Shadowing Practice: When a Classy Woman Becomes Poor - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hi, my name is Charlotte.
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Hi, my name is Charlotte.
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Please like and subscribe.
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I was born in Bordeaux, a beautiful city in France.
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When I was eight years old, we moved to the USA because my dad got a great job there.
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The city we moved to was huge, filled with skyscrapers, shops, and opportunities, or so I was told.
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However, it didn't take long for things to start going downhill.
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When I began attending school there, my parents enrolled me in a private school for international students.
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Hi, everyone.
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My name is Charlotte.
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I'm eight years old, and I come from France.
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I brought some Madelines that my mom made for everyone today?
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Hi, Charlotte.
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I'm Laura from Italy.
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Do you want to hang out later today?
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Laura and I became very close.
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We would often take the same bus home, do our homework together, and even attend drawing classes together.
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Even though Laura didn't speak any French, being with her reminded me a lot of home.
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I was shy and liked to keep things to myself, while Laura was fun and a bit wild, someone my mom wouldn't think was classy.
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Mom really didn't like Laura.
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She kept trying to make me hang out with kids from rich families that I didn't like.
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But I ended up making friends with two girls just so mom would stop nagging me.
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One evening, I forgot to tell mom I invited Laura over for dinner.
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Mom was really mean to Laura when she came.
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Charlotte mentioned your mom is a saleswoman.
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Do you guys even eat dinner every night?
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Or is it too expensive?
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Elise, why would you say something like that?
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It's okay, Uncle.
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No, we don't always have big dinners.
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But what we do have is each other.
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What's the point of a fancy dinner if the family isn't close?
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What do you mean by that?
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Oh, nothing.
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Did I upset you?
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I thought your family was okay.
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I think you should go.
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Mom, why?
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She's not going anywhere.
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She leaves now or you'll be sorry.
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An awkward silence fell, which Laura broke.
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Don't worry, I'll go.
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Seems like I just got my answer about the kind of family this is.
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Mom sharply told her, leave now.
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And with that, Laura left.
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I was really upset with mom, but she didn't seem to care.
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Laura told me not to let it bother me.
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You already have it tough with a mom like that.
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I won't make it worse by leaving you alone.
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I love you for being here.
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One gloomy day in the sixth grade, everything changed when my parents started to struggle financially after my dad lost his job and they had to move me to a public school.
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We can't just pull her out of school.
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She's doing so well.
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What would I even say to my friends if they asked?
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I want her to succeed here in the USA, to make something of herself and make me proud.
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Dad slammed his hand angrily on the table and glared at Mom.
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At least think clearly for once.
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You're not seeing the big picture as usual.
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You don't seem to get that I've lost my job and we're drowning in bills.
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The only sensible move is to switch her to public school.
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Yes.
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Mom was a bit of a difficult person.
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She was obsessed with maintaining a perfect image.
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Being perceived as poor was a disaster for her.
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Her mom was also a strict lady, obsessed with etiquette and rules.
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She was against my mom's marriage, although my dad was well off.
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But mom stood firm and married dad.
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So her parents cut her off.
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Now, us not having much money would make my grandma right.
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And that made my mom even madder.
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She made us move to a different city so she could lie and tell her friends that dad had received a job opportunity far away.
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I screamed and cried for days.
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I didn't want to leave our city or be away from Laura.
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But as usual, mom ignored my protests.
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I was heartbroken.
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Dad, I hate her.
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Dad hugged me.
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Hate is a strong word.
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You know how your mom is.
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She wants things her way.
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Life hasn't ended though.
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You'll make new friends.
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And about Laura, you can still talk to her on the and I'll help you see her once in a while.
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Thank you, Dad.
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You're too kind to be with someone like her.
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But I guess life isn't fair.
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Saying goodbye to Laura was incredibly hard.
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And to make things worse, after we moved, I realized I forgot the notebook with Laura's number in it.
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It was utterly heartbroken.
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Even though we didn't have a lot of money, Mom kept having big parties at fancy places for her friends.
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We were getting more and more into debt, even though Dad asked her many times to stop the parties.
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One day, she even gave her friend a really expensive ring for her birthday.
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Dad got really upset when the bank called him.
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Listen, woman, I can't take this anymore.
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This is your last chance.
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If you don't stop, we might have to split up.
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And I'll want to stay with Dad, really now.
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With that, Mom left.
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She was gone for a couple of days.
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Although Dad and I were worried, we didn't try to reach her.
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It was time for her to act like the adult she supposedly was.
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When she returned, she walked into the house and started doing laundry as if nothing had happened.
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From that day on, she stopped seeing her friends so much much and didn't waste our money anymore.
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I was relieved she finally came to her senses, but I could see a change in her.
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Her eyes had lost their spark.
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It was as if she had aged 10 years.
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Well, things at the public school weren't perfect either.
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At first, it was okay, but things changed quickly when I started junior year of high school.
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I noticed my body changing rapidly, even spotting some freckles on my face.
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It wasn't just my appearance that was changing.
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My social life was too.
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Suddenly, boys started looking at me differently.
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Girls were going out with boys, and there seemed to be more parties.
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Hey, Charlotte.
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How about grabbing some ice cream after school?
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Just the two of us.
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Just us?
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Alone?
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Yeah, just us.
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Why, were you planning on turning it into a group event?
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Well, I thought maybe we could invite Jessica too.
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Look, I wasn't making a guest list.
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You know what?
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Forget it.
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I gotta go.
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And hey, Charlotte, or should I call you the lost little raccoon, just because you're from France doesn't mean you're anything special here.
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If anything, it just shows you can't take a joke and always dampen the mood.
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Before I could respond, he pressed his gum into my hair as he walked away.
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It was not just embarrassing.
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It felt like a sharp hug at my dignity.
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I came back home that day, wanting to tell mom about it.
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She was cooking in the kitchen when I walked in.
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Hi, mom.
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I had a weird day at school today.
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I really don't have time for your stories right now.
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You know, we've been living in the USA for quite a while, and you still call a lot of things weird.
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I felt so angry, I started crying.
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Our relationship wasn't that great to begin with.
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But now, it felt ruined.
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If a girl doesn't find confidence in her mother, then the relationship feels distant.
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And each day, I was growing further away from my mom.
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I headed to my room to put away my books when I spotted a sketchbook on my desk, it was from the drawing classes with Laura, and it had her number inside.
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Turns out, I'd saved it here as well.
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I was ecstatic.
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I quickly and quietly went to the living room, grabbed my mom's phone, and dialed Laura's mom's number.
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Hello?
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Elise, what do you want?
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Uh, hi.
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It's actually Charlotte here, Laura's friend from school.
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Do you remember me?
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Can I talk to Laura?
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Oh, Charlotte.
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Yes, I remember you.
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One moment.
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Laura, your friend Charlotte is on the phone.
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Charlotte?
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Wow, I've been trying to find you, but I couldn't.
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How are you?
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Hey, Laura, I'm not on social media much.
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I really miss talking to you.
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We should hang out soon.
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I'd love to, but my family is going to Europe this Friday.
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Europe?
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That's so cool.
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I wish I could go too.
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You're so lucky.
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Why don't you come with us?
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My grandparents' house is big, and you can stay in the guest room.
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I'd love to, but my mom would never say yes.
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We don't have to tell her everything.
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Just say you're going on a school project abroad.
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She loves to brag about this stuff, no?
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Laura, that's smart.
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It's gonna be so fun.
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We can eat lots of good food, see new places, and maybe even paint.
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I'd love to paint in a quiet spot away from all the noise, especially away from mom.
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In fact, I found out that the city Laura and I were visiting was hosting a big art competition during our stay, and I signed up for it.
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On Friday, My mother drove me to the airport with a big smile on her face.
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I'm so proud of you, darling, for getting accepted to this elite school program.
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I'm sure it'll help you get accepted to one of the Ivy League schools.
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Um, sure.
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Yes, Mom.
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I got out of the car and walked to the airport gate when I saw Laura.
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She looked great, ran up to me, and gave me a big hug.
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Charlotte, we're going to Europe.
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It's going to be so fun.
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I'm so excited.
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I entered a drawing contest over there, too.
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The prize is also about $500,000.
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Can you come and cheer for me?
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It feels like a dream.
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Sure, but you have to draw me and make my eyebrows look good.
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I enjoyed spending time with Laura, but sometimes things felt off.
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It seemed like she would suddenly stop talking to her mom when I showed up, as if they were hiding something from me.
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One night after we had dinner, she said something strange.
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You know, I was actually happy when your family started having money problems.
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What?
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Why would you say that?
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Well, your mom was a witch, and seeing her getting humiliated was so satisfying.
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First of all, becoming poor has nothing to do with humiliation.
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Second, mom becoming poor also means me becoming poor.
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I thought your love for me was bigger than your hate for her.
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Oh, come on now.
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She's awful.
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Okay, okay, let's change the subject.
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Wanna eat some ice cream?
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I suddenly don't feel like it.
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I think I'm calling it a night.
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And with that, I stormed off.
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The competition day was getting close.
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It was going to last two days.
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The first for live painting in front of an audience, and the second for a closing ceremony where judges would announce the winners.
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Do you think the judges will be fair?
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I'm sure they will be.
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Are you excited to cheer me on?
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Of course!
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Will you cheer for me too?
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What do you mean?
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I'm entering the competition too.
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You knew that, right?
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What?
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No!
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You think I've lost my touch?
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I've been taking drawing classes for the past year.
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I see this as a great chance.
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But Laura, you never mentioned this.
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I didn't think I needed to report my plans to you.
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Anyway, I think it's better we focus on our own preparations for the next few days, so we probably shouldn't hang out too much.
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I was stunned.
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What happened to my best friend?
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I almost regretted coming on this trip.
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The only thing keeping me was the upcoming competition.
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I was determined to win and get the prize.
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The first day of the competition arrived, we were led onto the stage, each competitor equipped with a set of pencils, colors, and a blank canvas.
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Laura leaned over with a mischievous grin and whispered, may the best girl win.
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I was too stressed to respond and just focused on getting onto the stage.
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That's when I saw it.
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The event was being broadcast live on TV.
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My heart sank.
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I thought, oh no, my mom will see this.
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She'll ground me for life.
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Not only did I lie to her, But I'm also here with Laura, someone she can't stand.
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And now Laura, she turned out to be so different from what I thought.
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This is a nightmare.
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I wish I could just vanish.
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But I took a deep breath, pushed down my fear, and began to paint with all my heart, pouring every emotion onto the canvas.
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While sitting comfortably at home, my mom saw my face on the TV screen and yelled, Pierre, our daughter isn't on a school project.
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She's on TV with Laura.
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This is nonsense.
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She won't get away with this.
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We're flying to Europe.
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My parents caught the next flight and arrived on the second day of the competition.
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Mom tried calling me the whole time, but I was too caught up with the competition and the drama with Laura to answer.
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On the final day, as I stood on stage with Laura and the other competitors, they started announcing the winners.
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Laura got second place, and I was on the verge of tears until they announced, Charlotte is the winner!
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Overjoyed, I walked towards the microphone to give a speech, only to see my mom storm into the hall.
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I was shocked and embarrassed.
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Yelling in front of everyone, she demanded.
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How could you lie to me, Charlotte?
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You know there will be consequences.
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And with Laura, of all people?
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Oh, me, of all people?
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Remember when you burned the book that Charlotte wrote my number in?
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You called and insulted me and my mom.
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You even threatened me, a child, to stay away from Charlotte.
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Do you want me to say what you did too?
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Shut it.
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Don't you dare speak to my daughter like that.
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Laura, what exactly did my mom do to you?
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Let it go.
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Didn't you just win?
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Take your prize and leave with your parents.
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Your mom threatened Laura's mom with her connections and immigration, saying she'd get her deported.
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What kind of sick person hates a kid like this?
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What has she ever done to you?
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You need help.
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I'm taking the prize money and I'm leaving with dad.
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You should consider getting help.
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I'll even pay for your therapy.
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I traveled all this way for you to side with her?
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What lies has she told you?
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Enough.
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Let's go, Charlotte.
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Laura, what my mom did was wrong, but targeting me wasn't fair.
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Still, I'm here if you want to start over.
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Then I went to receive my medal and prize, hugged my dad, and we left.
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Context & Background
In the heartfelt narrative shared by Charlotte, we gain insight into her challenging transition from a relatively comfortable life in Bordeaux, France, to the bustling environment of a large American city. At a young age, she finds herself navigating the complexities of friendship and family dynamics while facing socioeconomic difficulties. Charlotte's journey is marked by her experiences in a private school, where she befriends Laura, an Italian girl who becomes a close companion despite their different backgrounds. The dialogue presents a vivid depiction of childhood friendships and the impact of family opinions on personal relationships, culminating in a significant shift when financial struggles force Charlotte's family to move her to a public school.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Do you want to hang out later today?” - A friendly invitation to spend time together.
- “What’s the point of a fancy dinner if the family isn’t close?” - A thought-provoking statement about family connections.
- “I love you for being here.” - An expression of appreciation and support among friends.
- “Seems like I just got my answer about the kind of family this is.” - A reflection on the dynamics within a family.
- “You already have it tough with a mom like that.” - Acknowledgment of someone else's challenges.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively utilize the shadowing technique with this video, follow these steps to improve English pronunciation and enhance your speaking skills:
- Choose a segment: Start with short clips from the transcript, focusing on dialogues that resonate with you.
- Listen attentively: Play the video, paying close attention to pronunciation and intonation. Notice how emotions are expressed through voice.
- Repeat after the speaker: Use the shadow speech method by pausing the video and trying to mimic each phrase immediately after the speaker finishes. Aim for clarity and rhythm.
- Record yourself: Use a recording tool to capture your voice as you repeat the phrases. This will help track your progress and unveil areas for improvement.
- Reflect and correct: Compare your recording with the original audio. Identify differences in pronunciation and work on challenging sounds.
By regularly practicing with videos like this, you can effectively learn English with YouTube while refining your language skills. Consider using a shadowing site to access more resources and track your advancement in learning English.
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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