Shadowing Practice: Walking with dinosaurs Episode 1: New Blood (part 1) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Travel back in time to a time long before man
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Travel back in time to a time long before man
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Back across 65 million years
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As you travel you would see huge changes in the vegetation and the climate
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Even the surface of the earth itself would move as mountain rangers are pushed up by colliding continents
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Now you've reached a remarkable period in Earth's history known as the Cretaceous.
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It is a very different world.
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The Himalayas do not yet exist and the Atlantic is only half as wide.
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There is no grass, only conifer forests and fern prairies.
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This is a world ruled by dinosaurs.
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Giant reptiles like Tyrannosaurus, a five-ton predator, stalk the landscape.
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In Walking with Dinosaurs, we will show you how these magnificent creatures live.
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How they eat, fight and reproduce.
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And you will witness how the forces of nature conspire to drive these animals to extinction.
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But this series will also take you back much further.
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Back to the Jurassic period,
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a time when life on Earth was at its most spectacular.
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The creatures here bathe in a warm tropical climate.
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There are no ice caps at the poles.
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Flowers and broadleaved trees are yet to evolve evolve.
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In the air and on the land,
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the world is dominated by reptiles,
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and by far the most common are the dinosaurs.
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But they are not the only giants.
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Huge pterosaurs rule the skies,
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and below them, massive marine reptiles harvest the rich oceans.
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However, first this series will go back even further to discover where dinosaurs came from.
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This is our own Earth during the Triassic period.
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Here there are no separate continents,
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just one giant landmass called Pangaea.
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It is a harsh place, dominated by deserts.
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The Triassic has already seen many different varieties of ancient reptiles come and go,
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but now out of this dry wilderness has appeared something revolutionary.
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A family of reptiles destined to shape the course of life on Earth for the next 160 million years.
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These are the first dinosaurs and this is where our story begins.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will immerse yourself in fascinating English vocabulary and storytelling through the captivating world of dinosaurs in the episode "Walking with Dinosaurs Episode 1: New Blood (part 1)." You will practice listening to rich descriptions of prehistoric life, develop your understanding of key terms, and enhance your spoken English. This lesson is particularly beneficial for learners looking to improve their pronunciation and intonation. By engaging with the transcript, you will also gain context for effective IELTS speaking practice, allowing you to express complex ideas clearly and confidently.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Cretaceous: A geological period notable for its diverse range of dinosaur species.
  • Predator: An animal that hunts and consumes other animals for food, such as the Tyrannosaurus.
  • Vegetation: The plant life or plant community in a particular area, which changes drastically over time.
  • Reptiles: A class of animals that includes snakes, lizards, and dinosaurs, known for their dry scales.
  • Pangaea: A supercontinent from the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras that existed before the continents drifted apart.
  • Extinction: The permanent loss of a species or group of species, often caused by catastrophic events.

Practice Tips

To make the most of this lesson, consider using a shadowing app to practice your speaking skills. Shadowing involves repeating what you hear in real-time, closely following the natural rhythm and intonation of the dialogue. Given the documentary's engaging storytelling and moderate pace, it's a perfect exercise for improving English pronunciation. Begin by listening to a few sentences, then pause and repeat them aloud, mimicking the tone and stress. This technique is particularly effective for developing your oral skills, as you will not only acquire new vocabulary but also enhance your overall fluency. Use phrases like "shadow speak" while practicing to remind yourself to maintain a conversational tone, essential for IELTS speaking practice. Consistent practice with these techniques will lead to significant improvements in your ability to articulate thoughts clearly and engagingly.

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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