Shadowing Practice: The Great Gatsby Plot Summary - Chapters 1-3 - Schooling Online - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Welcome to the Roaring Twenties, old sport.
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Welcome to the Roaring Twenties, old sport.
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The 1920s, that is.
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The American economy is booming,
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the champagne is flowing, and the flappers are flapping.
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It's a time when savvy Americans could become rich beyond their wildest dreams.
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But beneath all the glitz and glamour is the whiff of something rotten.
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All is not what it seems.
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Meet our narrator, Nick Carraway.
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He's a patient and honest young man, well-educated and wise.
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Nick's family are the descendants of Scottish dukes and well-established in America's Midwest.
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In other words, Nick comes from old money.
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After graduating from Yale University in 1915,
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Nick went to fight in the Great War, and he enjoyed it.
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Nick's not really the alpha type,
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but alpha males are drawn to him and want to be his friend.
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Nick's a nice guy.
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After the excitement of the war,
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Nick found the Midwest terribly boring,
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so in 1922 he moved to the East Coast.
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Wall Street was pumping, and Nick wanted to be a part of it.
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While he was there, Nick met several interesting characters.
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But the one who made the biggest impression on him was Gatsby.
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Ah, Gatsby.
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What a gorgeous, sensitive soul.
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Nick is now back at home in the Midwest for reasons he'll reveal later.
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In the meantime, he's going to unburden his heavy heart by telling us the tale of the great Gatsby.
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It begins in the summer of 1922.
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Nick had just rented a house in West Egg on Long Island Sound,
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about 20 miles from Manhattan.
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It was a tiny shack compared to the monstrous mansions on either side.
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See that gigantic French-inspired castle next door to Nick's?
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That's Gatsby's mansion.
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But if you think the West Egg mansions are big,
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wait until you see the estates across the bay in East Egg.
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East Egg is the more fashionable of the two egg-shaped landforms on Long Island Sound.
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It's where the old money resides.
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In fact, that's where Nick's taking us right now,
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to the palatial home of his second cousin, Daisy Buchanan.
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Nick went to Yale with Daisy's husband, Tom.
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Now Tom is what you would call an alpha male, a 1920s chad.
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He's also from an incredibly wealthy family,
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and his sprawling estate in East Egg is impressive, to say the least.
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Once inside, we meet Daisy and her friend, Jordan Baker.
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Nick is happy to see Daisy,
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although he barely knows her.
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Jordan only faintly registers Nick's presence.
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She's too cool for him.
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Her face seems familiar, though,
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and she even knows who Nick's neighbour is.
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Who's Gatsby?
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At dinner, Tom shows his racist side.
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He mansplains some very unscientific opinions about non-white races, until the phone rings.
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Tom leaves the room to answer it, and Daisy follows him.
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Then Jordan and Nick hear them arguing.
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It turns out Tom has a mistress.
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Poor Daisy.
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It's bad enough that Tom's affair is common knowledge,
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but to call him at dinner time?
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Well, this is awkward, especially when the phone rings a second time.
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Later, when Nick and Daisy have a chance to speak alone,
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she reveals how miserable she is.
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She's rich, sophisticated and terribly alone.
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Back inside the house, Nick realises that Jordan is a pro golfer who's graced the covers of several sports magazines.
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What an odd evening Nick's had.
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As he drives away, Nick can't help but feel sorry for Daisy and Tom.
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When he arrives home, he sits in the moonlight, mulling it over.
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Then he sees the mysterious silhouette of a man standing on the lawn of the neighbouring mansion.
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It could only be Gatsby.
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But then Nick sees him do a strange thing.
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He stretches his arms out towards a green light far across the bay.
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Was he just stretching?
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Or was he reaching for something?
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A short time later, Tom takes Nick on a train trip to New York.
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On the way, they stop by the Valley of the Ashes,
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a filthy industrial wasteland that lies between the eggs and New York City.
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Tom basically forces Nick out of the train.
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He wants Nick to meet his mistress.
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Like Nick has nothing better to do.
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Myrtle Wilson, the mistress, is married to George Wilson,
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the owner of a garage.
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George is a spiritless young man who has no idea about his wife's affair.
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Tom shows up under the pretense of selling George a car.
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A bit brazen, don't you think?
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When Myrtle appears, she walks by George as if he were a ghost.
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But the chemistry between her and Tom is obvious.
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Poor George must have ashes for brains.
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While George is out of the room,
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Tom and Myrtle arrange a rendezvous at their apartment,
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or love nest, in New York City.
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How cosy.
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Tom even buys her a puppy on the way.
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Well, the rendezvous turns into a party.
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Myrtle invites her sister Catherine,
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as well as the McKees from the flat below.
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Poor Nick, who'd tried to excuse himself earlier in the afternoon,
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ends up getting wasted on Tom's whisky.
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It was all fun, games and gossip until Myrtle taunted Tom by repeating Daisy's name.
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Tom broke Myrtle's nose for that.
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Party's over, folks.
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But, as we all know,
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that wasn't a real party.
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Only Gatsby throws proper parties.
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And soon enough, Nick is formally invited to one.
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Now that's what you call a party.
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Except Nick doesn't know anyone among the crowds of glittering socialites.
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Isn't that the worst feeling?
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Luckily, Jordan Baker rescues him from being a complete loner.
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As Jordan and Nick make their way around the gardens,
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they hear all sorts of juicy gossip about their host.
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Apparently, Gatsby killed a man once.
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Wasn't he a German spy during the war?
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Is he related to German royalty?
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Well, according to a friend of a friend,
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Gatsby grew up in Germany.
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But wasn't he in the American army too?
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Where is Gatsby, anyhow?
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Jordan and Nick look for him in his vast Gothic library.
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They encounter a curious owl-eyed man, but no Gatsby.
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At around midnight, when the party was really cranking,
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a man recognises Nick from the war.
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Then the man invites Nick for a spin in his hydroplane in the morning.
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After a moment of confusion,
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the man finally introduces himself as Gatsby.
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Ah, Gatsby.
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His beautiful, warm smile puts Nick totally at ease.
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But Gatsby has to excuse himself.
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Chicago is on the phone.
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Gee, he does business at funny hours, doesn't he?
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A short time later, Gatsby requests that Jordan Baker join him for a private chat.
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Is Gatsby stealing Nick's date?
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At around 2am, just as things were winding down and getting messy,
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Jordan and Gatsby emerge from the library.
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Jordan tells Nick that she's just heard the most amazing thing,
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but he'll have to see her if he wants the scoop.
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She tells him to look her up in the phone book.
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No cell phones in those days.
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When Nick bids Gatsby goodnight, they're interrupted again.
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This time, Philadelphia is on the phone.
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He must be super important.
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Once Nick escapes the chaos of a last-minute bingle in Gatsby's driveway,
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he looks back to see Gatsby waving a final farewell from his porch.
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But Nick doesn't want you to think that the three nights he's just described are all that absorbed him that summer.
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He also worked hard, fell in love with New York,
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had a fling with a girl at work and started dating Jordan Baker.
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It wasn't true love, more like tender curiosity.
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Jordan was a liar and a bad driver but she charmed him.
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Although it turns out that Nick wasn't entirely free to love Jordan,
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or anyone else for that matter,
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he still had a girl back home to whom he wrote letters signed, Love Nick.
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Nick insists that he's an honest guy,
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but his actions seem to say otherwise.
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Can we trust our narrator?
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We hope you enjoyed this schooling online production.
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For more easy lessons, check out our other videos.
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Context & Background
In this video, we are introduced to F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, "The Great Gatsby," set during the vibrant Roaring Twenties in America. The narrator, Nick Carraway, provides a unique perspective on a world teeming with wealth, intrigue, and societal aspirations. Nick's background as a Yale graduate and a soldier adds depth to his observations. This setting serves as a backdrop for exploring themes of ambition, class, and disillusionment. For English learners, engaging with such rich narratives not only enhances vocabulary but also enables a greater understanding of cultural contexts, which is essential for effective english speaking practice.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "Welcome to the Roaring Twenties, old sport." - A friendly greeting that implies familiarity.
- "All is not what it seems." - A phrase that indicates skepticism or hidden truths.
- "Gatsby, what a gorgeous, sensitive soul." - Complimenting someone’s character.
- "East Egg is the more fashionable of the two." - Discussing preferences or choices.
- "Nick's a nice guy." - Easy way to describe someone's personality positively.
These phrases can greatly enhance your conversational skills and help you to build a more engaging dialogue in various social settings.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To maximize your speaking and listening skills while engaging with this video, follow this structured shadowing guide:
- Watch the video without subtitles: Listen carefully to Nick's narration. Focus on the tone and intonation.
- Repeat in real-time: As you watch, try to shadow speech by mimicking Nick's phrases immediately after he says them. This helps enhance your pronunciation and rhythm.
- Break it down: Pause the video at certain phrases. Repeat those phrases multiple times, ensuring clarity and accuracy. Use a shadowing site or app to practice these specific lines.
- Record yourself: Use your device to record your shadow speak. Compare it to the original to identify areas for improvement.
- Practice with a partner: If possible, practice these phrases with a friend or language partner. This collaboration will help reinforce your learning and provide real-world interaction.
Utilizing these steps within the context of the rich narrative promotes effective english speaking practice and deepens your understanding of diverse character portrayals and cultural nuances. With dedication and practice, you’ll achieve greater fluency in your conversations!
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.
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