Shadowing Practice: Why one tick bite is causing a rapidly growing red meat allergy | June 2, 2026 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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What's up, sunshine?
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What's up, sunshine?
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I'm KoiWire, and today on CNN 10,
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could a tiny tick really make us allergic to burgers and barbecue?
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Then, NASA reveals its bold new plan to build humanity's first permanent foothold on the moon,
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plus a flight attendant whose career has lasted longer than many airlines.
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Let's get to it.
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We start with a bite-sized bug causing supersized problems.
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Some tick bites can trigger a condition that makes people allergic to red meat.
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Now, U.S.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
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Kennedy Jr. is launching a new initiative to combat Lyme disease and other tick-related illnesses.
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The initiative includes funding for tick control programs and more research into alpha-gal syndrome,
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a condition that's been spreading to more parts of the country.
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CNN's Meg Terrell explains.
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People don't want to go outside anymore.
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They don't want to go hiking.
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They are scared to go gardening or even walk the dog.
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In Martha's Vineyard, an island people visit,
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especially in the summer, to enjoy its gorgeous beaches and trails and great food scene,
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ticks are making life difficult.
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We're surrounded by what is apparently a tick haven.
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Tom Murphy, his wife Chris,
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and several of their neighbors have all contracted an allergy called alpha-gal, spread by ticks.
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It makes them allergic to red meat.
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I had a steak dinner with my son.
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I went to bed and everything was fine,
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everything was normal, and about two or so in the morning,
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I woke up and I was having trouble breathing.
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So what were the things you can't eat anymore?
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Well, you can't eat beef,
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no lamb, no pork, no venison.
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A lot of people can't eat dairy.
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It's spread by a tick called the lone star,
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which can transfer a sugar molecule with its bite that can spark the allergy.
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We found two on a quick hunt with a tick biologist in Tom and Chris's yard.
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So Lone Sars were first recorded on the island in 2011.
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They're probably here before that.
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Why has it grown so fast?
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We've got a good climate here for ticks since we're out on the ocean.
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We have plenty of hosts,
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like very overabundant deer, that the ticks just have no problem finding a meal.
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When it bites us, our immune system might decide foreign invader don't like it,
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and I'm going to create an allergic response.
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Leah Hamner is an epidemiologist on the island.
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She says there's still a lot to learn about the allergy.
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We don't exactly know who's most likely to develop alpha-gal syndrome and who's not.
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There's people who get lone star tick bites and do not become allergic.
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Martha's Vineyard Hospital tested nine people for alpha-gal in 2020,
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and only two came up positive.
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In 2024, we did over 1,200 tests and 523 of those tests were positive.
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So you can see that we went from like a positivity rate of 22.2% up to 41.7%.
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It can be quite frightening for patients because the allergy can be mild,
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including itching, rashes, some GI symptoms,
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but it can also be very severe and unfortunately quite unpredictable.
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About one third of our customers that come in have alpha-gal.
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Farm stands and restaurants on the island are also adapting to try to help their customers.
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So many people were just shell-shocked that they had to change their diets immediately.
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And so they needed support with that.
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So I've been buying alternative dairy plant-based cheeses.
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This is like a feta-like cheese,
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and I bake with this and it's melty.
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So here we have our turkey bolognese,
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which is completely alpha-gal friendly.
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We want to make sure we can accommodate this allergy because it's spreading like wildfire.
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Pacquia's hot shot.
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Which of these items left on the moon by astronauts is still there today?
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A golf ball, a family photo,
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a feather, or all of the above?
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If you said all of the above, ding ding.
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In the 1970s, astronaut Charles Duke left the family photo.
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David Scott left the feather after testing Galileo's famous science experiment,
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and Alan Shepard hit a golf ball across the lunar surface.
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NASA has announced a series of upcoming missions to establish a long term human presence on the moon.
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During the historic Artemis 2 mission this past April,
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NASA tested systems to help astronauts live and work beyond short visits.
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The goal, build knowledge for sustained exploration on the moon and eventually missions to Mars.
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At a conference in Washington,
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DC, NASA said there will be three parts to this initiative called Moonbase.
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Phase one is expected to begin this fall with critical equipment and infrastructure being launched towards the moon.
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If successful, Moonbase will become humanity's first permanent outpost beyond Earth.
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NASA is funding private companies to develop lunar vehicles,
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rovers and technology that could help astronauts work,
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travel and even live on the moon.
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Just when we thought her story was finished,
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one of the greatest athletes of all time is picking up the pen again.
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The Queen returns.
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That was the message from Queen's Club in London after confirming
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Serena Williams will make her comeback in the doubles draw ahead of Wimbledon.
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This is massive.
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We're not just talking about a 23-time Grand Slam singles champ,
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a player who spent more than 300 weeks ranked number one.
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This is a global icon who helped transform women's sports.
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Serena turns 45 in a few months,
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hasn't played a pro match in years.
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She lost in singles in the third round of the U.S.
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Open in 2022.
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And yet her return instantly sends a jolt of electricity through the tennis world.
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Who will be her doubles partner that hasn't been announced?
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How far can she go?
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Does this mean she's preparing to play Wimbledon as well?
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That's anyone's guess.
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Remember, she appeared on an international testing pool list dated from October of 2025.
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That sparked the initial rumors about a potential comeback,
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but she shot those down by tweeting in December,
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OMG, y'all, I'm not coming back.
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But one thing's certain, when Serena Williams walks back onto the court,
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the sporting world will be watching.
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She's a true legend that has the power to bring everything to a standstill.
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Now to an update on Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine,
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where rats are being used to help find hidden and deadly danger lurking underground in large parts of the country.
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While Russian drones continue to pose a daily threat from the skies across Ukraine,
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our Isabel Rosales has more on landmines.
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Step by step, sweep by sweep,
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the slow and painstaking rhythm of mine clearance in Ukraine.
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Some 25 miles or 40 kilometers outside Kyiv,
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this team is working to make sure the fields and forests are safe from mines and other potential dangers.
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It's slow, but critical work.
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Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022,
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the United Nations says Ukraine has become the most heavily mined country in the world.
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According to the UN, an estimated 20% of Ukraine's territory,
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an area larger than England and Wales combined,
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is now contaminated with mines and other unexploded ordnance.
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And experts with the Halo Trust,
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the world's largest humanitarian demining organization,
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say the process in Ukraine will take at least 10 years.
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That's time when fields will go unplanted,
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homes and businesses will remain in ruins.
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And people's livelihoods will continue to suffer.
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Already, Ukraine is feeling the impacts.
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From human casualties, the U.N says hundreds of civilians have been killed or wounded by landmines and other explosive material.
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To the rising economic toll, the U.N estimates that the presence of landmines
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and other munitions is costing the country $11 billion a year.
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While the scale of the demining project is vast,
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the Halo Trust says the same advances in technology
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that have transformed the battlefield are already helping to speed up their own process.
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The group has started using drones and AI to survey contaminated land and identify potential threats.
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Technology Prince Harry was able to test out during a recent visit to Ukraine.
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Elsewhere, the Halo Trust has turned to unmanned systems,
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like this remote-controlled digger, which excavates soil littered with mines,
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then chews it up in a specialized grinder.
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Despite the advances in technology,
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it's not suited to every task.
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That's when deminers rely on a more old-fashioned and more dangerous approach,
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removing the mines by hand.
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Today's story getting a 10 out of 10,
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the retirement to end all retirements.
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Joan Prince Crandall is hanging up her wings after more than 66 years as a flight attendant.
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Delta Airlines says she may be the longest serving flight attendant in airline history.
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When she began her career at Pacific Airlines in 1959,
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the plane still relied on propellers and only carried a few dozen passengers.
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Alaska and Hawaii were brand new states.
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She's witnessed the jet age take off and she's helped train generations of flight attendants.
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After tens of thousands of treks and safety demonstrations,
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she says one flight flies above the rest.
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I flew a craft trip,
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a military flight, and we flew to Frankfurt.
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We got out to the airport at midnight,
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and we were about to pick up 220 refugees from Afghanistan who were leaving their country forever
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to come to the United States to be safe.
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That was my favorite.
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Her favorite destinations?
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Paris, Mumbai, and Hong Kong.
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Ms. Joan Prince-Crandall, you are now cleared for retirement.
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That's about all we have time for today, but we have shout-outs.
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This first one goes to Miss Goodridge at Lyman High School in Longwood, Florida.
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Congratulations on your retirement.
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Here's to opening the DOA to your next chapter.
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Thank you for inspiring generations of TV production students,
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including our very own Brendan Buckley B.
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Double.
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He's a gift that you didn't even know you'd be giving us one day.
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This show would not be what it is today without teachers like you.
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And Miss Everhart, Mr. Merrill and Mr. Fitzgerald at Roland Grise Middle School in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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Sailor, you did this?
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Hand knitted?
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This banner?
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This is epic.
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Glad you are hooked on CNN 10.
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We love this so much.
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Thanks for spending part of your day with us.
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Keep that curiosity sky high.
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Your kindness turned up to a 10.
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And remember, you are more powerful than you know.
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I'm Koi Wire and we are CNN 10.
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Context & Background
In a recent episode of CNN 10, the focus was on a significant public health concern stemming from tick bites—specifically, a rapidly escalating allergy to red meat known as alpha-gal syndrome. The host, KoiWire, discusses how this condition is affecting people’s dining choices and outdoor activities, highlighting the alarming rise in cases. Health officials are responding by launching initiatives to control ticks and enhance research into this alarming allergy that limits people’s food options, causing them to avoid red meat and dairy. This segment serves as an engaging context for English learners who want to connect understanding current events with improving their language skills.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Could a tiny tick really make us allergic to burgers and barbecue?” - A great way to express curiosity about surprising health news.
- “It makes them allergic to red meat.” - Use this when discussing food allergies or dietary restrictions.
- “I had a steak dinner with my son.” - This personal anecdote can be adapted for sharing your experiences or meals.
- “Plenty of hosts, like very overabundant deer.” - This phrase illustrates the concept of ecological balance, useful in nature-related conversations.
- “There's still a lot to learn about the allergy.” - This is perfect for conversations where you express ongoing curiosity or the need for further research.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively use this video for English speaking practice, follow these steps:
- Watch and Listen: Begin by viewing the segment, paying close attention to pronunciation and intonation. Note how the host uses language to convey urgency and concern.
- Pause and Repeat: Use a shadowing app to pause the video after key phrases. Repeat them aloud, trying to match the speaker’s tone and pace. This will help improve your fluency and confidence.
- Identify Key Vocabulary: Focus on essential terms related to health and nature, such as "allergy," "tick," and "disease." Use these in your own sentences to expand your vocabulary.
- Record Yourself: Use the shadowing site to record your voice as you practice. Play it back and listen for areas to improve, such as clarity and enunciation.
- Engage in Conversations: Find a speaking partner or join an online community for IELTS speaking practice. Discuss the video’s content or related health topics, integrating the phrases you've learned.
By following these steps, you’ll enhance not only your speaking skills but also your understanding of relevant health conversations that affect society today. Embracing such current events in your learning process can make your English practice engaging and informative.
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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