Shadowing Practice: VOA Learning English - Health Report # 391 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
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36 sentences
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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
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COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
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blocks airflow through the lungs.
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It makes breathing difficult.
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The leading cause is cigarette smoking.
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Experts at the National Institutes of Health in the United States say the damage to the lungs cannot be repaired
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and there is no cure.
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Don DeMeo is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Dr. DeMaio says, by 2020,
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COPD will likely be the third leading cause of death across the world.
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COPD is a new name for emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
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These are the two most common forms of the disease.
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Many people with COPD have both of them.
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And Dr. DiMaio says more women than men now die from the disease.
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She is the lead author of a study by a team from Harvard's Brigham
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and Women's Hospital and the University of Bergen in Norway.
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The new study adds to findings that women may be more at risk than men for the damaging effects of smoking.
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The team examined results from a Norwegian study of 954 people with COPD.
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Inga Cecilia Sorheim co-authored the team's findings.
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Dr. Sorheim says they show that women suffered the same severity of COPD as men,
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but by comparison the female smokers were younger and had smoked a lot less.
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The team also looked at two groups among the people in the study.
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These were people under the age of 60 and those who had smoked for less than 20 years.
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In both cases, women had more severe COPD and a greater loss of lung function than men.
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Dr. DeMaio says some of the people in the study did not smoke much but still developed severe lung disease.
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She said many people underestimate the health risks of their own cigarette smoking.
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They think that a few cigarettes every day are harmless.
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But clearly there is no such thing as a safe level of cigarette smoke exposure
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and our findings suggest
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that this is especially true for women dr. Sorheim says there
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are several possible explanations why women may be more at risk from the effects of cigarette smoke than men.
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Women have smaller airways, she says,
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so each cigarette may do more harm.
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Also, there are differences between males and females in the way the body processes cigarette smoke.
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And, she says, genes and and hormones could also play an important part.
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And that's the VOA Special English Health Report.

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Why practice speaking with this video?

Engaging with the "VOA Learning English - Health Report # 391" video provides a unique opportunity for English learners to improve their speaking skills through an informative and relevant health topic. By practicing speaking with this video, you'll immerse yourself in real-world contexts and terms that are essential for discussing health issues. The structured delivery of information makes it easier to shadow the speaker, enhancing your fluidity in the language and helping you build confidence in your speaking abilities.

Listening to professionals discuss chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) not only broadens your vocabulary but also gives you the chance to practice professional and medical terminology. This is especially useful for those preparing for exams like IELTS, where speaking proficiency in technical subjects might be tested. Utilizing shadowspeak techniques allows you to improve articulation and comprehension simultaneously.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video transcript showcases several key grammatical structures and expressions that are valuable for learners. Here are a few to focus on:

  • Present Simple Tense: "COPD blocks airflow through the lungs." This structure is essential for stating facts and general truths.
  • Modal Verbs: "will likely be the third leading cause of death." Modal verbs express possibility and necessity, crucial for discussing future events and predictions.
  • Comparatives: "women may be more at risk than men." Using comparatives can enhance your ability to make comparisons during conversations.
  • Passive Voice: "the damage to the lungs cannot be repaired." Passive constructions are often used in formal contexts, especially in health reports.

Integrating these structures into your own speaking will help you sound more natural and knowledgeable in discussions, especially when practicing English with YouTube resources.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing with the video, pay attention to certain tricky words and pronunciation patterns that might pose challenges. Here are some examples:

  • COPD: The pronunciation can be tricky for non-native speakers. Ensure you emphasize each letter clearly.
  • Chronic: Note the stress on the first syllable: CHRO-nic. Mispronouncing this can lead to misunderstandings.
  • Emphysema: This word is often difficult to pronounce correctly. Break it down into syllables: em-phe-zy-ma.

Additionally, be aware of regional accents and how they might influence pronunciation. Engaging in shadow speaking not only helps with accurate pronunciation but also with the intonation patterns of native speakers.

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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