Shadowing Practice: The Greedy Lion’s Shocking End | How a Rabbit Outsmarted a King - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
47 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
The trees stood silent, the birds dared not sing,
2
even the wind moved softly as if afraid to make a sound.
3
Because in this jungle lived a king whose very name made hearts tremble.
4
He was the Lion.
5
But this was no ordinary lion.
6
Along with his strength he carried an insatiable greed.
7
He did not hunt merely to satisfy his hunger.
8
He killed animals just to display his power.
9
The creatures of the jungle were exhausted.
10
Deer, rabbits, even cunning foxes all lived in constant fear.
11
One day an old deer slowly stepped forward among the animals and said, If we do nothing today,
12
tomorrow none of us will be left alive.
13
Silence fell over the gathering, because everyone knew the lion could not be defeated by strength.
14
Just then, a small rabbit stepped forward.
15
His eyes held fear, but also a strange determination.
16
He spoke, We cannot win with strength, but we can win with wisdom.
17
The animals were astonished.
18
How?
19
The rabbit replied softly, We will turn the lion's greed into his weakness.
20
The next day the rabbit went alone to present himself before the lion.
21
The lion roared angrily, Why are you so late and why have you come alone?
22
The rabbit trembled as he spoke, Your Majesty, we were bringing several animals for you,
23
but on the way another lion stopped us.
24
The lion's eyes blazed with fury.
25
What did you say, another lion in my kingdom?" The rabbit nodded.
26
Yes, he claims to be the true king, and he kept the other animals with him.
27
Now both the lion's pride and greed ignited at once.
28
Take me to him immediately.
29
The rabbit led him to an old well deep in the jungle.
30
It was dark and deep, and its water was as clear as a mirror.
31
The rabbit pointed toward it.
32
Your Majesty, he is inside.
33
The lion looked into the well in anger.
34
He saw his own reflection in the water.
35
But his arrogance had blinded him.
36
He believed it was another lion challenging him.
37
The lion let out a thunderous roar.
38
The same roar echoed back from the well.
39
Now his rage reached its peak.
40
I will destroy you right now.
41
With that, he leapt straight into the well and drowned in the deep water, ending his story forever.
42
Silence spread across the jungle.
43
Then, slowly, a wave of relief followed.
44
The animals breathed freely once again.
45
The rabbit stood quietly.
46
There was calm in his eyes.
47
Softly he said, Greed and pride always blind the mind.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
✨ Recommend Video
B21
65 sentences
The Lion King The Elephant Graveyard HD
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
90 sentences
Control Your Mind Before It Destroys Your Life | Monk And Cat Story |
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
154 sentences
From A Homeless Girl To The Richest Queen In The Kingdom | Easy English Listening Practice
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B24
47 sentences
THE HUNT | The Tale Of The Jack Rabbit (Betty Gilpin)
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B212
200 sentences
Testing The World's Smartest Crow
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B1108 sentences
Cruelty Has a Price | A Motivational Story About Kindness
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
32 sentences
Shadowing Technique with Lord Farquaad
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
195 sentences
My Greatest Enemy Risked His Life To Rescue Me From The Void | Easy English Listening Practice
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
129 sentences
Shrek meets Rumpelstiltskins, signs contract
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
145 sentences
The Winged Lion Story | Stories for Teenagers | @EnglishFairyTales
TeensDaily Conversation
B11
124 sentences
The Parrot That Learned to Stay Silent | A Story About True Wisdom
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
43 sentences
The Lion King - Life's Not Fair Scene I 4K Ultra HD
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “The Greedy Lion’s Shocking End”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: lion, rabbit, animals, greed, jungle. This video has 47 sentences and 425 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:59. The speaker talks slowly, about 107 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lion noun | /ˈlaɪən/ | A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe. |
| rabbit noun | /ˈɹæbɪt/ | A mammal of most genera of the family Leporidae, with long ears, long hind legs and a short, fluffy tail. (Those of the larger kind are instead called hares) |
| jungle noun | /ˈd͡ʒʌŋ.ɡ(ə)l/ | A large, lush, undeveloped, humid forest, especially in a tropical region, thick with vegetation and wildlife; a tropical rainforest. |
| greed noun | /ɡɹiːd/ | A selfish or excessive desire for more than is needed or deserved, especially of money, wealth, food, or other possessions. |
| softly adverb | /ˈsɔftli/ | In a soft manner; gently. |
| roar verb | /ˈɹoɹ/ | To make a loud, deep cry, especially from pain, anger, or other strong emotion. |
| silence noun | /ˈsaɪ̯ləns/ | The absence of any sound. |
| deer noun | /dɪɹ/ | A ruminant mammal with hooves and often antlers, of the family Cervidae, or one of several similar animals from related families of the order Artiodactyla… |
| mirror noun | /ˈmiɹɚ/ | A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it. |
| silent adjective | /ˈsaɪ̯lənt/ | Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet. |
| anger noun | /ˈæŋɡə/ | A strong and unpleasant feeling of displeasure, hostility, or antagonism, usually combined with an urge to yell, curse, damage or destroy things, or harm… |
| ordinary adjective | /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/ | Having regular jurisdiction; now only used in certain phrases. |
| merely adverb | /ˈmɪəli/ | Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more. |
| dare verb | /dɛ(ə)ɹ/ | To have enough courage (to do something). |
| wisdom noun | /ˈwɪzdəm/ | An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| step forward verb | to take one or more steps forward, especially in response to a request for identification |
| fall over verb | To fall from an upright or standing position to a horizontal or prone position. |
| let out verb | To release. |
Pronunciation to watch
- The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, thunderous /ˈθʌn.də.ɹəs/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: reflection /ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/, determination /dɪˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃən/, astonish /əˈstɑnɪʃ/, insatiable /ɪnˈseɪʃ(j)əbəl/
- Long words — get the stress right: ordinary /ˈɔɹdɪnɛɹi/, determination /dɪˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃən/, insatiable /ɪnˈseɪʃ(j)əbəl/
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 lion, rabbit, jungle.
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.