect gift to take your host for a dinner here.
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But not a good idea to take home as a souvenir.
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They'll melt.
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But these chocolates are very high quality.
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And they aren't imported.
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They're made right here from local ingredients.
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There are two kinds, dark chocolate and light chocolate, but only one size.
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They're all two-pound boxes.
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But they might not be right for everyone
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because some have nuts you have to be careful because some people are allergic to nuts
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two these candles are a good gift
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if you are going to a housewarming party they come to to a box
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so the number is perfect you don't want to get four
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of anything it's bad luck there are three sizes these are medium-sized
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but you can get shorter and taller ones too they're really convenient
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because they come already wrapped
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and notice the wrapping paper is yellow yellow is a perfect paper color for wrapping this kind of gift
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because it means happiness oh and they're completely natural they're made of beeswax and other natural ingredients Three.
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Let's see, if you want to get some souvenirs for teenagers, I recommend these t-shirts.
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T-shirts with pictures and writing on them are very popular with young people.
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There are two styles, red with black writing and black with red writing.
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As for sizes, we have, let's see, small, medium, large.
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I'm afraid they don't come in extra large.
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Anyway, they're made from 100% organic cotton, too.
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They're a great deal for the price.
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Four.
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These watches are very popular souvenirs for any girls or women on your gift list.
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They're quite pretty, aren't they?
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They're more like jewelry than just watches.
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Local artists make the wristbands.
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The beads in the bands are all made from stones that come from the local region.
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And they're all different.
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Notice?
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Here's one with mostly green stones.
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And here's one with mostly blue stones.
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The watch part itself comes from Japan.
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It's very good quality.
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And the great thing about these, because the band is elastic, one size fits all.
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Pronunciation.
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Task 1.
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1. Brandon.
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2. Emily 3.
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David 4.
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Katie 5.
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Kelly 6.
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Maria Task 2.
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1. It's Brian's birthday next week.
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2. What are you getting for Rose?
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3. I'm buying a pen for Christopher.
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4. Let's get Hannah some flowers.
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Dictation I'm going shopping.
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Do you want to come with me?
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Yes.
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I have to buy birthday presents for the twins, Heather and Allison.
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Oh, that reminds me.
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We have to get some graduation presents.
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Right.
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We need something for Michael.
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And Jonathan is graduating, too.
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We need a present for him.
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Okay.
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And as long as we're out, why don't we get the wedding present?
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You mean for Lisa and Kevin?
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Good idea.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, learners will focus on developing their listening skills and enhancing vocabulary related to gift-giving, a common topic in conversations. By engaging with the transcript, you will practice understanding context clues, recognizing emotions, and discussing thoughtful gestures associated with gifts for various occasions such as birthdays, graduations, and holidays. This exercise aims to improve both your speaking and listening comprehension skills in everyday English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Gift - An item given to someone without the expectation of payment; a present.
- Jewelry - Decorative items worn for personal adornment, often made of precious metals and stones.
- Bracelet - A piece of jewelry worn around the wrist.
- Hostess gift - A small present given to the host or hostess when attending a social gathering.
- Flowers - Natural blooms often given on special occasions or as gifts.
- Graduation - A ceremony marking the completion of a degree or education program.
- Home gift - An item that is useful or decorative for someone’s living space, suitable for occasions like weddings.
Practice Tips
To effectively practice the vocabulary and phrases from this lesson, utilize a shadowing app that allows you to listen to the audio while simultaneously repeating. Start by playing the conversation at a slower speed, focusing on sentence structure and intonation. As you gain confidence, gradually increase the speed to match the speaker's natural tone. This technique, known as shadow speech, is particularly useful for improving your English pronunciation.
When practicing, pay special attention to the emotion conveyed in the dialogue. For instance, the enthusiasm in discussing gift ideas can be replicated in your shadowing practice. Engaging in these activities consistently on a recommended shadowing site will enhance your listening skills and speaking clarity. You might also want to connect with a partner for conversational practice, discussing potential gift ideas to reinforce the vocabulary learned in this lesson.
Incorporate phrases like “I was thinking of…” or “How about…” during your practice to sound more natural and fluent. As you continue to improve, try to use these expressions in real-life conversations, which will not only help you memorize the vocabulary but also enable you to feel more comfortable and confident in speaking English.
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.