Shadowing Practice: The Wooden Horse ( Young Reading), war of troy kids story - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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The Wooden Horse Chapter 1 The Runaway Queen Helen lived in ancient Greece.
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The Wooden Horse Chapter 1 The Runaway Queen Helen lived in ancient Greece.
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People said she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
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Helen was married to King Menelaus of Sparta.
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He was proud of his lovely wife.
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I want you to stay by my side forever, he told her.
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One day, a young prince named Paris came to the palace.
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He was from the city of Troy, across the Aegean Sea.
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When Paris met Helen, he fell madly in love.
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Come back to Troy with me, he begged.
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Helen had fallen for Paris too,
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so she agreed to go with him.
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Menelaus was furious when he found out what had happened.
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Paris will pay for this.
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I don't care how long it takes.
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He roared.
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I'll get Helen back.
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Chapter 2 The Trojan War All the kings of Cree agreed to help bring Helen home.
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only Odysseus king of Ithaca didn't want to be away fighting but the others persuaded him
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the next morning Menelaus
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and the other kings set sail with their army hundreds of
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ships crossed the sea to Troy many days later the Greek ships reached land the soldiers waited ashore
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and stormed up to the city get along there ha now
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all we have to do is get inside said odysseus who wanted to get home quickly
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but troy was well defended time and again the Greeks attacked.
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But however hard they tried, they couldn't break in.
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Little did they know just how long the war was set to last.
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Over ten long years, a thousand ships brought more soldiers to Troy.
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But the Trojans remained trapped in their city,
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and the Greeks were still stuck outside.
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Both sides had lost many men.
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By now, the Greeks were beginning to give up hope.
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We'll never get in.
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It's impossible.
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Then Odysseus had an idea.
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It's pretty wild, he thought,
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but it might just work.
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Chapter 3 A Big Idea
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the other Greek kings agreed to the plan the first stage
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was to cut down lots of trees the Greek soldiers sawed
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the trees into plaques then they joined the plaques together piece
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by piece Odysseus ideas slowly took shape after a week's hard
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work the Greek army had built a mighty magnificent wooden horse
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Odysseus admired the man's efforts now to put my plan into action he said
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chapter 4 undercover
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that night the Greeks pulled the horse to the city gates
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quietly now they opened a small door in the horse's belly Odysseus and some of his men climbed inside
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one soldier named Sinon hid nearby King Menelaus
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and the others went back to their ships and sailed out of sight the next morning,
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the Trojans couldn't believe their eyes.
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The Greeks have gone, cried one soldier.
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And there's a giant horse outside, gasped another.
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The Trojans ran out of the city.
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They gazed in wonder at the new arrival.
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Sinon came out of hiding.
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Who are you? asked a soldier.
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And what's this?
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I ran away from the Greek army, lied Sinon.
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They built the horse.
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What's it for?
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It's a gift to the goddess Athene,
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said Sinon, to bring them luck on the trip home.
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Maybe it will bring us luck too.
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said the Trojan soldier.
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Bring it inside!
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The Trojans hauled the horse into the city.
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The first part of Odysseus' plan was working.
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Chapter 5 The Army Awakes That evening,
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the Trojans held a big party to celebrate the end of the war.
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There was feasting, dancing, and singing.
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The celebrations went on all night.
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It was early morning before the Trojans went to bed.
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At last, Sinon could get to work.
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He tiptoed to the horse and tapped three times on its leg.
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Inside, Odysseus sprang into action.
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that's the signal he whispered he opened the trap door
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and led his men out not a sound lads the greeks
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scurried across the city as silently as they could the guards
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at the gates were fast asleep slowly the greek soldiers lifted
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off the bolt they heaved open the doors the rest of the Greek army was waiting outside.
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We're back as planned.
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Right, men, said Odysseus.
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Now we attack.
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Chapter 6 The Final Battle The Greek kings and their army stormed into Troy.
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There was nothing to stop them now.
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Charge!
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Eh?
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What?
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The Greek soldiers crashed through the city looking for Helen.
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Where's Helen?
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Give her up.
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They stole treasure wherever they could find it.
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We'll take this. And this.
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By the time the sleepy Trojans knew what was happening,
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it was too late.
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Paris rushed out to fight the Greeks.
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But when he saw how many there were, he ran off.
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But he wasn't quick enough.
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An arrow flew through the air and struck him down dead.
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Now, where's Helen? wondered Menelaus.
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Watching from above, Helen knew there was no possible escape from Troy.
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Perhaps the king will throw me in prison, she thought nervously. Or worse.
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Chapter 7 Return to Greece It wasn't long before Helen was captured and brought before her husband.
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Menelaus had been angry with his wife for ten years,
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but when he saw her beautiful face,
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his anger vanished in a second.
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At last, sighed Menelaus, our mission is over.
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The Greeks took Helen and the Trojan treasure back to their ships and headed for home.
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Helen may not have wanted to go back to Greece,
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but she had no choice.
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Menelaus was finally back with his queen,
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whose beauty launched a thousand ships.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, learners will practice their English listening and speaking skills by engaging with the captivating story of "The Wooden Horse," which depicts the legendary events surrounding the Trojan War. Through this tale, you will enhance your vocabulary, understand narrative structure, and develop your ability to express thoughts clearly. As you work through the dialogues and descriptions, you will also explore themes of love, bravery, and clever strategies, which will further enrich your understanding of storytelling in English.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Runaway: someone who has escaped or fled.
  • Troy: an ancient city known for the Trojan War.
  • Magnificent: extremely beautiful or impressive.
  • Furious: extremely angry.
  • Belly: the part of a horse where soldiers hid during their mission.
  • Defended: protected against attack.
  • Stuck: unable to move or progress.
  • Idea: a thought or plan that is formed in the mind.

Practice Tips

To make the most of this lesson, consider using the shadowing technique while listening to the video. The tone and pacing of the narration are crucial for effective shadow speech, so aim to mimic both the speed and intonation of the speaker. Here are some specific tips:

  • Start by listening carefully to a short segment of the video, then pause it. Try to repeat what you heard immediately, paying attention to the pronunciation and rhythm.
  • Focus on the characters' emotions when you practice. For example, when Paris expresses his love for Helen or Menelaus shows his fury, mimic the emotional tone to enhance your speaking skills.
  • Utilize the shadowing site resources to find exercises related to the story. These can give you additional context and examples to work with.
  • As you progress, record yourself while practicing with the video. Compare your pronunciation to the original to track your improvement in English pronunciation, which is particularly useful for IELTS speaking practice.
  • Lastly, be patient and consistent. The more you practice, the more fluent and confident you will become in speaking English.

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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