Luyện nói tiếng Anh bằng Shadowing qua video: 3 True Motel Horror Stories Animated

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I worked as a motel manager for most of my life, and during all that time, I witnessed unspeakable horrors.
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From shady drug dealings gone horribly wrong, to psychotic guests leaving their rooms in a deplorable state.
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However, nothing was worse than what I witnessed on the 16th of May, 2009.
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I got to work early that morning, and went about my usual routine.
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There were 30 rooms in the motel, but one particular room was always booked year-round by a man named Dr. Lucas Howard.
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Lucas Howard was a self-proclaimed plastic surgeon who didn't have a license to operate.
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However, he was a close family friend of the motel's owner, so they'd given him a spacious room at the back of
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the motel to carry out his illegal operations in exchange for some of his profits.
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I was appalled when I uncovered these disturbing and illegal acts, but I couldn't report what was going on to the authorities,
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as the owner threatened to fire me if I ever said anything.
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I desperately needed the job, as my wife couldn't work after she'd fallen sick, and we had five kids to feed.
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I had no other choice but to keep quiet, and with every passing day, I'd watch several of Dr. Howard's clients walk through those motel doors.
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Most of them were desperate young women who couldn't afford to pay for a licensed plastic surgeon.
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I always pitied these women, as they often left looking a lot worse than they came in.
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It was hard for me to watch what Dr. Howard was doing to these young women, as I had two daughters back at home.
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And I could tell most of these women were coerced or pressured into it.
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Even though I'd sworn not to say anything, I made it very clear to Dr. Howard that I didn't agree with what he was doing,
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as I always gave him dirty looks whenever he walked into the motel.
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We had an altercation after he arrived that morning as he looked at me and said, You better wipe that smug, righteous look off your face, Dean.
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You think I can't see you judging my clients and me every day?
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Who the hell do you think you are?
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Well, it's hard to keep a straight face, Howard, when I know you're cutting young women open in the back and sending them home badly disfigured.
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Regardless of your close relationship with the owners, I am still the motel manager.
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And I have never agreed with the illegal operations you carry out at this motel.
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Don't forget that my profits are what pay your salary, and I could easily have you fired tomorrow.
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So keep that attitude in check, Dean if you want to keep your job and afford the medications for your sick wife.
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He walked away, looking down on me, and I could do nothing but grit my teeth in anger, as I couldn't afford to get fired.
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I knew Dr. Howard was a twisted man who would go to any lengths to get his way.
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That was why he always threatened to take my job if I ever spoke up, as he usually reminded me of my five kids and my bedridden wife, who all needed my support.
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After Dr. Howard went into his office to see his clients, I went to water the large potted plants that the owners had asked me to place across the motel.
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When I was done, I saw a young woman around the age of 22 walk into the motel.
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I could tell she was extremely nervous as she walked up to me and said, Hello, sir.
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I'm looking for Dr. Howard.
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I could tell she was really scared.
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You don't have to do this.
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Whatever he promised you is not worth it.
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I've seen what he does to other young women like you.
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So please, just trust me and go home.
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Before I could finish my sentence, Dr. Howard came out of his office and said, I've told you not to talk to my clients, Dean.
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He then turned to the girl and said, Ignore whatever he said, Anastasia.
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You're in safe hands with me.
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Before leading her away to begin the operation.
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After a couple of hours, I heard him yell, Dean, I need you here right now!
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I rushed in to see what was going on, and I screamed in horror as Anastasia's butchered body lay lifeless on the table.
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I couldn't take it anymore.
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I can't do this anymore, Howard.
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I'm calling the cops.
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However, before I could pick up my phone, Dr. Howard put a bloody scalpel to my neck as he said.
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Then I'll slit your throat and throw you in the wood chipper just like the rest of them.
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Be reasonable, Dean.
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There's no need to play the righteous Samaritan, as you're just as guilty as I am at this point.
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It'd also be sad to leave your kids and your sick wife without your support, so shut your mouth and help me get rid of her body.
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I thought about fighting him off and running to the cops, but I knew I didn't stand a chance against him, so I agreed.
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We both carried her bloody corpse to a woodchipper out back, where Dr. Howard usually dumped the bodies from his failed operations.
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It took everything I had not to throw up as we tossed her into the woodchipper,
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along with the remains of several previous victims who hadn't survived their surgeries.
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After they were all chopped into bits, I wondered what he usually did with their remains, so I asked.
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Dr. Howard turned and looked at me with a sick grin.
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Well, I knew it'd be a shame to let their corpses go to waste, so I've been using their shredded remains as natural manure for all the potted plants that adorn the motel.
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I had no idea he'd been doing something so horrific, and I was forced to stay quiet.
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I also lied to the authorities when they eventually came to ask about Howard's missing clients, as I told them I knew nothing.
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I was his accomplice now, and even though they'd allow me to keep my job as a reward for staying silent, I knew I could never look at my wife
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or daughters in the eyes ever again after the horrific things I did that night.
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The worst night of my life began after I walked into the Green Creek Motel.
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It was an isolated motel just along the interstate.
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I'd been on a long nine-hour drive back home, and I was looking for a cheap place to spend the night.
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I was extremely tired as I walked up to the receptionist and asked for a room, but the receptionist looked at me and said,
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I'm sorry, sir, but all our rooms are already booked.
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Could you please check again?
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I'm so tired and I don't want to sleep in my car.
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There has to be at least one empty room.
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As I said before, there are no rooms available at the moment.
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I'm so sorry, sir.
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There's really nothing I can do.
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The motel was the only option I had, as there was nothing else for Miles and I really didn't want to sleep in my car.
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But it seemed like I had no other choice.
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However, a nice-looking man who heard our conversation walked up to the receptionist and said, He could have our room.
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I was just headed out.
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The receptionist then looked at him and asked, What about your wife, Mr. Bennard?
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Oh, she checked out earlier this morning.
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I was going to go meet her at home.
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I immediately thanked the man and shook his hand.
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He then responded with a kind smile before saying, Hope you have a good night's sleep.
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The receptionist told me that they'd need to quickly clean the room before I spent the night.
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She then asked me how long I was staying, and I decided to book the room for the weekend as
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I thought it'd be a good idea to take a break from the road for a couple of days.
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As I walked into the room, my nose picked up a faint smell and I assumed it was coming from the bathroom.
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The bed was also uncomfortable, but the room was spacious and I felt like it was a good value for the price.
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After taking a long shower, I went to bed, but I couldn't sleep.
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For some unexplainable reason, I just kept turning and when I finally dozed off, I had the strangest dream.
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I was standing in a dark hallway and I could hear a woman screaming in agony.
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I could tell she was trying to say something through her screams, but I couldn't understand what she wanted.
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When I woke up the next morning, I had a splitting headache.
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It felt like the worst night of my life
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and I began to wonder if I would have been better off just sleeping in my car.
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However, I had already paid for the entire weekend, So I took an Advil and went to get some breakfast.
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Even though I'd tried to put that horrible night behind me, I couldn't stop hearing that woman's screams in my head and it kept bothering me throughout the day.
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It had become unbearable and I hoped that I was coming down with a fever.
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I told myself that it was probably stress from the long drive and that I just needed a good night's sleep.
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However, I had another bizarre dream the following night.
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I was falling into a black abyss for what seemed like an eternity, and when I landed, I was lying on my bed in the motel.
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I couldn't move my arms or legs, but I could tell someone was lying next to me.
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It was a pale woman, and I tried calling out to her, but I couldn't speak.
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The woman then slowly raised her head and looked at me, allowing me to see her face in full view.
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I let out a blood-curdling scream as her skin was falling off her face and her eye sockets were empty.
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The woman then started repeating the words, Get off me.
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You're so heavy.
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I just want to rest.
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Please put me to rest.
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I've never been so frightened in my life, and I woke up screaming, covered in sweat.
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I'd never been a superstitious person, but I could tell something was seriously wrong with that motel room.
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The foul odor in my room had also become overwhelmingly nauseating, and I had a disturbing suspicion.
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So I went to the receptionist and asked her to check my mattress.
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She looked at me like I was crazy, before assuring me that the room was clean and that there was nothing wrong with the mattress.
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I wasn't convinced, so I took out my pocket knife, went back to my room, and ripped apart the mattress.
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The receptionist thought I'd gone crazy and threatened to call the police if I didn't stop.
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However, she went deadly silent when I uncovered a woman's corpse hidden inside the large mattress.
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The authorities were immediately contacted, and the body was identified as Abigail Bernard.
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She was the wife of the man who'd given me his room, and the police sent several officers to his house, but he was already long gone.
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Detectives carried out an investigation and found out that the couple had gotten into an altercation the night before that turned deadly.
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Guests in nearby rooms told detectives that they'd heard Abigail screaming on the day Bernard checked out.
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While this was never confirmed, detectives believed the couple got into a heated fight, and Bernard killed Abigail.
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He then expertly sealed her corpse inside the motel's mattress
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because he couldn't carry her body out without being caught on the motel's cameras.
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I was never able to recover from the fact
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that I'd slept on a woman's rotting corpse for two nights at the Green Creek Motel.
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The sight of her rotting body lying inside the mattress was truly gruesome,
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and I couldn't imagine how a kind-looking man could commit such horrors against his own wife.
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I never slept in a motel after that night, and even though several months have passed, on certain nights when I close my eyes,
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I can still hear Abigail screaming in the distance.
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The Brimshire Motel had been in my family for three generations.
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My grandfather had bought the motel from a friend in 1953, and he'd passed it down to my father after he retired.
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My father would always tell me that I would one day own the motel, and I can never forget the day he held me in his arms and said, Listen closely, Richard.
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Your grandfather poured his blood and sweat into this motel to provide for our family.
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It hasn't been doing well over the years, but I promised your grandfather no matter what happened, I wouldn't lose the motel.
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It's all going to be yours one day, and I need you to promise me that you will do everything you can to carry on the family business.
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I began running the motel after my father turned 70.
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It wasn't easy owning an old motel, as most guests preferred to choose more modern options with better services.
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However, I was determined to keep my promise to my father, so I did everything I could to make sure our motel could compete by offering cheap rooms
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and decent services to our guests.
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Everything was running smoothly at first, but that all changed after I noticed a strange man had started hanging around our motel.
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The man had a disturbing look on his face, and he was always looking at me like I'd owed him something.
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I'd never met the man before, and I wondered who he could be or why he was monitoring our motel.
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I didn't think much of it at first, but it wasn't before long, things took a turn for the worse as the deranged man began to follow me.
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I was terrified now, as I could often see him stalking me out of the
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corner of my eye as soon as I arrived at the motel.
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I went to the authorities, but they weren't able to identify or track down the man I believed was stalking me at the motel.
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For some bizarre reason, my stalker had somehow managed to expertly elude the authorities, as he always seemed to appear whenever there was no one else around.
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I tried my best to keep my distance, as I could tell he was dangerous and I wanted to avoid a confrontation.
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However, despite all my efforts to avoid this man, he somehow found a way to approach me when I was all alone.
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His eyes were bloodshot red, and he looked disheveled as he said, Where is he?
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I know you have him.
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I've been watching you, and I know you're hiding him in this motel.
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Even though I was frightened, I managed to keep my calm.
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I really think you're mistaking me for someone else, and if you don't leave right now, I'm going to call the police.
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The man reached for his pocket, but luckily before he could do anything, the motel's security rushed to help and he ran away, disappearing into the darkness.
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I thanked them for their help and I asked them to be on the lookout for him.
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I also started carrying my gun, as after meeting my stalker, I assumed he was a mentally unstable man who was mistaking me for someone else.
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The following night, I was wrapping up a few things in my office, when my window was shattered by a large rock.
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Within seconds, the man was standing in my office, but I was prepared this time, so I took out my gun and said,
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You have five seconds to leave before I shoot you or call the police.
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The man, who now had tears in his eyes, looked at me.
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Please, lower your weapon.
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I just want to talk.
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I know I've been acting crazy, following you around all this time, but I'm just looking for my son.
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We didn't have a good relationship, and we didn't talk much, but he recently reached out and said he was staying at the Brimshire Motel.
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That was the last text I heard from him before he disappeared, and I thought you did something to him, so I followed you, trying to find out.
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As I said before, sir, you have the wrong person.
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I didn't do anything to your son.
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The man then broke down in tears.
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I'm sorry.
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I didn't know what else to do.
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I couldn't go to the police because he didn't have his papers, so I had to look for him myself.
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I'm losing my mind, and I'm scared something has happened to him.
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I felt pity for the man, so I lowered my weapon and calmed him down.
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I then gave him some tea and told him
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that I'd do everything I could to help locate his missing
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son He began to thank me before he suddenly collapsed
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and fell to the floor The sedative had finally kicked in
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so I called in the motel security
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and asked them to put him with the others I didn't exactly enjoy getting my hands dirty
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But I knew this was what had to be done as
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my father had told me this was the only way to
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keep the family business alive Our motel was essentially a money pit.
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My father knew we couldn't afford to keep running the motel for much longer
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and that we would eventually have to shut it down.
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But my father struck a deal with the cartel to avoid that.
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He realized that an old motel like ours was the best place to find rejects, particularly people who didn't have any family and wouldn't be missed if they disappeared.
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You simply offer them an incredibly cheap room and wait for them to take the bait.
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They are then drugged and shipped off to the cartel to be used as mules.
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The cartel pays us well for this important service, and we use that money to keep the motel running while also offering the cheapest motel rooms on the market.
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I have no remorse for my actions, as I know I'm only doing what's necessary to keep the lights on at the Brimshire Motel.
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Thank you.

Từ vựng và ghi chú luyện nói cho bài học này

Video này có 193 câu và 3109 từ để luyện shadowing. Phần lời nói dài 17:44. Người nói nói với tốc độ tự nhiên, khoảng 175 từ mỗi phút, gần với hội thoại hằng ngày. Chỉ 79% số từ nằm trong 3.000 từ tiếng Anh thông dụng nhất, nên từ vựng khá khó.

Từ vựng quan trọng trong video

15 từ ít gặp trong video, kèm phiên âm và nghĩa:

  • motel /moʊˈtɛl/ (danh từ) — mô-ten, mô ten. A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often located near a major highway, which typically features a series of rooms whose entrances are immediately…
  • mattress /ˈmætɹɪs/ (danh từ) — nệm. A pad on which a person can recline and sleep, usually having an inner section of coiled springs covered with foam or other cushioning material then enclosed…
  • horror /ˈhɒɹ.ə/ (danh từ) — sự khiếp, sự ghê rợn. An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance.
  • grandfather /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌfɑðɚ/ (danh từ) — ông, ôông. A father of someone's parent.
  • detective /dɪˈtɛktɪv/ (danh từ) — thám tử. A police officer tasked with collecting evidence and information in order to solve a crime; an investigator.
  • disappear /dɪsəˈpɪɹ/ (động từ) — biến mất. To vanish.
  • threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/ (động từ) — doạ. To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
  • disturb /dɪˈstɜːb/ (động từ) — làm phiền, quấy rầy. to confuse a quiet, constant state or a calm, continuous flow, in particular: thoughts, actions or liquids.
  • pocket /ˈpɑ.kɪt/ (danh từ) — túi, túi áo. A bag stitched to an item of clothing, used for carrying small items.
  • silent /ˈsaɪ̯lənt/ (tính từ) — yên lặng. Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.
  • pot /pɑt/ (danh từ) — nồi. A flat-bottomed vessel (usually metal) used for cooking food, possibly excluding saucepans (see usage notes).
  • cop /kɑp/ (danh từ) — cớm. A police officer or prison guard.
  • tear /tɛɹ/ (động từ) — xé. To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
  • sweat /swɛt/ (động từ) — chảy mồ hôi, ra mồ hôi. To emit sweat.
  • surgeon /ˈsɝd͡ʒən/ (danh từ) — bác sĩ phẫu thuật. One who performs surgery; a doctor who performs operations on people or animals.

Cụm động từ bạn sẽ nghe

  • look for (động từ) — tìm, tìm kiếm. To seek.
  • check out (động từ) — tính tiền, trả phòng. To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
  • wake up /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ (động từ) — thức dậy, dậy lên. To stop sleeping; to awake.
  • come from (động từ) — đến từ, quê ở. To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
  • go on /ˈɡoʊˌɒn/ (động từ) — tiếp tục. To continue in extent.

Phát âm cần chú ý

Người nói dùng 86 dạng rút gọn, ví dụ couldn't, didn't, I'm. Hãy nói theo dạng ngắn đúng như bạn nghe.

  • Âm “th”: grandfather /ˈɡɹæn(d)ˌfɑðɚ/, threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/, bother /ˈbɑðɚ/, throat /ˈθɹoʊt/, smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/
  • Âm “sh” và “zh”: rush /ɹʌʃ/, essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, medication /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/, assure /əˈʃʊɹ/
  • Từ dài — đặt trọng âm cho đúng: essentially /ɪˈsɛnʃəli/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, medication /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/, desperately /ˈdɛs.p(ə.)ɹət.li/

Cách luyện với video này

  1. Nghe hết video một lần, chưa cần nói, và ghi lại những từ bạn chưa biết.
  2. Bắt đầu ở tốc độ 0,75×, nói đuổi từng câu, rồi quay lại tốc độ bình thường khi đã quen.
  3. Ghi âm giọng mình rồi so với bản gốc, chú ý các từ như motel, mattress, horror.

Ngữ pháp trong video

Những cấu trúc người nói dùng nhiều nhất, kèm đúng cụm từ trong video:

Cấu trúcTrong video
Thì hiện tại hoàn thành tiếp diễn have/has been + -ing — việc bắt đầu từ trước và vẫn đang tiếp tụcI've been using · hasn't been doing · I've been watching
Câu bị động be + quá khứ phân từ — nhấn vào việc xảy ra, không phải người làmwas always booked · was appalled · were coerced
Thì hiện tại hoàn thành have/has + quá khứ phân từ — việc đã xảy ra nhưng còn liên quan đến hiện tạihave never agreed · I've seen · I've told
Mệnh đề quan hệ who / which + mệnh đề — thêm thông tin về người hoặc vậtwomen who couldn · man who would · man who heard

Phương Pháp Shadowing Là Gì?

Shadowing là kỹ thuật học ngôn ngữ có cơ sở khoa học, ban đầu được phát triển cho chương trình đào tạo phiên dịch viên chuyên nghiệp và được phổ biến rộng rãi bởi nhà đa ngôn ngữ học Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Nguyên lý cốt lõi đơn giản nhưng cực kỳ hiệu quả: bạn nghe tiếng Anh của người bản xứ và lặp lại to ngay lập tức — như một "cái bóng" (shadow) đuổi theo người nói với độ trễ chỉ 1–2 giây. Khác với luyện ngữ pháp hay học từ vựng bị động, Shadowing buộc não bộ và cơ miệng phải đồng thời xử lý và tái tạo ngôn ngữ thực tế. Các nghiên cứu khoa học xác nhận phương pháp này cải thiện đáng kể phát âm, ngữ điệu, nhịp điệu, nối âm, kỹ năng nghe và độ lưu loát khi nói — đặc biệt hiệu quả cho người luyện IELTS Speaking và muốn giao tiếp tiếng Anh tự nhiên như người bản ngữ.

Phương pháp shadowing: đọc hướng dẫn từng bước đầy đủ →