Shadowing Practice: The Ugly BMW M5 | Top Gear - Part 1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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61 sentences
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1
The new 5 Series is an ugly car.
2
Fat at the back and with headlights like Edna Everidge's spectacles.
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So, to mask the horror, they festooned the M5 with a deep chin spoiler and big exhausts,
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and M5 badges on every panel.
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There's nothing quiet or dignified about this.
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It's a very shouty car.
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Look at me.
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Look at how powerful I am.
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I'm a shark.
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I've got a fin on my back.
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And things are even worse when you get inside.
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There's so much technology in here that you can't just get in and go.
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I mean, first of all, you've got to choose how ferocious you want the gear changes to be.
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Got a choice of five settings for that.
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Then there's three settings for the differential and two for the suspension.
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You can even choose how long you want the headlamps to stay on after you get home at night.
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And it's not just like 10, 20, 30 seconds, it's infinite.
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So, do I want 33 seconds or... Or 34? Or 37?
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I don't know. Or 42?
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It's like being in a coffee shop.
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What do I want skinny?
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What water do I want in my espresso?
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30...
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37. No, 38.
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It's a good job this is a powerful car, because by the time you've finished fiddling with all the computer stuff, you'll have a lot of time to make up.
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The engine, however, doesn't sound very powerful when you start it.
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It sounds more like a diesel.
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It is quick.
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It's just that, with a five -litre, 400 -brake -horsepower V10, I was expecting more.
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So far, then, things are looking bad.
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The new M5 is too ugly, too flash, too complicated, and not very fast.
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Then you get to a town and it gets worse.
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It doesn't really matter what you do with the gearbox.
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Manual, automatic, soft changes, hard changes.
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At this kind of speed, it's slow and dim -witted and jerky and you roll backwards and forwards on hills.
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And the ride's rubbish.
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And then things get really bad.
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So, you're driving along, and the tune you really like comes on the radio, so you think, right, I'll turn this up, there's the volume knob, I'll push it.
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It's gone.
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And now I've got a fat bint in a tent, warbling.
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So, you have to go into the computer, entertainment, FM or AM.
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Who listens to the light programme? Who?
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Apart from the Queen, and the Queen hasn't got an M5!
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Why are you giving me this choice?
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And when you're doing all that, don't whatever you do hit the indicator stalk, because it will not self -cancel.
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It won't go off.
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If you try to put the stalk back in the middle again, the other one's gone on.
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When you do finally get the song you were listening to back on the radio again, nice, you get about...
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...and then take the second road on the left.
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...sat -nav woman interrupts.
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And she, she cannot be turned off.
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Take the next road on the left.
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Shut up!
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Turn left 200 yards ahead.
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I had to pull over to see if I could shut her down.
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Please make a legal U -turn.
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Vehicle position, journey computer, computer, exit assistant window.
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That's not it!
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I've had an idea.
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Oh, yes.
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Turn the engine off, that'll kill her.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 60 sentences and 550 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:35. The speaker talks at a steady 120 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
- ugly /ˈʌɡli/ (adjective) — Displeasing to the eye; aesthetically unpleasing.
- complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/ (adjective) — Difficult or convoluted.
- gear /ɡɪɚ/ (noun) — Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor.
- flash /flæʃ/ (verb) — To cause to shine briefly or intermittently.
- horror /ˈhɒɹ.ə/ (noun) — An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance.
- automatic /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/ (adjective) — Capable of operating without external control or intervention.
- exit /ˈɛɡzət/ (noun) — An act of going out or going away, or leaving; a departure.
- manual /ˈmæn.j(u)əl/ (noun) — Synonym of handbook.
- mask /mæsk/ (noun) — A cover, or partial cover, for the face, used for disguise or protection.
- tune /tjuːn/ (noun) — A melody.
- suspension /səˈspɛnʃən/ (noun) — The act of suspending, or the state of being suspended.
- cancel /ˈkæn.sl̩/ (verb) — To cross out something with lines etc.
- infinite /ˈɪnfɪnɪt/ (adjective) — Indefinably large, countlessly great; immense.
- diesel /ˈdisəl/ (noun) — A fuel derived from petroleum (or other oils) but heavier than gasoline/petrol. Used to power diesel engines which burn this fuel using the heat produced when…
- tent /tɛnt/ (noun) — A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins, canvas, or some strong cloth, stretched and sustained by poles, used for sheltering people from the weather.
Phrasal verbs you will hear
- look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
- back in (verb) — To reverse a vehicle into a space.
- come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
- do with (verb) — Only used in to do with
- get about (verb) — To be mobile, physically active.
- get in (verb) — To get into or inside something, literally or figuratively.
- go into (verb) — To get involved in; to investigate or explore.
- go off (verb) — To explode.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 19 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, doesn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: flash /flæʃ/, suspension /səˈspɛnʃən/, rubbish /ˈɹʌbɪʃ/, differential [dɪfəˈɹənʃəɫ], ferocious /fəˈɹoʊʃəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, automatic /ˌɔː.təˈmæt.ɪk/, indicator /ˈɪn.dɪˌkeɪ.tə(ɹ)/, differential [dɪfəˈɹənʃəɫ]
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like ugly, complicated, gear.
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.