环球英语 17 Listener Mail 70

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program. I’m Ryan Geertsma.
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
Welcome to today’s Spotlight listener mail program! We love to hear your comments and questions about our programs. On today’s program you will hear from people in Latin America and the Middle East. We will hear from Eddy², Mohsen, and Lili.
Voice 2
Our first letter today comes from Eddy in Bolivia*. Eddy wrote to us about a few different things. First, he told us how he uses Spotlight programs. Eddy writes:
Voice 3
“The Spotlight programs are improving my English a lot. I am so grateful to you! I made a CD with the audio I love most... I can listen to different English accents from the United Kingdom, the United States, South Africa, and Scotland.”
Voice 1
Eddy, that is a great way to use Spotlight! You can download audio of our most recent programs on our website. And we release new programs on our website every Monday. If you do not have time to listen to the program on the radio or a computer, making a CD with the programs is always a good choice. Some of our listeners also like to download mp3 audio files to an mp3 player.
Voice 2
And we really liked your comment about our different accents! It is true that people speak English in all these places - the UK (including Scotland), the US, and South Africa. And in each place, the accent sounds different. Sometimes understanding one kind of English accent is more difficult than understanding another accent. So, hearing different accents speaking the same language is good practice for a person’s ear!
Voice 1
Eddy also asks a question in his e-mail. He asks:
Voice 3
“Please, I would like to see in your website your own profile or photos so that I can know you.”
Voice 2
Thanks for the request Eddy! At this time, we do not have any plans to put up pictures or profiles - information about ourselves. But maybe this will change in the future! We will keep your request in mind. But, Eddy, if you would like to know a little more about the Spotlight team, you may be interested in our next letter from Mohsen. Mohsen asks:
Voice 4
“Hi, have you got any information about marriage in America? I would love to know about this. Do you have the ceremony of proposal in America?”
Voice 1
Every person’s proposal process in the United States is a little different. But there are some customs or traditions for proposing. For example, it is very common for the man to propose to the woman.
Voice 2
Often, the man will plan an event or special surprise for the woman he is proposing to. This way, she will not expect the proposal. Many people think this is very romantic - very loving and exciting.
Voice 1
These are just a few very general traditions. But maybe you would like to hear a personal experience? Well, Mohsen, you are in luck. Here at Spotlight we have an expert on proposals! In January 2007, Spotlight producer Joshua Leo proposed to his girlfriend. He asked his girlfriend to marry him! Now, he is engaged to be married.
Voice 2
We asked Joshua to tell a little bit about how he became engaged to his girlfriend, Sara. He shares his proposal story:
Joshua Leo
Hi everybody, I’m Joshua Leo.
When I asked Sara to marry me, I did many of the usual things. We had been talking together about getting married. First, I asked her parents for their permission and blessing³. Of course, they said yes!
Usually, a man will give a woman an engagement⁴ ring for her to wear on her finger. It is a symbol of a man and a woman’s promise to marry. So, I started saving money to buy the engagement ring. After I had saved enough money, I decided⁵ that it was finally time to ask Sara to marry me.
I wanted to surprise Sara for the proposal. So, I had to make sure she would not expect it. We needed to do something that we often do together. I enjoy making short films about my life. Often, Sara helps me make these films. She holds the camera while I speak. One day, I asked her to help me record a short film. We were visiting a nearby town - a place we go often. And we really like it there. I told her I would be talking about the town.
She turned the camera on and I began to speak. But instead of talking about the town, I asked her to marry me! She was so surprised she turned the camera off! But she did say yes! And our marriage proposal is now recorded on film.
I am really happy and excited to be married!
Voice 1
Finally, in the third week of July, Joshua and Sara got married!
Voice 2
But this is only one happy story! You heard Joshua’s story. But do you have a proposal story? What are the proposal traditions in your area? Write to us and tell us your story! We would love to hear it! And, Mohsen, we hope we answered your question!
Voice 1
Today’s last question comes from Lili in Ecuador. She writes:
Voice 5
“Hi. I want to let you know that I enjoy every program that I listen to on the radio in Quito, Ecuador. All programs are very interesting to me and many Ecuadorians. Can you do me a favour? How do I get the scripts of each program? Thanks a lot!”
Voice 2
Lili, this is a common question we get from listeners! And there are a few answers! First, some radio stations send out Spotlight scripts every week by e-mail. You can contact your local station to ask if they offer this service. Or, you can write to us. We will help you contact someone who can send you scripts in this way.
Voice 1
There is also another way to get the scripts. People can also get our scripts off our website. We only keep audio files on our website for a limited time. But our scripts appear on the website forever! You can search for scripts on the listen and read page. When you find the script you want, you can save it to your computer. Or, you can print it on paper. We will give our website address at the end of this program.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 eddy   

n.漩涡，涡流

参考例句：

• The motor car disappeared in eddy of dust.汽车在一片扬尘的涡流中不见了。
• In Taylor's picture,the eddy is the basic element of turbulence.在泰勒的描述里，旋涡是湍流的基本要素。

3 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

4 engagement   

n.订婚，婚约，约定，约会

参考例句：

• I can't see you on Monday because I have a previous engagement.星期一我不能见你，因为我有约在先。
• It was my mother's very own engagement ring.这正是我母亲自己的订婚戒指。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。