Shadowing Practice: The Mystery of Manor Hall | Crime & Mystery | Bookworms Starter | BrE - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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- - The Mystery of Manor Hall We don't want to stay with Uncle Henry, Mum.
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The boy with dark hair and blue eyes takes his mobile phone out of his pocket.
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Grandma says he doesn't like teenagers.
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His mother shakes her head and Tom looks out the window again.
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The car goes left.
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The sign on the gate says Manor Hall.
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Manor Hall!
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says the beautiful girl sitting next to her brother Tom.
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Does Uncle Henry live here?
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Her mother hears what Millie says.
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'Henry is strange.
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But he's nice too.
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'Can't we come to the new house with you, Mum?' We can help.
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Millie asks: No, Millie.
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says her mom.
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"There aren't any beds in the new house." The car stops.
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Here we are.
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says mum The house is very old and dark.
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There are lots of small windows.
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Millie is afraid.
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A man opens the door.
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He is old and he has got white hair and big eyebrows.
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He looks at Tom and Millie with his grey eyes.
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You're late.
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He says.
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Come in.
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Sorry?
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says Tom.
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I'm Tom.
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How do you do?
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The old man looks angry. And I'm Millie.
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says Millie.
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Your house is very big.
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It is.
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says Uncle Henry.
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You can explore...
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But there is one room where you can't go.
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They walk along a corridor and see a sitting room where there are beautiful sofas and pictures on the walls.
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Then they come to a door.
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This is the music room.
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says Uncle Henry.
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Yeah.
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There is a sign on the door.
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It says...
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Do not enter.
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Thank you.
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Why can't we go in there? asks Millie.
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I can play the piano and I love music.
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Uncle Henry shakes his head.
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I can't tell you, but never open this door.
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What a strange man!
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Tom says, when they are in their bedroom.
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Why can't we go into the music room? But Millie isn't listening.
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Let's explore! she says.
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Thank you.
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Tom and Millie walk up and down and open doors.
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Then, They come to the music room.
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Tom is about to open the door when Uncle Henry sees them.
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Get away from there!
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Shouts Uncle Henry.
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Later.
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When they are having dinner in the dining room, Uncle Henry is very quiet.
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'Are you angry with us?' asks Millie.
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Uncle Henry doesn't answer.
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He shakes his head.
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Then he says...
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There's a full moon tonight.
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He gets up and looks out the window.
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Lock your bedroom door.
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he says.
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and don't open it.
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Yeah.
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I don't understand.
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Millie says to Tom.
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Why does Uncle Henry look at the moon?
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Why can't we go into the music room?
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"'It's a mystery.' Tom isn't listening.
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He's reading a book.
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I want to explore.
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Tom says suddenly, We can't!
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says Millie.
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It's midnight and Millie wakes up.
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It's very dark in the bedroom.
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and she can hear a noise.
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She gets out of bed and goes to her brother's bed.
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Tom?
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Tom!
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she says, and shakes his arm.
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Tom opens his eyes.
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"'Millie!' "'It's late!' Go back to bed.
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He closes his eyes again.
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No!
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Tom!
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Get up!
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There's a strange noise.
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Tom goes to the door and listens.
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You're right.
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he says to Millie.
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I can hear someone singing. Can Uncle Henry sing?
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Millie asks Tom.
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Tom laughs.
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Let's see.
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He opens the door.
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'No!' Millie says.
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'There's a full moon.
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We can't go out!' You can stay here, but I want to see who's singing at midnight.
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Tom opens the door.
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and they run into the corridor.
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Someone is singing in the music room.
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says Millie.
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You're right! says Tom.
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"It's a man?" And he's singing a song about the sea.
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It's beautiful.
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Says Millie. Is it Uncle Henry?
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Tom isn't listening.
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He opens the door of the music room and goes in.
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"Don't, Tom !" Says Millie.
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We can't go into the music room.
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And The music room is very big.
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and Millie is afraid.
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We haven't got much time before Uncle Henry hears us.
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she says.
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Tom puts the light on and the singing stops.
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In the music room, there's a piano and there are lots of pictures on the wall.
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But Uncle Henry isn't there.
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Millie wants to go.
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On one wall, There is a very big picture of a ship.
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Millie and Tom look at the picture and they can see that the sea is moving.
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They can hear the water.
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There is a man standing on the ship.
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He has got long black hair and a black hat.
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He is singing a song about the sea.
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He's a pirate.
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Tom and Millie are afraid, but they can't move.
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The pirate looks at them.
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He stopped singing, And he smiles.
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Suddenly, He comes out of the picture and into the music room.
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Help!
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Shouts Millie.
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Millie looks at the handsome pirate.
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He has a big hat and he is very white.
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He's a ghost.
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she says in a quiet voice to Tom.
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Tom!
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Let's go!
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Tom doesn't answer.
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The pirate is near the door.
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So they can't go.
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Who's in my music room?
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The pirate shouts.
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"This is my room !" You're right.
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says Tom.
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"This is your music room." And we're going to bed...
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The pirate?
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shakes his head.
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"Oh, no, you're not !" Sit down.
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I'm going to tell you my story.
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My name is William Bones.
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But everyone calls me Billy.
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says the pirate.
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The year is 1793.
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My men and I sail the seven seas in my ship.
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The Pearl.
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We fight pirate ships and we sing songs.
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About the sea.
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We are very happy.
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Because we have lots of treasure.
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Then...
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"One day, I help an old woman." And she paints a picture of my ship.
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"This picture's magic !" She tells me.
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Before you die, Put it in a house near the sea.
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When you die and the moon is full,
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your ghost can sail your ship for one night.
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Then, the old woman looks at me.
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And she says: Thank you.
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Pirate Billy Bones, remember that the picture must be near the sea.
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Now, It's 1850.
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Billy says.
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When I'm old, I die in my household.
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By the sea.
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The old woman is right.
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When the moon is full, my ghost can sail my ship.
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For one night. But then...
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In 1910, someone brings the picture here to Manor Hall.
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the pirate says.
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this house isn't near the sea.
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So I can't sail my ship.
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When the moon is full, I sing songs about the sea.
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And the people in the house are afraid.
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They are afraid of the ghost.
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They put my picture in the music room and lock the door.
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Suddenly, the door of the music room opens.
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Uncle Henry stands there.
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He looks at Billy Bones and then at Tom. And Millie...
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His face is white.
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Oh dear.
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He says.
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Thank you.
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Now you know about the mystery.
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Now...
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I must tell you my story.
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says Uncle Henry.
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The year is 1976.
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I buy this house from an old man.
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He tells me about the picture and the ghost in the music room.
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I'm afraid of ghosts.
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And I don't go into the music room.
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I lock the door.
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Every month, when there is a full moon, I hear a pirate singing songs about the sea.
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says Uncle Henry.
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I know that he is unhappy.
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And I know that he wants to go back to the sea.
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But I'm afraid.
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And I can't help him.
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I know!
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says Tom.
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Our new house is in a beautiful place near the sea.
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He says, From my bedroom, I can hear the seagulls and the waves.
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Come with us!
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We can put your picture in the breakfast room where you can see the sea.
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Yeah.
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Uncle Henry begins to smile.
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How wonderful!
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says Billy Bones.
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"'I'm happy that you want to go with Tom and Millie.' says Uncle Henry.
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Yeah.
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Please sit down, Billy Bones. And listen.
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Everyone sits at the kitchen table.
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You can go.
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But you must be quiet.
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"'You must sing quietly in their new house.' Now.
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"All right." says Billy Bones.
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"'Are you afraid of ghosts now, Henry?' Henry smiles.
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No, I'm not Billy.
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Mum's here.
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Says Millie.
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They run out of the house.
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"Mom, we have something from Uncle Henry." says Millie.
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It's for the new house.
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Mum looks at the picture.
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A ship?
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And a handsome pirate.
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How lovely!
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says Mum.
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Tom and Millie say goodbye to Uncle Henry.
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They take the picture to their new house by the sea.
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Pirate Billy Bones stands on his ship and he looks at his new home.
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He can hear seagulls, and he quietly sings a song about the sea.
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One day, When there is a full moon...
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His ship?
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disappears.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice English speaking and listening skills through the engaging story of "The Mystery of Manor Hall." You will enhance your vocabulary, improve your pronunciation, and familiarize yourself with conversational phrases used in everyday situations. By using the shadowspeak technique and mimicking the characters in the video, you'll gain confidence in your spoken English while enjoying a mystery story that captures your imagination.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Mobile phone - A portable device for communication.
- Explore - To investigate or travel around a place to learn more about it.
- Can’t tell you - A phrase indicating that someone is unable to share information.
- Enter - To go into a place.
- Angry - Feeling or showing strong annoyance.
- Corridor - A long passage in a building from which doors lead into rooms.
- Sitting room - A room in a house for relaxing and socializing.
- Piano - A large musical instrument with keys.
Practice Tips
To make the most out of this lesson, consider using a shadowing app to listen to the dialogue and repeat it alongside the video. The speed of the characters is moderate, making it easier for you to catch every word. Here’s how you can effectively implement shadowing:
- Repeat Aloud: As you play the video, pause after each line and repeat what you hear, focusing on mimicking the intonation and pronunciation.
- Slow it Down: If the pace feels too fast, use the playback speed settings to slow down the video. This will allow you to hear each word more clearly.
- Record Yourself: Use your mobile phone to record your own voice as you practice. Play it back to analyze your pronunciation against the original audio.
- Engage with Emotions: Pay attention to the characters’ emotions, especially Uncle Henry’s tone. This will help you learn how context affects speech patterns.
By consistently practicing with “The Mystery of Manor Hall,” you will not only improve your English pronunciation but also develop a natural conversational style. Incorporate these tips, and you'll notice significant progress in your language skills, enhancing your ability to learn English with YouTube as a valuable resource.
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.