Shadowing Practice: The Monkey King (Journey to the West) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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The Chinese Year of the Monkey: The Journey to the West.
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Hello, this is Jana.
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According to the Chinese horoscope, people born in the Year of the Monkey are clever, inventive, and quick to solve problems.
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They can also be vain, impatient, and sometimes, well, a bit naughty.
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This is a Chinese story about a monkey who takes all of that and turns it up to maximum.
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His name is Sun Wukong and he is the hero or anti -hero of the Chinese epic tale
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The Journey to the West.
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Soon Wukong hatched from a stone egg on Flower Fruit Mountain.
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He grew up to become the monkey king of his island.
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But even that wasn't enough for him.
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He wanted to live forever.
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So he went off to study with a wise master.
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who perhaps unwisely taught him the secrets of immortality
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and how to leap through the sky from cloud to cloud in a single somersault, which, as you might imagine,
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did not improve his behaviour one bit.
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officials.
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One day, two important visitors arrived, both looking extremely annoyed.
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The first was the Dragon King of the East Sea.
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He knelt down and kissed the ground before the Empress' feet.
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before lifting his head to say: "Great Emperor,
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I must complain about the most troublesome monkey." The emperor raised an eyebrow.
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Thank you.
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A monkey, you say?
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Yes.
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said the Dragon King.
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"'He came to my undersea palace completely uninvited "'and behaved most disgracefully.' He demanded gifts.
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What sort of gifts?
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All siempre.
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Nothing much.
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said the Dragon King.
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"Just a suit of armour,
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and my finest magical weapon." the iron staff "The very same." He picked it up.
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"'Tested it?' Shrank it to the size of a needle.
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and tucked it behind his ear as if it were his own property. And then...
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said the emperor.
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And then he left, without so much as a thank you.
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Next came the Lord of the Underworld.
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He too kissed the ground before the Empress' feet.
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"Great ruler, this same monkey has caused chaos in my realm as well." Oh dear.
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said the emperor.
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What has he done now?
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His number was up.
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It was his time to leave the world of the light and move down to the underworld.
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But he didn't turn up.
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I sent my agents to arrest him,
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but he resisted arrest instead he stormed into my palace demanded to see the book of the dead and then Yes?
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He went and crossed out all the names of his monkey friends as well.
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As his own.
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So they are all immortal now?
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Yes, every last one of them, completely against the rules.
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I implore you, sire, send a heavenly army to defeat this monkey menace.
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Now the Jade Emperor sat back on his throne and thought for a moment, while he stroked his pearly beard.
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This could become a problem.
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At this point, one of his advisors stepped forward and whispered in his Majesty's ear,
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The Jade Emperor nodded.
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"Yes," he said eventually.
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A very good idea.
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There's no need to send him an army.
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We'll give him a job in heaven with a fancy title.
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That will satisfy his ego and keep him quiet.
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Meanwhile, we can keep a watch on him.
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The whole court agreed that this was an extremely wise plan.
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So a messenger was sent down from heaven to Flower Fruit Mountain.
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He found the Monkey King lounging on a rock surrounded by his followers, boasting as usual.
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"I am the greatest monkey who has ever lived !" I can leap across the sky,
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I cannot die.
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Oi!
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At that moment, the messenger cleared his throat.
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"Ekken!
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His most radiant majesty, the Jade Emperor of the High Heavens,
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invites you to attend his court." "You are to be given an official job." Monkey leapt his feet.
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"A job !" he cried. "At last!
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They recognize my greatness !" you Soon he was standing bold upright before the Emperor.
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He did not bother to bow, let alone kiss the ground below the Emperor's feet.
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The officials exchanged glances.
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"You monkey," said the Jade Emperor,
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"have not learned any manners." We will overlook your rudeness just this once.
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Then he turned to his officials.
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"Do we have a job we can give him?" An official whispered in his ear.
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"Very well." said the emperor.
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I appoint you Keeper of the Imperial Horses.
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The monkey whooped and cheered because this sounded like a great honor.
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"Woop, whoop, whoop, whoop !" And at first, he threw himself into his new job.
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He went round with a book, listing and labelling all the horses.
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2 ,000 wind chasers 3 ,000 star leapers, and so on and so forth.
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Finally, he sat down for a feast with his colleagues from the stable a question occurred to him.
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What is my rank in the service of the Jade Emperor?
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and that was when he learned that his job as keeper of the imperial horses
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were so low that he did not even have a rank or a title, fancy or not fancy.
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"So that's what they think of me," he declared bitterly,
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and in that instant, he jumped back across the clouds all the way to Flower Fruit Mountain.
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The following day, an official reported that the monkey was missing.
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So the Jade Emperor again sent a messenger to the monkey to ask
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that he return to heaven where he could be in charge of the orchard of immortal peaches.
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The monkey, who loved fruit, thought this was a wonderful idea and agreed right away.
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Now the immortal peaches looked so juicy and tasty that he could not help eating them.
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Some of them had taken thousands of years to ripen.
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But he gobbled them up in a trice.
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"'He was just lying down for a nice sleep "'when a
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messenger came to ask what had happened to the peaches.' You see, the Queen Mother was holding a party, and she wanted to serve up her most magical and delicious fruit.
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"And am I invited to this party?" asked the monkey.
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"No you are not !" snapped the messenger.
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Well, you can imagine how furious that made the monkey feel.
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He rushed over to the Queen Mother's palace.
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where the guests had already arrived and the party was in full swing.
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First, he drank all the wine and then he began to dance on the tables and throw food at the guests.
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The guards tried to catch him but he was always one swing ahead of them.
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In the total chaos, all the tables and chairs were turned over and the guests were covered in mess.
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Finally, The monkey jumped onto a cloud and flew off back to Fruit Flower Mountain.
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News of the monkey's disgraceful behaviour soon reached the ears of the Jade Emperor.
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This time he was in no mood for forgiveness.
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Nor was he about to offer the monkey another job.
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Instead, he sent an imperial army to take the monkey prisoner.
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But the Jade Emperor had underestimated the Monkey King of the Flower Fruit Mountain.
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All the 84 ,000 hares on his back turned into little monkey warriors.
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He pulled his magical weapon from behind his ear.
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This was the wonderful iron staff that he had stolen from the Dragon King.
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It turned into a giant iron pillar, which he used to clobber the enemy soldiers.
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They hastily beat a retreat back to heaven.
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The Jade Emperor was at a loss.
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"Who on heaven or earth can defeat this atrocious creature?" he asked.
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He then answered his own question: "It seems no one on heaven or earth can defeat him."
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But there is one being who exists.
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in the Spiritual Universe.
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Only he can deal with this problem.
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And that spiritual being was the Buddha.
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And so the Jade Emperor called upon the Lord Buddha, and asked him very nicely if he would mind calling on the monkey and defeating him.
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The Buddha transformed himself into an orange -robed monk, and appeared on Flower Fruit Mountain.
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Who are you? he demanded I Am one who has heard
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of your great powers said the monk the monkey puffed up at once.
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Oh You have have you?
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Then you know there is no one who can defeat me.
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Not even the immortal army of the Jade Emperor can lay a finger on me.
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The monkey grinned from ear to ear Is that so?
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Then perhaps you would care for a little test.
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"A test," said the monkey.
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"Name it." The monk stretched out his hand and said, "If you can leap out of the palm of my hand,
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then heaven itself shall belong to you." The monkey burst out laughing.
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Out of your hand?
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I can leap to the ends of the world in a single somersault.
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"Then it should be easy," replied the monk.
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So the monkey gathered himself, and with a tremendous bound, he shot across the sky.
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He flew past clouds, past stars, past mountains and seas.
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At last, he came to what looked like the very edge of the universe.
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There, he saw five great pillars rising into the sky.
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Wow! said the monkey.
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This must be the end of everything.
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To prove how far he had come, he scratched his name on one of the pillars.
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Soon Wukong was here.
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And just to be cheeky, he left a little puddle at the base.
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Then feeling very pleased with himself, he somersaulted all the way back.
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I have done it, The monk raised an eyebrow.
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"Have you?" he said gently.
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"Then perhaps you would like to look more closely." The monkey blinked, for there, on the monk's finger,
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were the words Sun Wukong was here.
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And there, yes.
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There was the unmistakable little puddle.
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The monkey stared.
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The five pillars had been the monk's fingers all along.
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And in that very moment, the truth dawned on him.
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There was no mortal or even heavenly power he was dealing with.
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This was the Spirit of the Universe, the Lord Buddha Himself.
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Before the monkey could leap or boast, Or think of another trick.
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The Buddha turned his hand and pressed him down beneath a great mountain.
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And there the monkey lay.
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Pinned fast.
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His mischief at last brought to a halt.
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For now, he would remain there for 500 years.
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Until one day, a travelling monk came passing by, a monk with a long journey ahead of him and a very unusual companion.
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yet to meet.
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And that story is known in China as the Journey to the West.
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But for now, remember to be good.
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even if you are born in the year of the monkey.
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Until next time, from me, Jana, bye -bye.
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Context & Background
In this engaging narrative, we explore the iconic Chinese tale of The Monkey King from the epic Journey to the West. The story revolves around Sun Wukong, a monkey born from a stone egg who exhibits exceptional cleverness and a flair for mischief. As he grows into the Monkey King, he seeks immortality and causes chaos in the celestial realms. His antics include demanding gifts from powerful figures and creating turmoil in the Underworld. This narrative presents both an entertaining adventure and valuable lessons about behavior and consequences, making it an ideal context for English speaking practice.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “I must complain about...” – This is a useful phrase when you want to express dissatisfaction or bring up an issue.
- “Completely uninvited” – Use this to describe someone who shows up unexpectedly, particularly in a negative context.
- “Behaved most disgracefully” – A formal way to indicate that someone's actions were inappropriate.
- “Demanded gifts” – This phrase can be used in both serious and light-hearted discussions about entitled behavior.
- “Completely against the rules” – A phrase to highlight actions that violate established norms or laws.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To improve your English speaking skills using this video, you can follow these structured steps:
- Watch and Listen: Begin by watching the video once while focusing on the overall story and tone. Pay attention to how Sun Wukong's character is presented.
- Pause and Repeat: After listening to a short segment, pause the video. Repeat what was just said, mimicking the intonation and rhythm. This is crucial for improving English pronunciation and adopting a natural speaking style.
- Shadow Speech Practice: Use the shadow speech technique by repeating the sentences right after you hear them. Try to match the speaker's emotions and expressions, which will help you become more confident in your speaking.
- Focus on Challenges: Identify any phrases or vocabulary that are difficult for you. Break them down and practice saying them repeatedly until you feel comfortable.
- Record Yourself: Finally, record your shadow speak practice. Listen to the playback to identify areas for improvement. This will enhance your self-awareness and aid in the continual process of shadowing to become a fluent English speaker.
By using these techniques, you'll enhance your understanding of the language while bringing the character of the Monkey King to life in your own speech! Engage with the narrative, and watch as you grow in confidence and fluency through English speaking practice.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has caused · has he done · has ever lived |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was sent · be given · were turned |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | one who has · one who can |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was standing · was missing · was just lying |
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.