Shadowing Practice: TOEFL Listening Practice | Lecture | Wearable Computers - Learn English Speaking with Video
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66 sentences
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personal computers have become smaller yet increasingly more powerful today many daily
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Early activities involve mobile communication and computer access both in and outside the home.
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For some inventors, the next step is to integrate computers into accessories or into smart clothing, thus creating wearable computers.
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Martin Kelly reports.
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The concept of wearable computers is hardly innovative.
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Early attempts at manufacturing them produced clumsy results.
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The wearer had to wrap himself in wires
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or strap a strange -looking device to his forehead and carry a backpack of computer equipment.
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The technology didn't sell because in today's world, appearance is everything.
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However, today's wearable computers may provide the solution.
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Professor Tanya Carter is here to tell us more.
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Wearable technology is evolving so fast that it has become not only extremely convenient, but a fashion statement too. For example,
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handheld computers have been miniaturized enough to be strapped to the wrist like a watch not much larger than the average chronometer.
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Though limited in applications, it is only a matter of time before the watch has full computing capacity.
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This could eliminate the need to carry a laptop.
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And rather than attaching all kinds of objects to a jacket, researchers are creating state -of -the -art textiles with electronics built in.
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One such textile is composed of small patches of fabric into which minuscule computer chips have been embedded.
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These patches are assembled with Velcro that conducts electricity to create a purse similar in appearance to an ordinary leather purse.
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This purse provides you with information, such as the latest weather forecast.
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It can also keep track of your wallet via a minute radio signaling chip attached to the wallet.
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Sensors integrated into the purse's fabric transmit a message to alert you if the wallet is not inside.
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This purse even allows you to upload your favorite music onto your music player, which, incidentally, could soon be inside your scarf.
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I understand that scientists are creating accessories, but there are other innovations in the field of computer -integrated clothing, right?
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What kind of initiatives are underway to adapt wearable computers for use in fields like health and emergency services?
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Well, as monitors, wearable computers have many applications.
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For example, a smart armband registers data about the wearer's physical condition.
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It can help people lose weight by telling them how many calories they're burning at any given time during exercise.
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Doctors could also use it to monitor the well -being of the elderly and infants, too.
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One ingenious adaptation is a shirt made of a special fabric that has the capacity to analyze the wearer's heart rate,
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respiration, and other key health indicators.
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For example, it is being used today in medical research to examine the effectiveness of certain new heart treatments.
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And since it can measure stress levels and body heat,
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it could be used to monitor firefighters at a blaze or to allow a mother to check on her asthmatic child.
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Another wearable item
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that has proved remarkably helpful to runners who want to keep
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fit is a sensor embedded into the sole of their running shoes.
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The sensor relays information about the speed
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and the distance you've covered to your iPod
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and can change the music track to another song with a faster or slower tempo, thus encouraging you to accelerate your pace or reduce your speed.
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The sensor is invisible and the earphones are the same as the ones on a regular iPod.
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So fashion -wise, the wearer would not feel conspicuous.
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Obviously, as technology advances, so will the wearable computer.
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Ultimately, it could be a smart assistant that goes wherever we go, registering and analyzing data about us and our environment.
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Number 1.
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Why were the first wearable computers unsuccessful?
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Number two.
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What development has improved wearable computers?
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Number three.
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What is unusual about the new purse?
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Number 4.
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How have wearable computers helped medical research?
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Number 5.
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Why are wearable computers useful in fitness training?
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The wearer had to wrap himself in wires
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or strap a strange -looking device to his forehead and carry a backpack of computer equipment.
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The technology didn't sell because in today's world, appearance is everything.
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Wearable technology is evolving so fast that it has become not only extremely convenient, but a fashion statement too.
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It can also keep track of your wallet via a minute radio signaling chip attached to the wallet.
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Sensors integrated into the purse's fabric transmit a message to alert you if the wallet is not inside.
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For example, it is being used today in medical research to examine the effectiveness of certain new heart treatments.
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Another wearable item
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that has proved remarkably helpful to runners who want to keep
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fit is a sensor embedded into the sole of their running shoes.
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The sensor relays information about the speed and the distance you've covered to your iPod.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “TOEFL Listening Practice”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: computer, wearable, sensor, wallet, purse. This video has 66 sentences and 810 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:04. The speaker talks slowly, about 100 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. Only 74% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| sensor noun | /ˈsɛn.sɚ/ | A device or organ that detects certain external stimuli and responds in a distinctive manner. |
| wallet noun | /ˈwɑl.ət/ | A small case, often flat and often made of leather, for keeping money (especially paper money), credit cards, etc. |
| purse noun | /pɚs/ | A small bag for carrying money. |
| fabric verb | /ˈfæb.ɹɪk/ | To cover with fabric. |
| integrate verb | /ˈɪn.tɪ.ɡɹeɪt/ | To include as a constituent part or functionality. |
| monitor noun | /ˈmɑ.nɪ.tɚ/ | Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone. |
| chip noun | /t͡ʃɪp/ | A small piece broken from a larger piece of solid material. |
| strap noun | /stɹæp/ | A long, narrow, pliable strip of leather, cloth, or the like. |
| attach verb | /əˈtæt͡ʃ/ | To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively). |
| clothing noun | /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/ | Any of a wide variety of articles, usually made of fabrics, animal hair, animal skin, or some combination thereof, used to cover the human body for warmth, to… |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| wire noun | /ˈwaɪɚ/ | Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die. |
| alert adjective | /əˈlɝt/ | Attentive; awake; on guard. |
| sole noun | /səʊl/ | The bottom or plantar surface of the foot. |
| shoe noun | /ˈʃu/ | A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom part composed of thick leather or plastic sole and often a thicker heel, and a softer upper part made of… |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have become · has become · have been miniaturized |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | have been miniaturized · is composed · are assembled |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as didn't, you've, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: clothing /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/, leather /ˈlɛðɚ/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shoe /ˈʃu/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, initiative /ɪˈnɪʃ.ə.tɪv/, innovation /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/, adaptation /ˌæd.æpˈteɪ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: effectiveness /ɪˈfɛk.tɪv.nɪs/, remarkably /ɹɪˈmɑɹkəbli/, accessory /əkˈsɛs.(ə.)ɹi/, unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒ(u)əl/, electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/
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 sensor, wallet, purse.
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.