環(huán)球英語 — 372：Listener Mail 95

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Voice 1

Hello and welcome to Spotlight. I'm Marina Santee.

Voice 2

And I'm Ruby Jones. 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

Welcome to our listener mail programme! Thanks to all of you who wrote letters and e-mails. Hello to Mariluz in Ecuador, listening on radio HCJB Guayaquil 102.5 FM.

Voice 2

And hello to Elif in Turkey, Mohammed in Egypt, and Le Van Hung in Vietnam. Thanks for sending your greetings to Spotlight!

Voice 1

Our first request comes from Ecuador:

Voice 3

‘Please send me something about Indian culture!'

Voice 1

Thanks for your request. At Spotlight we make many programmes about different cultures. We have programmes about marriage ceremonies in India and what Indian women wear. We also have a programme about the Tzeltal Indians from Mexico. Which Indian culture interests you? You can search the programmes on our website. Go to the listen and read page and click on ‘archive.'

Spotlight on the internet: radio.english.net

Voice 2

Our next letter comes from Tanit in Spain. He writes:

Voice 3

‘I am studying English. I use your website to listen and to talk on subjects. I find the subjects interesting and clear. But I want to ask you something. Would you record the same programme at a faster speed?'

Voice 2

Thanks for your comments - and thanks to Mercedes and Ana for the same suggestion. Lots of people ask us to make faster programmes! But we are only a small organisation. And our special area of interest is making slow speed programmes. However, in today's programme our hodgepodge will include English at a faster speed! Listen out for it later in the programme!

Voice 1

Several listeners wrote in about a recent Spotlight program on food taboos. In every culture, there are things that people think are taboo - things that should be not be permitted. This could be because of traditional, religious or social reasons. But what some cultures see as taboo, other cultures may accept without question. A taboo can be an act, a word, a place - or a food!

Voice 2

One of the foods in our Food Taboo programme was kutti pi. This food is popular in some parts of India. But some people consider kutti pi a taboo food. This is because it is made from a foetus. A foetus is an unborn animal, taken from the body of its mother. Usually, people make kutti pi using a sheep foetus. Eating it is supposed to help pregnant women stay healthy. Santiago is from Ecuador. After hearing the programme, he wrote to Spotlight:

Voice 4

"Many of the meals on the script belong to different cultures. But they are similar to some traditional meals from Ecuador... But there is something really great for me: the kutti pi from India. This meal is in my country too, and its supposed effects are the same. I thought it was only in Ecuador...

"In Ecuador, kutti pi is called ‘guagua mama'. These two words come from a native language - Quechua. ‘Guagua' means baby and ‘mama' means mother. And you say the two words as if they are one word. I think this food belongs to the culture of people from the Andes Mountains. And they suggest that pregnant women eat it."

Voice 2

Thank you for telling us about guaguamama, Santiago. The countries of Ecuador and India are very far from each other. It is interesting that they share some similar cultural attitudes. I wonder, is kutti pi found in any other countries? And is eating such a food taboo in your country?

Voice 1

The Food Taboos programme also interested Abdellatif. He left this comment on the script page of our website:

Voice 5

"Thank you very much for the programme about food and taboos. Many people do not eat the meat of pigs because of their religion - especially Muslims. But some people do not eat pigs' meat because some scientific research confirms that pigs' meat is bad for our health."

Voice 1

Today, many people decide what they will and will not eat for health reasons alone. Over the last thirty years, scientists have studied how different kinds of foods affect the human body. And their discoveries have influenced people's diets - maybe even more so than social and religious traditions. Is this true where you live? Write and tell us! Our e-mail address is radio at English dot net. Or visit our website to leave a comment.

Voice 2

And soon, it will be even easier for you to comment on anything about Spotlight that captures your imagination!

The message boards on our website are now open. So you can write about any issue that interests you - and discuss your opinions with listeners around the world!

Spotlight on the internet: radio.english.net

And now for our Spotlight language hodgepodge. We had several requests for faster programmes this month! So, let us look at rates of speech.

Voice 1

Horse racing announcers often speak very fast. English is my first language. And I cannot understand every word. That announcer was speaking at almost three hundred words a minute! Most people speak much slower - on average about two hundred words a minute.

Voice 2

People speak at different rates depending on what they are doing! For example, at Spotlight we speak at a slower than average speed - we speak at about ninety words a minute.

Voice 1

But the average reading rate is much faster: about two to three hundred words a minute.

Voice 2

And a lot depends on where a person was born! In some areas, people speak much faster.

Voice 1

Most people seem to agree on one thing - women speak faster than men! Is this true in your country? Why is that?!

Voice 2

Well, that is all that we have time for today. We hope that you can join us again for our next listener mail programme!