Shadowing Practice: The Tortoise and the Hare | English Fairy Tales And Stories - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
A2
Adisababa Adisababa Adisababa Adisababa In a forest lived a rabbit.
249 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Adisababa Adisababa Adisababa Adisababa In a forest lived a rabbit.
2
Wandering all day long all he did was jump up and admire himself.
3
He loved talking about how much faster he was than the other animals.
4
I'm the fastest animal in the forest.
5
Would anyone like to race with me?
6
Adisababa He sure did run fast with his very big feet.
7
The other animals hated the way he would show off in saying that they never ever won a race.
8
Yes, I win again.
9
Why?
10
Because I'm fast.
11
Everywhere he went, he would say,
12
I'm so fast, no one could ever pass me.
13
His words had begun to disturb all the other animals in the forest.
14
Ok, he might be the fastest,
15
but the fact that he says and shows off about it is not nice.
16
Someone should teach my lesson to smarten up.
17
All that was said amongst all the animals in the forest managed to go to the turtle.
18
The turtle walked very slow.
19
It would take him a day to reach the distance the rabbit could make in a minute.
20
The turtle wished he would come across the rabbit one of these days.
21
He went to the other animals and told them that he would like to race with the rabbit.
22
You want to race him?
23
Not even the fastest animals have won against the rabbit.
24
How can you?
25
You leave that part up to me.
26
The turtle went next to the rabbit.
27
Good day, Mr. Rabbit.
28
I have been searching for you.
29
Curiously, the rabbit asked.
30
And where might you be looking for me?
31
I hear that you are the fastest animal in the forest.
32
Well, actually that's what you think.
33
But to be sure, I would like to race with you.
34
Let's see who is faster.
35
As soon as the turtle had finished what he had to say,
36
The rabbit began to laugh so hard that all the other animals in the forest heard him.
37
You would be a race?
38
Are you joking me?
39
It's impossible for you to pass me.
40
By the time you take a step,
41
I would finish the race.
42
Well, unless we race, we will never know, will we?
43
Okay, be ready then.
44
Tomorrow morning we race.
45
As the turtle began walking away,
46
the rabbit continued on laughing.
47
The following morning, the animals arrived at the race course.
48
They noticed the turtle waiting at the starting line, all ready to go.
49
Very sure of himself, the turtle was smiling.
50
Please tell me how you're going to beat the rabbit.
51
If he really is so proud and a big show-off as you all say he is,
52
then this race isn't going to be hard at all.
53
Soon after, with his very stuck-up attitude,
54
holding a carrot, the rabbit arrived at the race course.
55
Let's race and finish this.
56
I still haven't had breakfast.
57
Finishing their last preparations, they arrived at the starting point.
58
The first one that arrives at the red line at the end of the forest waits.
59
With the mark of the mole the race started.
60
Just like an arrow the rabbit flew by.
61
The turtle on the other hand began to walk slowly.
62
Whoa!
63
The rabbit was nowhere to be seen.
64
The animals watching the race thought that the turtle was going to get beaten.
65
After running a while, the rabbit stopped and had a look behind him.
66
There was nothing to be seen.
67
By the looks of it,
68
the turtle will finish the race tonight.
69
I better sit and finish my carrot.
70
The rabbit finished eating his carrot,
71
looked out the road, from afar he saw the turtle coming.
72
With a cheeky grin, he stood up and continued on running.
73
The rabbit had nearly reached the finishing point.
74
I'm a bit sleepy after breakfast.
75
I might sit under this tree and take a nap.
76
As confident as he was about winning the race,
77
the rabbit drifted off to sleep.
78
The turtle continued on walking very,
79
very slowly, but with great confidence.
80
At last he arrived next to the rabbit.
81
He saw that the rabbit was in a deep sleep.
82
Without stopping, he continued on his way.
83
A while later, the rabbit woke up.
84
When he looked and could not see the turtle,
85
The turtle is nowhere to be seen.
86
Maybe he doesn't want to race anymore.
87
I should finish my race now.
88
As the rabbit was slowly making his way to the finishing point,
89
what does he see?
90
The turtle had passed him.
91
In fact, he was about to finish the race.
92
Using all the energy he had left over,
93
he tried to pass the turtle.
94
But the turtle had already finished the race.
95
Some of the animals waiting at the finish line were extremely happy.
96
All the animals were throwing the turtle up in the air with great excitement,
97
while the rabbit stood in the corner with great sadness.
98
Turtle, the winner of the race, walked towards the rabbit.
99
Mr Rabbit, the important thing is being consistent about everything that you do.
100
To brag with nonsense and love yourself is weakness.
101
I beat you not because I was faster,
102
but I was wiser and did what I did seriously.
103
You are right.
104
From now on I will stop bragging about being the fastest amongst everyone.
105
I should return now.
106
My home is a long journey away.
107
The turtle smiled and continued on his way.
108
The rabbit learnt a good lesson and noticed his mistake.
109
After that day on, he never ever bragged about himself,
110
nor did he ever race again.
111
Once upon a time there lived an old couple in an old small shack next to a forest.
112
They were living a happy and peaceful life.
113
Their only regret was not having a child of their own.
114
One day, when the old lady was making cookie dough in the kitchen,
115
her husband came in.
116
Darling, what are you cooking today?
117
Oh, my darling, I'm baking a gingerbread man today.
118
The old lady kneaded the dough and cut a gingerbread man shape.
119
After putting it in the oven,
120
she sat down and started to wait for the gingerbread man to bake.
121
When she could smell the delicious cookie all around the air in the kitchen,
122
she put on her oven gloves and took the gingerbread man out.
123
Now it was time to decorate it.
124
She made eyes out of raisins and a cute nose using candy.
125
And then she used some cream to make his hair and clothes.
126
And lastly, she used cherries to make some buttons for him.
127
She had a look at her masterpiece and said,
128
My gingerbread man looks beautiful,
129
but I feel like something is missing.
130
The old lady looked at him again and...
131
Oh!
132
His mouth!
133
I forgot to make his mouth!
134
She drew a mouth on the gingerbread man's face with the cream.
135
Oh yes, now you are complete, my gingerbread man.
136
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
137
Thank you!
138
But how can it be you are talking?
139
Gingerbread man suddenly stood up and started running.
140
Yeah, and I can also run!
141
The gingerbread man jumped from the kitchen bench to the chair,
142
then to the ground and started running fast to the kitchen door to the garden.
143
Come back!
144
Come back!
145
The old lady yelled.
146
The gingerbread man began talking whilst he was running.
147
Yeah!
148
Run, run!
149
As fast as you can,
150
but nobody can catch me Because I'm the gingerbread man
151
The old lady got out to the garden and started running after the gingerbread man
152
The man looked out the window and saw his wife running and yelled Hey!
153
Where are you running?
154
The old lady answered to her husband whilst running My gingerbread man ran away I'm trying to catch him
155
The old man was speechless The old lady ran
156
but the gingerbread man was so fast that it was impossible to catch him
157
After a short while the gingerbread man came across a ranch A grazing cow noticed him What a nice cookie!
158
I should catch and eat him The cow also began to run after the gingerbread man Wait!
159
Don't run!
160
I'm going to eat you Yeah,
161
run, run as fast as you can,
162
and old lady's also trying to catch me.
163
But nobody can, because I'm the gingerbread man.
164
The old lady and the cow were running after the gingerbread man.
165
And at this time, a pig noticed the gingerbread man.
166
A gingerbread man, true to my taste buds.
167
Wait and I will catch you.
168
The gingerbread man answered the pig whilst he was running.
169
Yeah!
170
Run, run as fast as you can!
171
An old lady and a cow are also trying to catch me.
172
But nobody can because I'm the gingerbread man!
173
While they were running, the gingerbread man in front,
174
the old lady, cow and the pig behind him,
175
a chicken noticed the gingerbread man while looking for some food.
176
That has to be my lunch!
177
So the chicken tagged along.
178
Run as much as you want, gingerbread man!
179
I'm gonna cut you!
180
Yeah, run!
181
Run as fast as you can!
182
An old lady, a cow and a pig could not catch me!
183
Neither can you, nobody can,
184
because I'm the gingerbread man!
185
The gingerbread man in front,
186
the old lady, cow, the pig and the chicken,
187
they all continued to run.
188
But the gingerbread man was getting more and more further ahead from the others.
189
The gingerbread man was so happy and very proud of himself.
190
I'm the brightest and the fastest gingerbread man in the world.
191
Yes, that's me.
192
Nobody can catch me because I'm the gingerbread man.
193
When he looked ahead, soon the Chitra Bad Man saw that he was coming across a river.
194
And he stopped, because he knew that water could make him melt away.
195
Oh no!
196
What now?
197
The old lady, cow, pig and the chicken were close now.
198
Right at that moment, a shifty fox appeared from behind a tree.
199
I know how to swim.
200
If you want, I can help you.
201
The gingerbread man thought about it.
202
What if you eat me?
203
You don't have to worry.
204
I don't want to eat you.
205
I just want to help you get across.
206
The gingerbread man trusted the shifty fox and jumped on his tail,
207
holding on as tight as he could.
208
The fox jumped in the river and began to swim.
209
Meanwhile, the old lady, cow,
210
pig and the chicken came to the edge of the river
211
and saw the gingerbread man crossing the river on the back of a fox.
212
Helplessly they watched them go,
213
knowing they could not catch him anymore.
214
The river began to get deeper and the water started to rise.
215
Hey fox, keep your tail up.
216
I almost got wet.
217
Up on my back it's safer.
218
The gingerbread man hopped on the fox's back.
219
They swam for a while but as the The water got deeper,
220
the fox's back began to sink in the water.
221
I'm afraid that you'll get wet.
222
Why don't you jump on my head where it's a bit higher?
223
The gingerbread man climbed up on his head.
224
The fox continued to pursue his plan and dipped his head down in the water.
225
The water has risen too much.
226
Why don't you get on my nose?
227
It's higher.
228
So the gingerbread man got on top of his nose.
229
Right when they were about to reach the shore,
230
the fox tipped his nose,
231
flipping the gingerbread man into the air, and opened his mouth.
232
The gingerbread man was going to fall into his mouth and the fox was going to eat him.
233
But it didn't work.
234
While the gingerbread man was in the air,
235
a crow flying right above them caught the gingerbread man with his beak.
236
The fox just stood there looking with his mouth open.
237
The gingerbread man waited for the crow to fly a little further and asked,
238
Do crows eat ginger cookies?
239
Yep.
240
When the crow opened his beak to speak,
241
the gingerbread man fell down and began to run as fast as he could.
242
Yeah, run, run as fast as you can,
243
an old lady, a cow,
244
a pig, a chicken, a fox and a crow also tried to catch me,
245
but nobody can because I'm the gingerbread man.
246
The gingerbread man kept on running and did not stop.
247
If you see a gingerbread man pass you by running,
248
do not try to catch him,
249
because he is the gingerbread man and nobody can dare catch him.
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
Why practice speaking with this video?
The story of "The Tortoise and the Hare" is more than just a tale of a race; it serves as a rich context for English learners to practice speaking. By engaging with this narrative, learners can improve their vocal skills in an enjoyable and relatable manner. The dialogues between the rabbit and turtle provide excellent examples of conversational English, allowing you to mimic expressions, tone, and delivery.
Using this video for english speaking practice enables you to enhance your fluency and vocabulary through repetition. As you listen, you can practice shadowing—a technique where you repeat what you hear as closely as possible to the original pronunciation and intonation. This method not only bolsters your speaking confidence but also hones your listening skills. Additionally, understanding the moral of the story encourages perseverance, a value that resonates in both language learning and life.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the dialogue, several key grammatical structures and expressions are demonstrated:
- Use of Direct Speech: The characters frequently engage in direct conversations, which is great for practicing how to convey your thoughts and emotions in English. For example, the rabbit saying, "I'm the fastest animal in the forest." illustrates confidence and self-assertion.
- Rhetorical Questions: The phrase, "How can you?" used by the rabbit, suggests disbelief. This expression is common in conversational English and can be useful for learners to express skepticism or surprise.
- Future Intentions: Phrases like "Tomorrow morning we race" show how to talk about future events and plans, an essential aspect of everyday communication.
By dissecting these aspects, learners can grasp the nuances of spoken English in real-life situations. Using resources such as a shadowing site to explore these grammatical structures can significantly enhance your learning experience.
Common Pronunciation Traps
As you practice with this video, pay attention to certain tricky words and sounds:
- The word "fastest" has a stress on the first syllable, and many learners tend to rush through it. Make sure to articulate each letter clearly.
- Notice the way the rabbit laughs—"hahaha"—which exemplifies emotional expression in speech. It’s important to capture this playful tone as it adds depth to your speaking ability.
- Words such as "impossible" and "race" can often lead to mispronunciation. Focusing on the vowel sounds can help make your pronunciation clearer.
Practicing these challenging words using learn English with YouTube techniques allows for better retention and fluency. Remember to incorporate shadowspeaks strategies, as they will enhance your overall speaking capabilities.
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.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏