Shadowing Practice: The Original Story of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs | Stories For Teenagers - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Once upon a time, in the middle of a cold,
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Once upon a time, in the middle of a cold,
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snowy winter, a queen sat by her window sewing.
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She accidentally pricked her finger with her needle,
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and drops of bright red blood fell onto the snow on the windowsill.
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As she looked at the striking contrast of red on white,
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she whispered to herself, I wish I had a child with skin as white as snow,
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lips as red as blood,
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and hair as black as this ebony wood.
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Not long after, the queen gave birth to a baby girl who looked exactly as she had wished.
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Her skin was pure white,
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her lips deep red, and her hair black as night.
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We shall name her Snow White.
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But happiness was brief, for the queen died soon after.
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A year passed, and the king married again.
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His new queen was a beautiful woman,
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but she was also proud and cruel.
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She couldn't stand the thought of anyone being more beautiful than her.
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She had a magical mirror,
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and every day she stood in front of it and asked, Mirror!
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Mirror on the wall!
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Who is the fairest one of all?
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You, my queen, are the fairest of all.
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That answer always made her happy,
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until one day when Snow White had grown into a lovely little girl.
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By the time she was only seven years old,
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she had already become more beautiful than the Queen.
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One morning when the Queen asked the Mirror the same question,
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the Mirror answered, You are fair, O Queen.
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It's true, but Snow White is fairer than you.
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The Queen was furious.
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Her jealousy turned into hatred.
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From that moment on, she couldn't stand the sight of Snow White.
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Her anger and envy grew each day until she could no longer bear it.
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Take Snow White into the forest.
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Kill her and bring me her heart as proof that she's dead.
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The huntsman obeyed and led Snow White deep into the woods.
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When he raised his knife to kill her, she began to cry.
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Please, dear huntsman, don't hurt me.
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Let me go, and I promise I'll never come back.
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The huntsman looked at her innocent face and felt sorry for her.
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She was too kind and too beautiful to kill.
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Run, child!
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Escape and never return!
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To trick the queen, he killed a wild boar instead and took its heart back to the castle,
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pretending it was Snow White's.
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Believing Snow White dead, the queen had it cooked and ate it.
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Meanwhile, Snow White was alone and terrified in the dark forest.
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The trees loomed over her,
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and every rustle of the leaves made her jump.
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What will I do?
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Oh, where am I?
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What will I do?
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She ran for hours, not knowing where she was going.
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Finally, as the sun began to set,
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she came across a strange little house in a clearing.
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Inside, she found seven small plates,
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seven cups, and seven little beds.
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Hungry and exhausted, she tasted a little from each plate and drunk a little from each cup.
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She then tried each one of the seven beds,
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until she found one that felt just right.
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That night, seven dwarfs returned from mining in the mountains.
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Look, someone has been in our house.
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Who's been sitting in my chair?
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Who's been drinking from my cup?
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Who's eaten from my plate?
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Someone's been sleeping in my bed, and she's still there.
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Who is she?
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She's so beautiful.
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Oh yes, she is such a lovely girl.
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They didn't wake her.
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Instead, they let her sleep.
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and the seventh dwarf took turns sleeping with each of the others through the night.
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In the morning, Snow White woke up and was startled to see the dwarfs.
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But they were friendly and kind.
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They asked her name and how she had come to be in their home.
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Snow White told them her story.
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The wicked stepmother, the huntsman who had let her go,
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and how she had wandered through the woods until she found their house.
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If you stay here and keep the house tidy,
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cook, clean, sew, and wash,
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you can live with us.
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We'll protect you.
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Thank you.
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Snow White agreed, and for a time, she lived happily.
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Before they left each morning, the dwarfs warned her.
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Be careful.
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Don't let anyone in.
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Your stepmother will soon find out you're still alive.
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Back at the palace, the queen stood before her magic mirror once more.
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Mirror!
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Mirror on the wall!
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Who is the fairest one of all?
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To her horror, the mirror replied,
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You are fair, O Queen.
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It's true, but Snow White,
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beyond the hills, with seven dwarfs, is fairer still.
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The Queen was furious.
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I will not be thwarted!
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Disguising herself as an old peddler woman,
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the Queen travelled over the mountains to the dwarfs' cottage.
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Lovely laces for sale.
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Beautiful ribbons.
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Good day, madam.
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What are you selling?
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Snow White, thinking this harmless,
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opened the door and admired the lace.
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Oh, how lovely.
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Allow me, dearie.
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Such a pretty thing needs to be just right.
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Now you'll never be more beautiful than me.
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When the dwarfs returned, they revived her just in time.
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Thank you.
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That was your stepmother.
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Promise us, don't open the door again.
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The next day, the queen asked her mirror again.
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I will not be thwarted.
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Snow White will pay.
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Enraged, the queen disguised herself once more,
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this time as a different old woman.
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She made a poisonous comb and traveled again to the dwarf's home.
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Pretty combs for your lovely hair!
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I must not let anyone in.
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No need.
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Just take a look from your window.
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Snow White admired the comb.
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When the woman offered to fix it in her hair, she allowed it.
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But the moment the comb touched her head,
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the poison worked and she collapsed again.
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When the dwarfs returned and saw her lifeless body,
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they searched and found the comb.
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As soon as they pulled it out, she revived.
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You must never, ever open the door to strangers again.
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When the queen learned that Snow White was still alive,
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she created the most dangerous trick of all.
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A beautiful red and white apple,
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poisoned only on one side.
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Then she dressed as a farmer woman and knocked on the dwarf's door.
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Delicious apples fresh from the orchard.
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I can't let anyone in.
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That's all right.
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Here, I'll cut this one in half.
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You eat the red side, I'll eat the white.
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That way, you'll see it's safe.
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As soon as Snow White took a bite,
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she fell to the ground.
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When the dwarfs came home, they couldn't revive her.
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They tried everything, but nothing worked.
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She didn't breathe.
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She was gone.
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For three days they wept over her,
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then built a glass coffin,
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placed her in it on the mountain,
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and one of them always stood watch.
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Mirror!
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Mirror on the wall!
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Who is the fairest one of all?
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You, my queen, are the fairest of all.
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One day, a prince rode through the forest and saw the beautiful girl in the glass coffin.
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He read the golden letters.
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Snow White, daughter of a king.
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He was so moved by her beauty.
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Please let me take her with me.
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I'll honor her memory always.
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At first, the dwarfs refused,
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but the prince pleaded with such sincerity that they finally agreed.
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As his servants carried the coffin away,
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they stumbled on a root.
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The jolt caused the piece of poisoned apple to pop out of Snow White's throat.
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Where am I?
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You're safe now.
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Come with me to my castle.
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Will you be my queen?
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Snow White smiled and agreed.
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A grand wedding was held.
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Snow White and the prince were married in splendor.
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The wicked queen, still believing Snow White was dead, was invited too.
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Before she left, she stood before her mirror.
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Mirror, mirror on the wall,
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who is the fairest one of all?
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You, my queen, are fair, it's true.
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But the new queen is fairer than you.
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The queen's heart was filled with dread,
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but she had to see who this new queen was.
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At the wedding feast, a punishment had been prepared.
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The queen was forced to wear red hot iron shoes and dance in them until she dropped to the floor,
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never to rise again.
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And so, Snow White and the Prince ruled their kingdom with kindness and joy.
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She never forgot the dwarfs who had saved her,
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and they visited often, always welcomed as honored guests.
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And they all lived happily ever after.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing speaking with the story of Snow White offers numerous benefits for English learners. This classic tale, rich in dialogue and emotion, allows you to engage with varied vocabulary and sentence structures while immersing yourself in an intriguing narrative. By utilizing the shadowing technique, you can mimic the speaker, which significantly enhances your speaking fluency and intonation. The emotional depth in the characters’ voices helps learners not only to repeat phrases but to convey sentiment effectively, leading to a more natural speaking style. As you learn English with YouTube, you can combine storytelling with language practice, creating a more enjoyable and relatable learning experience.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

This video presents several key grammatical structures and expressions that are particularly useful for learners:

  • Conditional Statements: Phrases like "If I had a child..." illustrate how to express wishes and hypothetical situations, foundational for advanced communication.
  • Direct Speech: The dialogue, such as "Mirror! Mirror on the wall!" helps learners understand how to convey conversations effectively, enhancing conversational skills.
  • Descriptive Language: Vivid descriptions such as "skin as white as snow" and "lips red as blood" showcase similes that enrich vocabulary and descriptive writing skills.
  • Past Tense Usage: The narrative unfolds using the past tense, providing ample examples for learners to practice recounting events with clarity.

Engaging with these expressions can significantly improve your English speaking abilities when performing shadowspeak exercises.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with the Snow White story, pay attention to certain tricky words and pronunciation patterns:

  • Beautiful: This word may be pronounced incorrectly if learners do not emphasize the "beau-" syllable. Practice saying it slow and then faster to improve your English pronunciation.
  • Jealousy: The 'jeal-' part can often be challenging. Breaking it down into syllables while practicing the shadowing technique can help to articulate it more clearly.
  • Queen: The pronunciation can vary regionally. Listening closely to the video and mimicking the speaker will aid in mastering its pronunciation.

These common pronunciation traps can be overcome effectively through consistent practice, allowing you to communicate with greater confidence. By integrating these techniques, you are setting yourself up for success in improving your English speaking skills.

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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