Shadowing Practice: The Last Photo - by Bernard Smith | Leitura para Iniciantes - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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The last photo, Bernard Smith.
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106 sentences
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The last photo, Bernard Smith.
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It is Saturday afternoon.
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Martin and his sister Pam are in Cambridge for the day.
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They are looking at the beautiful old buildings of this university city.
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She likes taking photos and sometimes they are very good, But sometimes they are not very good and Martin laughs at them.
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It is five o'clock.
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Pam and Martin are going home now.
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They are tired of their long day.
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They are in the garden near the bus station.
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Let's have a last photo of you, says Pam.
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Oh no, not again, says Martin.
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Come on, says Pam.
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It's the last one.
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I want to finish the film in my camera.
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Oh, all right, says Martin.
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He stands in front of the flowers.
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Look at me, says Pam and takes a photo.
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A man with a big rucksack on his back walked between Pam and Martin.
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Oh no, says Pam.
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Now I've got a picture of that man, not of you, Martin.
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The man looks at Pam.
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He's angry.
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He goes across the road without a word.
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That man isn't very nice, is he? says Martin.
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No, says Pam.
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And that was the last picture on the film, too.
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The man with the rucksack on his back goes into the bus station.
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He has got sunglasses and a blue hat.
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Come on, says Martin.
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Let's find our bus.
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They go into the bus station.
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Look, says Martin.
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There's that man again.
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He's getting to that bus.
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He's going to Aberdeen.
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That's in Scotland.
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Good, says Pam.
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Far from here, far from me.
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She's angry with the man.
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Three days later, on Tuesday, Pam has got her photos from the shop.
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Look at this, she says to Martin.
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There are the photos of us in Cambridge.
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Oh, these are all very good, says Martin.
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But not this last one, says Pam.
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Look, it's that man with the rucksack.
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In the photo, the man is in front of Martin.
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You cannot see Martin behind the man's rucksack.
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Wait a minute, says Martin.
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I know that face.
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It's in the newspaper.
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Have you got it?
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Today's newspaper, says Pam.
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Yes, it's here.
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Why?
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Yes, here he is.
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Look at this picture, says Martin.
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Pam looks at the photo in the newspaper.
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Who's that? she asks.
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It says in the paper his name is Alan Rook, says Marty, and he works in a bank in London.
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But on Monday morning, yesterday morning, no Alan Rook.
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The people at the bank don't know where he is.
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And they said he's got a hundred thousand pounds with him.
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The police are looking for him too.
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But is that the man in my photo? asks Pam.
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He hasn't got a beard and he hasn't any hair.
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Look at his ears.
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Look at his nose, says Martin.
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It's him, I know it is.
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Martin has an idea.
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He takes a pencil and starts to draw on the newspaper.
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What are you doing? asks Pam.
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Look, says Martin, I'm putting dark glasses and a two-day bed on the man in this photo.
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Now I'm drawing a hat on his head, see?
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Now look at the two pictures.
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You're right, says Bam.
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It's him.
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It's Alan Rook.
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Come on, says Martin, let's take these pictures to the police.
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At the police station, Pam and Martin speak to a policeman.
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They put Pam's photo and the newspaper on the table and they tell their story.
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That's Alan Rourke, says the policeman, in Cambridge at 5 o'clock on Saturday.
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The big question is, where is he now?
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We think we know.
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He's in Scotland in Aberdeen, says Pam.
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Or he's near there.
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They tell the policeman about the man and the bus to Aberdeen.
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He's got a rucksack and a tent on his back in the photo, says the policeman.
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He isn't living in a hotel.
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He's camping.
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If you're lucky, he's still in Scotland.
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I must make a telephone call.
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The policeman telephones the police station in Aberdeen.
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Alan Rooks is in Scotland, he says.
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We think he's camping near Aberdeen.
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He's got a short bear now.
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The next day, the police in Aberdeen find Alan Rook in a tent in the mountains near Aberdeen.
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The money from the bank is in his rucksack.
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The next morning, Pam Martin's story is in all the newspapers.
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There is Pam's photo of Alan Rook at the bus station.
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There is a picture of Martin and Pam, too.
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In the newspaper it says, Come at a girl, gets photo of Rook.
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Police in Aberdeen, find bank money.
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The people at the bank are very happy.
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They give Pam and Martin a thousand pounds.
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My last photo is a good one after all, laughs Pam.
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Now I can buy a very good new camera.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

The video "The Last Photo" by Bernard Smith is an excellent resource for learners seeking to enhance their English speaking skills through engaging storytelling. Set in a picturesque university city, the narrative follows the characters Martin and Pam as they explore Cambridge, creating a relatable context for conversation. By practicing speaking with this video, learners can immerse themselves in the natural flow of dialogue, which is essential for improving fluency. This context not only makes the practice enjoyable but also helps to reinforce vocabulary related to travel, photography, and daily interactions.

Utilizing clips like this for IELTS speaking practice allows you to familiarize yourself with common phrases and vocabulary needed for everyday situations. By repeating after the characters, you can build confidence and improve your pronunciation while reflecting on the emotional nuances of the story. This form of practice highlights the importance of speaking in realistic scenarios, an invaluable component of learn English with YouTube strategies.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The transcript presents several grammatical structures and expressions essential for English learners:

  • Simple Present Tense: “Martin and his sister Pam are in Cambridge for the day.” This structure is foundational for describing current situations and habits, which is common in everyday English conversations.
  • Imperatives: “Look at me,” says Pam. Imperative sentences are frequently used for commands or requests, making them crucial for effective verbal communication.
  • Reported Speech: “Oh, not again,” says Martin. This structure helps convey what others say without directly quoting them, providing a way to summarize conversations.
  • Use of Adjectives: “A man with a big rucksack.” Here, adjectives enrich language by providing descriptive detail, which is vital for effective storytelling.

Practicing these structures through english speaking practice exercises enhances comprehension and can significantly improve speaking proficiency. Engaging with the video encourages use of the shadowing technique, enabling learners to mimic natural speech patterns.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While watching the video, pay attention to these tricky words and pronunciations:

  • "Rucksack": This term might be unfamiliar to some learners. Practice the blending of the sounds, ensuring a smooth articulation.
  • "Cambridge": The pronunciation can vary slightly based on accent. Focus on the first syllable to ensure clarity.
  • "Angry": The subtle difference in vowel sounds can cause difficulties. Practice emphasizing the 'a' and connecting it to the 'ng' sounds for better fluency.

By honing in on these pronunciation challenges, learners can improve their speaking clarity. Exploring these aspects on a shadowing site often gives learners the chance to record and playback their voices, which is beneficial for self-assessment and improvement.

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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