Shadowing Practice: These Solar-Powered Carnivorous Flatworms Divide and Conquer | Deep Look - Learn English Speaking with Video
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64 sentences
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Those aren't cornflakes.
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This rock is absolutely covered with tiny marine flatworms called acyles.
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They're not just an animal.
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They're also kind of a plant.
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And they're practically immortal.
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They use simple eyes called ocelli to seek out the sunniest spots on tropical coral reefs,
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where they spread themselves out like beach blankets.
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But they don't just lay around sunbathing all day.
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Aseals are also skilled hunters.
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They catch prey by engulfing them with their body and jamming them into their mouth.
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You can see their meal trying in vain to escape.
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Also, they don't have a butt.
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Their poop just goes right back out through their mouth.
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So you wouldn't want to kiss one.
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They aren't just hunters.
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These acyls are gardeners, too.
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See those green dots?
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Those are algae.
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And those reddish cells belong to the acyl itself.
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When the sun hits our flatworm friend, the algae inside produce sugars through photosynthesis.
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This is a waste.
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Researchers think they share those sugars with their host.
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In return, the acyl provides its, um, waste, which is kind of like fertilizer for the algae.
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And the acyl protects its houseguests.
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Researchers think the acyls pack toxic chemicals in those reddish cells.
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So predators tend to leave them alone.
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Without its algae, the acyl would eventually die, even if it had plenty of prey to eat.
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Scientists call a creature like this a Holobiant — a single being made up of two or more completely different species.
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In this case, a solar -powered predator.
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But that's not even the weirdest thing about them.
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Researchers at Stanford University and the University of San Francisco are studying A -seals because of how they regenerate.
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And to do that?
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It'll be okay.
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I promise.
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You'd think getting cut in half would be a bad thing.
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But within minutes, the wounded front half seals up.
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In a couple days, it'll have a whole new tail. And the backside?
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It doesn't just make a new head.
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It makes two!
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But it's hard to share one body with two heads.
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So each half eventually pulls away from the other.
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Where there was once one acyl, now there are three.
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What seemed like a moment of doom was actually one of rebirth.
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But they don't need the researcher's scalpel.
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Aseals can drop their tail and clone themselves on their own.
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The Aseal and its algae can multiply themselves like this over and over, indefinitely, making them functionally immortal.
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Aseals can do this because they're packed with stem cells, which morph into any body part the Aseal needs to regrow.
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And since they can't hunt until they grow new heads, they're extra reliant on the energy they get from their algae.
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In these desperate times, the acyls even eat some of their algae.
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Sorry.
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Every relationship has its challenges.
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But the acyl and its algae have a deal.
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By taking advantage of each one's abilities, they're greater than the sum of their parts.
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Hey, it's Laura.
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Guess who else could be considered a holobiant?
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You.
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You've got a whole zoo of bacteria and other living things inside your gut that are vital to a healthy immune system, digestion, and even mood.
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And if you want to keep
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Deep Look healthy, support our show on Patreon.
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For a very limited time, if you become a $10 a month Patreon supporter, you'll get a fabulous
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Deep Look pint glass, and at $5 a month, a special Deep Look sticker.
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We can't make these videos without you.
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Join us on Patreon now.
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Link in the description.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “These Solar-Powered Carnivorous Flatworms Divide and Conquer”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: acyl, algae, Aseal, Patreon, researchers. This video has 64 sentences and 591 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:03. The speaker talks at a steady 117 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| researcher noun | /ˈɹiˌsɝ.t͡ʃɚ/ | One who researches. |
| hunter noun | /ˈhʌntɚ/ | One who hunts game for sport or for food; a huntsman or huntswoman. |
| tail noun | /ˈteɪ̯l/ | An object or part of an object resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails; a strand of material hanging from something. |
| seal noun | /siːl/ | A stamp used to impress a design on a soft substance such as wax. |
| prey noun | /pɹeɪ/ | That which is or may be seized by animals to be devoured. |
| immortal adjective | /ɪˈmɔɹtəl/ | Not susceptible to death; living forever; never dying. |
| predator noun | /ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/ | Any animal or other organism that hunts and kills other nonplant organisms (their prey), primarily for food. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| mood noun | /muːd/ | A mental or emotional state, composure. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| belong verb | /bɪˈlɒŋ/ | To have its proper place. |
| vital adjective | /ˈvaɪtəl/ | Relating to or characteristic of life. |
| desperate adjective | /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹɪt/ | In dire need (of something); having a dire need or desire. |
| stem noun | /stɛm/ | The stock of a family; a race or generation of progenitors. |
| butt noun | /bʌt/ | Body; self. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| back out verb | To reverse (a vehicle) from a confined space. |
| lie around verb | To do nothing in particular; to be idle. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 20 contractions and reduced forms, such as they're, don't, aren't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: photosynthesis /ˌfoʊ.toʊˈsɪn.θə.sɪs/, rebirth /ɹiːˈbɜːθ/, sunbathe /ˈsʌnbeɪð/
- Long words — get the stress right: practically /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.k(ə.)li/, indefinitely /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪtli/, photosynthesis /ˌfoʊ.toʊˈsɪn.θə.sɪs/, regenerate /ɹiːˈd͡ʒɛnəɹeɪt/
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 researcher, hunter, tail.
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.