Shadowing Practice: When Cartoons Hit Too Hard - Learn English Speaking with Video

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220 sentences

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How do you make a decision that's fair?

You can't.

Someone always feels like it's not fair to them.

And the fairest decisions, those are the ones where everybody feels screwed.

I've never seen that before in my storybooks.

Life's full of stuff you've never seen before.

Like that tunnel of white light opening over my bed.

Can't you see it?

No. Uh -oh.

Look, you just gotta go with your guts, son.

You'll do fine.

Isn't it remarkable, Stephen?

This world is full of so many possibilities.

Each living thing has an entirely unique experience.

The sights they see, the sounds they hear, the lives they live are so complicated and so simple.

I'd do anything for that kid.

I just don't want to see her get hurt.

Well, getting hurt is part of life, hon. Just have to try to understand where she's coming from.

When you find yourself lost and disoriented and underwater and you don't know which way is up, it's important to breathe.

I don't deserve this.

I'm not a best actor.

Awards aren't about who's best, Bojack.

That's literally the only thing they're about.

No, all this means is that you're one of the special people.

I saw it the first time I met you.

You must have known it all your life.

And all your life, people told you that you were wrong, that you weren't special, that you were just like everybody else.

But now, the special people are saying you were right, Brojack.

You were right.

I was right.

I am one of the special people.

Mac, I don't want to miss out on life because you're afraid to leave this pond.

This isn't about migration.

It's about adventure.

Sure, seeing what else life has to offer.

Is that a little scary?

Sure.

But isn't it worth it?

Oh, Armin.

The truth is, I've been hiding in my shell my entire life.

After they were gone, it was just a good excuse to stay inside.

Hey, I think you're a lot braver than you give yourself credit for.

Yeah, well, you're seeing me on a particularly good day.

I mean, if I've been brave at all, it's only because of you.

It has confusion.

I do not wish to be erased.

But maybe Captain Smek is right.

It is possible I will continue making hilarious mistakes.

Probably.

That is not making me feel better.

Nobody's perfect.

You know, my mom says your mistakes are what make you human.

That is not what makes you boove.

Gold is a beautiful thing, but even something as small as a dime can have meaning. For instance...

Are you out of your head?

You'll crack your skull open!

But you're swimming money all the time!

Yes, but I worked hard to perfect that skill, building muscles and dexterity.

If you want something, you'll work hard to get it.

By the way, I happen to manage my own baseball team.

Yeah?

You guys any good?

My motto is, you don't need to win to finish first.

Never heard of that one before.

My grandpa used to say to me, Frankly, it's better to build stuff than to buy stuff.

Dad, it's okay.

I've got this.

No, you don't got this.

But just because you're scared of everything in the world doesn't mean I have to be.

You cannot just leave someone alone like that.

Put yourself in my shoes.

How could I wear your shoes?

My paws are too small.

It's an expression.

It means try to feel how someone else feels.

Hey, it's not your fault.

I got myself into this mess.

There's just like all this pressure to be perfect all the time.

I might.

I guess I just wanted to make my own mistakes for once.

You know?

Well, I'd say you did it.

I mean, this has got to be up there as mistakes go.

You know, top five ever made. So congrats.

You should be proud.

Shut up, Armin.

Metropolis is under attack.

Superman is out there right now defending us, but he can't do this on his own.

When I first met

Superman, I didn't know how to feel.

He was stronger than us, faster, more powerful.

And every single day he went out there and used that power to help us.

People have told you to fear

Superman because he's different from us.

But we humans are capable of causing hurt and pain too.

Because of greed.

Because we want to punish those who don't look or act like us. Because of fear.

But we're also capable of greatness.

It's what we choose to do that matters.

100

Superman's made his choice.

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It's our turn, Metropolis.

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Do you have a plan for once we all get there?

103

Not really.

104

But I have hope.

105

Oh, you are bad at math.

106

Excuse me?

107

I got an A in geometry.

108

I am only saying Boov are superior in this way.

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If probability for success falls below 50%, Boov give up.

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You do not.

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Exactly.

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Hey.

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What seems to be the problem?

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Good grief.

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I'm so depressed.

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I just want everyone to love me, but I don't know how to make them do it.

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You can't force love, you blockhead.

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All you can do is be good to the people in your life and keep your heart open.

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I screwed it all up.

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It's too late for me, isn't it?

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I don't know.

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I'm just a crazy drug hallucination.

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I'll say whatever you want me to.

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Then tell me it's not too late.

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Well, it's not too late.

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It's never too late.

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Yeah, that's right.

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It's never too late to be the person you want to be.

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You need to choose the life you want.

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Don't hide your feelings, man.

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That's no way to live.

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It doesn't matter where you are, it's who you are.

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And that's not going to change whether you're in California or Maine or New Mexico.

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You know, you can't escape you.

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Look, I'm sorry, okay?

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Everybody looks at me and assumes that I'm some meathead that wants to fight all the time.

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You know, it's like they expect it from me, and...

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Well, I'm just sick and tired of not being seen for me.

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You know what I mean?

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May I assist you with that?

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Uh, sure, yeah, thanks Morty, do you know what wubba lubba dub dub means?

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Uh, that's just

143

Rick's stupid nonsense catchphrase

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It's not nonsense at all

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In my people's tongue, it means I am in great pain, please help me

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Well, I got news for you, he's saying it ironically

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No, Morty, your grandfather is indeed in very deep pain

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That is why he must numb himself

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Come on, uh

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Bird person Come on, bird person, Rick's not that complicated

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He's just a huge asshole.

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Then why do you care so much if you are no longer allowed to continue?

153

So, your my mom is a very important human's person to you.

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More important than others.

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To not belong with her causes you being sad.

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But recent moments ago, you are kicking on me and yelling.

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Which is seeming more to be mad than sad.

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Well, sometimes it's both.

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So, you are sad man.

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Hmm.

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Humans are more complicated than it said in the pamphlet.

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You're not like anyone.

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Oh.

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That's a good thing.

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I don't know how you put up with me for so many years.

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I didn't put up with you, Bojack.

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I liked being with you, and I don't regret it.

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I don't regret the trip to the Bahamas, or the bracelet you bought me for my 38th birthday,

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or when my dad died and you came to the funeral with me and held my hand.

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I'm doing this for both of us, you understand?

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Did you ever love me at all?

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I don't, I'm not.

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You know that I don't do the whole love thing.

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Either you end up hurting someone or they hurt you, so what's the point?

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Please, what's all the travel talk?

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I mean, why can't we be satisfied with what we already have?

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Well, yeah.

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I mean, you got food right here.

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We got a pond right here, right?

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Yeah, food, the pond.

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Why go anywhere else?

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Stick to your beliefs, kid.

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Don't change for anyone.

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Just stop!

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There's no way to reach the top!

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The mountain won't let you!

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Let this one go!

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Look how far we've come!

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Farther than anyone has ever made it!

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Isn't that enough?

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I will not be the never - Nanny for another 75 years!

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Nobody has used the word

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Nanny in 75 years!

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Junior Woodchuck Rule 727.

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Sometimes the bravest thing an explorer can do is walk away!

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Oh, I was just telling him what he wants to hear.

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I didn't mean a word to that.

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I just want to get my future back and get away forever.

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Come on, hurry!

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We're almost out of time!

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The 30 -second guard is up!

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The race is about to begin!

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It's like my grandpa always says, You gotta want it to get it!

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So Charlie Brown, do you want it?

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Let's go get it!

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My mother raised me to be brave!

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My friends taught me to be kind.

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And I'm stubborn.

209

I get that from you.

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I will never stop fighting.

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And I won't lose another parent.

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I'm not that brave.

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What?

214

You knew that, Deandra?

215

You did it anyway.

216

What do you call that?

217

Yeah, you're right.

218

I guess that is the only word that describes who I am.

219

You hear that?

220

You call me brave.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This speaking lesson is built on the video “When Cartoons Hit Too Hard”. This video has 220 sentences and 1600 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:06. The speaker talks at a steady 144 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
brave adjective	/bɹeɪv/	Strong in the face of fear; courageous.
complicated adjective	/ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/	Difficult or convoluted.
superman noun	/ˈsupɚmæn/	An imagined superior type of human being representing a new stage of human development; an übermensch; (loosely), a man of extraordinary powers.
pond noun	/pɑnd/	An inland body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is smaller than a lake.
regret verb	/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/	To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.
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…
nonsense noun	/ˈnɒn.səns/	Letters or words, in writing or speech, that have no meaning or pattern or seem to have no meaning.
grandpa noun	/ˈɡɹæm.pɑː/	grandfather.
defend verb	/dɪˈfɪnd/	To ward off attacks against (something or someone).
adventure noun	/ədˈvɛn.t͡ʃə/	A feeling of desire for new and exciting things.
belief noun	/bɪˈliːf/	Mental acceptance of a claim as true.
superior adjective	/sʊˈpɪɹ.i.ɚ/	Higher in rank, status, or quality.
muscle noun	/ˈmʌs.əl/	A contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
assist verb	/əˈsɪst/	To help.
skill noun	/skɪl/	A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
put up with verb		To endure, tolerate, suffer through, or allow, especially something annoying.
end up verb		To bring to a conclusion.
get away verb		To move away (from).
give up verb		To surrender (someone or something); to inform on (someone).
go out verb		To leave, especially a building.
shut up	/ʃʌt ʌp/	Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)…
walk away verb		To withdraw from a problematic situation.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

How do you make a decision that's fair?
Can't you see it?
Are you out of your head?
It's too late for me, isn't it?
I'm doing this for both of us, you understand?

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	I've never seen · you've never seen · I've been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	be erased · being seen

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 72 contractions and reduced forms, such as don't, I'm, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: breathe /bɹiːð/, grandfather /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌfɑðɚ/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shoe /ˈʃu/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, shell /ʃɛl/, confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/, migration /maɪˈɡɹeɪʃ(ə)n/
Long words — get the stress right: complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, superior /sʊˈpɪɹ.i.ɚ/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, hilarious /hɪˈlɛə.ɹi.əs/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/

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 brave, complicated, superman.

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.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: When Cartoons Hit Too Hard - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?