Shadowing Practice: Unit 2 Describing People - Tactics For Listening Basic - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Unit 2.
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Describing People.
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Page 6.
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Track 7.
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Listening 1.
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1.
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So is your boss young?
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He's in his 30s, I guess.
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About 35.
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2.
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It's pretty long.
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What color is it?
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It's light brown, and it's a little curly.
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3.
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He's really not very tall, about 5 feet 8 inches.
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Oh, yeah.
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That's not so tall.
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4.
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He looks about 17.
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No, he's older than that.
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He's almost 25.
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No, I don't believe it.
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He doesn't look that old.
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5.
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She likes to wear it really short.
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Yeah?
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And is it straight or curly?
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Curly.
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Really curly.
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You can't miss her when you see her.
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6.
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Is she short?
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No, she's really tall.
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About 6 feet.
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7.
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Is she in her teens or her 20s?
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I think she's in her 20s.
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She's really nice.
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Do you want to meet her?
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Yeah, sure.
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Eight.
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It's not very long, but it is very straight.
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And sometimes it's green.
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Green?
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Yeah, he sings in a rock band, I think.
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Page 7.
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Track 8.
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Listening to.
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One.
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What does your girlfriend look like, Tony?
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Ella?
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Oh, she's tall.
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And she has long, dark brown hair.
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2.
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Tell me about your boyfriend, Anne.
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Well, his name's Daniel.
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He's 17.
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Let me see.
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Well, he has curly blonde hair.
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He's not very tall, about average.
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But he's really good looking.
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3.
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So, Matt, what's the new girl in class look like?
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She's pretty tall, about 170 centimeters.
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She wears glasses and has short curly hair.
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I think she's about 20.
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What's her name?
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I can't remember.
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Anne, I think.
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Four.
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So tell me about your cousin, Paul.
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Well, she's very pretty.
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Really?
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Is she blonde?
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No, she has dark brown hair.
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Everybody likes her.
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She's an actress.
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Really?
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I'd like to meet her.
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Page 7.
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Track 8.
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Listening to.
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1.
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What does your girlfriend look like, Tony?
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Ella?
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Oh, she's tall.
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And she has long, dark brown hair.
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2.
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Tell me about your boyfriend, Anne.
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Well, his name's Daniel.
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He's 17.
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Let me see.
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Well, he has curly blonde hair.
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He's not very tall, about average, but he's really good looking.
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3.
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So, Matt, what's the new girl in class look like?
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She's pretty tall, about 170 centimeters.
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She wears glasses and has short curly hair.
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I think she's about 20.
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What's her name?
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I can't remember.
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Anne, I think.
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Four.
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So tell me about your cousin, Paul.
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Well, she's very pretty.
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Really?
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Is she blonde?
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No, she has dark brown hair.
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Everybody likes her.
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She's an actress.
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Really?
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I'd like to meet her.
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Page 8, Track 9, Listening 3 1 Excuse me, I've lost my little boy.
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We were looking at microwaves, and he was bored, and...
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Calm down, sir.
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Can you describe him?
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Yes, he's nine, uh, really cute.
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And what color is his hair?
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Dark brown.
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Okay.
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Let's see where he is.
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Just sit down and relax.
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Two.
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It's my son.
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We were looking for some pants for my husband.
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Now I can't find him.
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Don't worry, ma'am.
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We'll find him.
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How old is he?
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He's 11.
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I see.
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And what color is his hair?
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It's light brown.
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Don't worry.
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We'll find him for you.
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3.
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Excuse me.
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I can't find my daughter.
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I was buying these clothes at the register, and she was right behind me, and now she's gone.
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Don't worry.
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I'm sure we'll find her.
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so how old is she?
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She's ten.
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Okay, and what color is her hair?
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It's blonde and kind of long and straight.
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Four.
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My daughter was here a minute ago and now I can't find her.
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She's probably in the toy section.
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Can you describe her?
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Yes, she's twelve years old.
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And what color hair does she have.
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Brown, and it's very curly.
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All right.
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Let's go to the toy section and see if she's there.
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Five.
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Has anyone seen a young kid?
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How old, sir?
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He's ten.
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He's always getting lost.
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Drives me crazy.
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Where did you last see him?
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Over by the video equipment.
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What color is his hair?
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Blonde and pretty long.
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Too long.
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Six.
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Excuse me.
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I've lost my daughter.
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Is she around thirteen, about average height, with red hair?
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Why, yes.
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She's looking for you.
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Over there in the shoe department.
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Thanks a lot.
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Page eight.
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Track nine.
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Listening three.
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One.
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Excuse me, I've lost my little boy.
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We were looking at microwaves and he was bored and...
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Calm down, sir.
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Can you describe him?
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Yes, he's nine, uh, really cute.
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And what color is his hair?
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Dark brown.
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Okay, let's see where he is.
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Just sit down and relax.
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Two It's my son.
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We were looking for some pants for my husband.
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Now I can't find him.
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Don't worry, ma'am.
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We'll find him.
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How old is he?
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He's eleven.
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I see.
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And what color is his hair?
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It's light brown.
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Don't worry.
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We'll find him for you.
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Three Excuse me, I can't find my daughter.
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I was buying these clothes at the register and she was right behind me and now she's gone.
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Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find her.
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So how old is she?
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She's ten.
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Okay, and what color is her hair?
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It's blonde and kind of long and straight.
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4.
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My daughter was here a minute ago, and now I can't find her.
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She's probably in the toy section.
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Can you describe her?
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Yes, she's 12 years old.
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And what color hair does she have?
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Brown, and it's very curly.
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All right.
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Let's go to the toy section and see if she's there.
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5.
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Has anyone seen a young kid?
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How old, sir?
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He's ten.
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He's always getting lost.
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Drives me crazy.
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Where did you last see him?
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Over by the video equipment.
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What color is his hair?
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Blonde and pretty long.
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Too long.
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Six.
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Excuse me.
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I've lost my daughter.
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Is she around thirteen, about average height, with red hair?
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Why, yes.
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She's looking for you.
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Over there in the shoe department.
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Thanks a lot.
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Page 9, Track 10, Pronunciation 1.
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Are you Abby's sister?
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Yes, I am.
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2.
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Does he wear glasses?
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Yes, he does.
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3.
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Is she in her 20s?
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No, she isn't.
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Page 9 Track 11 Dictation What does your new boyfriend look like, Jenna?
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Well, he's really good looking.
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Oh, is he tall?
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No, he isn't.
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He's pretty short.
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Really?
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Are you taller than him?
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No, we're about the same height.
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Let's see.
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And he has curly brown hair.
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He sounds cute.
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Is he about your age?
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Yes, he is.
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And we have the same birthday.

About This Lesson

Welcome to Unit 2 of our English speaking practice series, where we focus on the essential skill of describing people. In this lesson, you will practice understanding and using descriptive language related to physical appearance, age, and style. The engaging dialogues featured in the listening activities will enhance your comprehension and speaking abilities, making you more confident in expressing your thoughts in daily conversations.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • young - Refers to someone in the early stage of life.
  • light brown - A color often used to describe hair pigmentation.
  • curly - A term for hair that has curls or waves.
  • tall - Describes someone who is higher in height compared to most others.
  • about (age) - Used to estimate someone's age, e.g., "about 25."
  • really nice - A phrase indicating a pleasant personality.
  • wearing it short - Describes a short hairstyle.
  • sings in a rock band - Describes a person’s hobby or profession related to music.

Practice Tips

To get the most out of this lesson, we recommend focusing on shadow speech techniques while engaging with the audio tracks. Shadowing involves repeating what you hear as closely as possible, matching the speaker's speed and intonation. This technique is particularly effective in this lesson due to the clear dialogues and natural pacing of the speakers.

Start by listening to each sentence carefully, then pause the audio and try to recreate the phrases, mimicking the accents and emotional undertones. Since the dialogues contain a mix of descriptions about age and physical traits, this gives you a great opportunity to practice using adjectives accurately in your english speaking practice.

For IELTS speaking practice, focus on fluency and coherence as you describe various people you know, integrating the vocabulary and phrases you've learned. The goal is not only to improve your vocabulary but also to develop a more confident speaking style—this is where shadowspeaks comes into play.

Finally, don’t rush. Take your time to master the pronunciation and rhythm of the sentences. Engaging in this repetitive practice will help you become more proficient and comfortable when describing people in real-life conversations.

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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