跟读练习: Why Diamond Prices Are Falling So Fast - 通过视频学习英语口语
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The price of natural diamonds has plunged roughly 60 % in five years,
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falling from an all -time high of about $10 ,000 for a one -carat diamond in March 2022.
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The main culprit?
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A boom in lab -grown alternatives.
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Entering the market at a fraction of the cost, man -made diamonds have surged in popularity over the last few years.
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While buyers save thousands of dollars, the shift is changing the fabric of the traditional diamond market and raising questions about the future of the centuries -old industry.
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Lab -grown diamonds are created by placing small diamond seeds into a vacuum chamber with carbon -rich gases.
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Under controlled heat and pressure, the seed grows layer by layer before being cut and polished.
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They look just like natural diamonds and have the same chemical and physical properties, but because they can be produced in unlimited quantities,
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lab -grown stones sell for far less than natural diamonds.
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This price difference has driven an enormous shift in consumer habits.
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In 2026, lab -grown stones, including diamonds, accounted for 61 % of all U .S engagement ring sales.
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That's a 239 % increase since 2020.
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A diamond, it's a carbon, precious stone, scarcity, it's a rare stone.
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Now, this is a product that is produced in a factory.
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There's unlimited supply.
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Retailers have noticed.
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Pandora, a Danish retail jeweler with stores in more than 100 countries, completely stopped using mine diamonds in 2021,
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pivoting exclusively to 100 % lab -grown stones.
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We see today, we understand that around 60 or 70 percent of engagement rings are synthetic diamonds, not natural diamonds.
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Beyond the price tag, lab -grown diamonds have other benefits, too.
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A one -carat lab -grown diamond has a carbon footprint 90 percent lower than a mined diamond of the same size.
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Natural diamonds also carry a complicated history.
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Conflict diamonds mined in war zones once represented about 4 percent of global production.
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The Kimberley process came into force in 2003, an attempt to stop the trade, but there is a catch.
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Lab -grown diamonds might not have the same resale value as a natural diamond does.
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You shouldn't be buying a diamond thinking that there's a financial investment to it.
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And all they write back every single time is that you get no value back on your lab -grown diamond, right?
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All right, well, guess what?
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You know, surprise, you don't get any value back on your natural either.
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To understand how deep this crisis goes, you have to look at where diamonds come from.
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As of 2025, more than 85 % of global diamond mining happens in just five countries.
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Russia, Botswana, Angola, Canada, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Between geopolitical uncertainty, excess inventory of polished diamonds, and higher tariffs on diamond imports from India, the biggest players in the industry are being forced to pivot.
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De Beers Group, a subsidiary of Anglo -American, announced it would pause production at its flagship Phoenicia mine in South Africa for over two years to cut costs
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and streamline operations.
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The diamond company also briefly opened and shut down its very own lab -grown diamond brand.
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Lightbox was launched in 2018 with the plan to price its stones at $800 per carat.
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The business closed seven years later after lab -grown diamond prices fell 90 % at the wholesale level.
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And De Beers isn't alone.
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Russia's state -owned Alrosa, which counts for about 30 % of global diamond production, reported a decline in production between 2023 and 2025.
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So where does that leave the market?
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Have natural diamond prices finally hit rock bottom?
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According to Mano, Rappaport's diamond research shows signs of stabilization.
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I believe and our organization believes that we are around rock bottom and things are starting to shift.
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I think the pricing is extremely fair right now.
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The big thing that consumers see is kids walking around with five carat diamonds right
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and now they're able to do so you know
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and able to afford it and then you know able to take the extra money
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that they didn't spend on the five carrot natural and, you know, put it towards their wedding and buy a house.
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本课的词汇与口语要点
这节 B2 级别的口语课以视频“Why Diamond Prices Are Falling So Fast”为素材。 视频中反复出现的词有：diamond, lab, grown, natural, stone。 这段视频共有 50 个句子、667 个单词可供跟读。 讲话部分时长为 4:15。 说话人语速自然，每分钟约 157 个词，接近日常对话。 只有 76% 的单词属于英语最常用的 3,000 词，词汇难度较高。
视频中的重点词汇
视频中最难的 15 个单词，附发音和释义：
| 单词 | 发音 | 释义 |
|---|---|---|
| carat 名词 | /ˈkæ.ɹət/ | 克拉 |
| pivot 名词 | /ˈpɪv.ɪt/ | 樞 /枢, 樞紐 /枢纽 |
| unlimited 形容词 | /ʌnˈlɪm.ɪ.tɪd/ | 無限 /无限 |
| culprit 名词 | /ˈkʌlpɹɪt/ | 元凶, 肇事者 |
| geopolitical 形容词 | 地緣政治學的 /地缘政治学的 | |
| jeweler 名词 | /ˈd͡ʒuːələ(ɹ)/ | 珠寶商 /珠宝商 |
| pandora 名词 | 緋小鯛 /绯小鲷 | |
| resale 名词 | /ˈriˌseɪl/ | 轉賣 /转卖, 轉售 /转售 |
| scarcity 名词 | /ˈskɛɹsɪti/ | 缺少 |
| stabilization 名词 | /ˌsteɪ.bəl.ɪzˈeɪ.ʃən/ | 穩定化 /稳定化, 安定化 |
| streamline 动词 | /ˈstriːmlaɪn/ | 精簡 /精简, 簡化 /简化 |
| tariff 名词 | /ˈtæɹəf/ | 關稅 /关税 |
| footprint 名词 | /ˈfʊtpɹɪnt/ | 腳印 /脚印, 足印 |
| carrot 名词 | /ˈkæɹət/ | хуонлуәбу, 紅菜頭 /红菜头 |
| retailer 名词 | /ˈɹiteɪlɚ/ | 零售商 |
视频中的语法
说话人最常用的结构，并附上视频中的原话：
| 结构 | 视频中的用法 |
|---|---|
| 被动语态 be + 过去分词 — 强调发生了什么，而不是谁做的 | are created · being cut · can be produced |
| 现在完成时 have/has + 过去分词 — 过去发生但与现在仍有关联的事 | has plunged · have surged · has driven |
需要注意的发音
说话人用了 5 次缩略和弱读形式，例如 didn't, don't, isn't。请按听到的简短形式来说。
- “sh” 和 “zh” 音: stabilization /ˌsteɪ.bəl.ɪzˈeɪ.ʃən/, flagship /ˈflæɡʃɪp/, fraction /ˈfɹæk.ʃən/
- 长单词——注意重音位置: unlimited /ʌnˈlɪm.ɪ.tɪd/, stabilization /ˌsteɪ.bəl.ɪzˈeɪ.ʃən/, subsidiary /sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/, uncertainty /ʌnˈsɜːtənti/
如何用这段视频练习
- 先完整听一遍视频，不要开口，记下不认识的单词。
- 先用 0.75 倍速逐句跟读，熟练之后再回到正常速度。
- 录下自己的声音并与原声对比，特别注意 carat, pivot, unlimited 这类单词。
什么是跟读法？
跟读法 (Shadowing) 是一种有科学依据的语言学习技巧，最初开发用于专业口译员的培训，并由多语言者Alexander Arguelles博士普及。这个方法简单而强大：您在听英语母语原声的同时立即大声重复——就像是一个延迟1-2秒紧跟说话者的影子。与被动听力或语法练习不同，跟读法强迫您的大脑和口腔肌肉同时处理并模仿真实的讲话模式。研究表明它能显着提高发音准确性，语调，节奏，连读，听力理解和口语流利度——使其成为雅思口语备考和真实英语交流最有效的方法之一。