环球英语 1257 Listener Mail 127

Voice 1

Welcome to Spotlight’s Listener Mail program. I’m Joshua Leo.

Voice 2

And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

Bananas. Music from Asia. And Friday the thirteenth. These were all recent subjects of Spotlight programs. And they were a way for people around the world to begin conversations with each other. People around the world wrote comments on these programs. They discussed their experiences, asked questions, and learned from each other. Join us as we read your comments and questions.

Voice 2

Our first comments today come from the program “Bananas: The World’s Favorite Fruit”. In that program we told about the history and future of bananas. These fruits are full of healthy substances. Many of our listeners agreed. In fact, some people even shared their favorite ways to eat bananas. Dela wrote:

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“I like bananas and I eat them every day. I only eat them raw or I eat pieces of banana fried in olive oil”

Voice 2

That sounds really good! People around the world eat bananas. But often the bananas are imported from other countries. SofiaMiketta saw this when she visited Germany.

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“Ecuador, my country, is a big producer of bananas. When I went to the country of Germany, I went to the store to buy fruit. There, I saw Ecuadorian bananas for sale."

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Sofia also wrote how she believes bananas are good for a body. They help build muscle when a person exercises. This is something NightlyOwl also believes.

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“I keep a healthy lifestyle and go to the gym to exercise. I make a food for myself in the blender. I mix a banana, cottage cheese, and nuts together. This gives me energy before I exercise.”

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And EBY wrote:

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“I like bananas a lot. In my country, people always eat bananas raw. I usually eat a banana in the morning. In my opinion, this is a perfect breakfast. I recommend it to everybody: if you would like a healthy food, eat a banana.”

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And he also added another way to use bananas.

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“Experts believe if you cannot sleep well at night, just drink a glass of warm milk with one banana. After a few minutes you will sleep. If you do not believe it, please try it once!”

Voice 2

Thank you for that suggestion EBY!

Voice 1

We go now from FRUIT around the world to MUSIC around the world. Have you heard KPOP? This is Korean popular music. It has spread from Korea to other Asian countries - and even farther! Many people love to listen to it. In that program we asked you to tell us your opinions about KPOP music. Some people thought this was a great way to learn about other cultures. Alexis wrote:

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“I like Jpop and Kpop music and that made me interested in these cultures.”

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SofiaMiketta agreed. She said:

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“This program was very interesting. I do not know much about Asian culture. So it is important for me to know about what is going on there.”

Voice 1

AnhNT wrote about what she really likes about KPOP.

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“It is a kind of very fresh music with very good-looking performances and performers. I do not know Korean at all, but still KPOP usually makes me relaxed and gives me energy for every new day. I just consider KPOP to be one of the many other beautiful creations humans make to make life better.

I listen to KPOP just for entertainment, not for cultural influence. I am from Vietnam. I am so proud of my cultural country even though it is not so developed and it does not have music like KPOP.”

Voice 1

But HerShey disagreed. He thought KPOP was a waste! He wrote:

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“I really do not like KPOP very much. Maybe I do not understand what they are singing. I think it is a waste for teenagers today to buy KPOP CDs and clothes like KPOP singers. It wastes time and money. It is not useful. If you want to relax, why not choose US and UK music or your own country’s music?”

Voice 1

Have you heard KPOP? What is your opinion of this music? Share your comments with us on the script page of this program.

Voice 2

Did you know that the year 2012 was special - in a strange way? This year, there were three Friday the 13ths. And there were 13 weeks between the first and second, and 13 weeks between the second and third. This information may make some people frightened! This fear of Friday the 13th - and the number 13 are common around the world. In our program “Friday the 13th” we told some of the old stories of why people are afraid of this day. But many of our listeners were not afraid of this day. Doi hai linh wrote:

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“I am not afraid of Friday the 13th. I do not believe the ancient stories. Many people believe that bad things will happen on Friday the 13th. If something unlucky happens on Friday the 13th they will think it is a bad day. But I do not think so.”

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Jellynhi had an interesting idea.

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“I am a superstitious person. But on Friday the 13th I do not believe in too much bad luck. Maybe the history of the day is wrong, so do not be frightened! Maybe in ten years people will think that Friday the 13th is a good day!”

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And EBY described what some people in his country believe about the number 13.

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“I do not believe these kinds of things. In lots of areas of my country, Iran, people also think the number 13 is an unlucky number. So, if they need to write it for an address sometimes they will write 12 + 1. We have traditional holidays at the beginning of the spring season that we call Norouz holidays. On the 13th of these holidays all people go out from their houses and apartments. They go to nature or parks. They believe that anyone who stays home will have an unlucky day. A lot of people think the weather will not be nice on this day because of its unluckiness. They tell stories about it too.”

Voice 2

Thank you all for your comments!

Voice 1

And thank you to all who have written to us! If you have a comment to share, you can share it on the script page of any program. And remember, you can also find us on Facebook. Just search for Spotlight Radio. There you can find more Spotlight programs and meet people from around the world who listen to Spotlight.

Voice 2

The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. The voices were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes have been adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can hear this program again, and read it, on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called “Listener Mail 127”.

We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.