Welcome to Spotlight’s Listener Mail program. I’m Liz Waid.

 

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

 

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　　Today’s Spotlight is on YOU! In today’s program we read your comments and questions. Many of our listeners have interesting things to say about Spotlight programs. The comments we look at today come from programs that look at our place in the world. We look at the beginning of people and why nature is so important. We also look at one way people can become annoyed, or angry, with music. Keep listening!

 

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　　Our first comments today come from the program “Our Human Journey”. That program told about the Genographic project. This project aimed to help people understand human history. Researchers for the project studied human DNA. Each person’s DNA contains complex information about that person. But it also contains information about a person’s ancestors. Using this information, researchers believe that all people began from one place - a place in Africa. Each person has her own DNA. But ALL people on earth also share some parts of their DNA. Narath was one person who heard this program. She believed people could use this information for good. She wrote:

 

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　　“We are all from the same family. I do agree. And we all live on the same earth. We should help one another to make our world wonderful and safe.”

 

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　　However, Humble71 disagreed. He thought the information was interesting. But he did not believe it would change the way people lived.

 

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　　“This has been a very interesting subject - to know about our ancestors and that we all belong to the ancient African branch. I think this information will not change our world. People living in developed countries rule our world and the world economic system. But this project will serve to help us understand our real origins. Each one of us carries historical genetic information inside our bodies.”

 

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　　And SofiaMiketta had already been thinking about this subject herself! But Sofia also had a question.

 

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　　“Amazing. I was thinking about this so much in the past months. This information helps me to understand more about my questions. I want to investigate where I really came from. I am mixed race. I wonder where this mix came from. How could I get that information?”

 

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　　Thanks for that question, Sofia! Maybe other people have also been wondering about their origins. Anyone CAN take part in the Genographic Project. However, it does cost some money. You can find a link to the Genographic Project site on the script page for this program. Through that website, people can buy a Participation Kit. This kit is about $100.00. If you buy the kit, you can send a small example of your DNA to the Project. Then, the project can tell you where your ancestors travelled from. There is much more information on the website.

 

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　　Sofia, if you decide to buy the kit and take part in the Genographic Project, we hope you will tell us about your experience! If you do not decide to buy the kit, there are also other ways to learn about your family’s history. Do not forget about your older relatives! Ask your parents and grandparents about their history. You can also learn a lot this way!

 

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　　We go now to another way people experience the world. Our next comments come from the program “Going to the Forest”. In that program we told about John Muir. He worked to protect beautiful natural places in the United States. Muir believed that it was very important for people to experience nature. NightlyOwl agreed with the ideas in this program. For him, nature is a place to escape the busy city. He wrote:

 

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　　“Truly, nature is the most important thing in our world. We treat nature badly, and sometimes nature repays us in the same way. I love nature. I have always felt a close connection with it. I live out of the city. There is peace and quiet. There is a big forest where the birds sing. When I return home from work, I feel joy. I feel calm and enjoy the peace of the place.”

 

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　　And Dela agreed. She wrote about the way nature even seems to heal people.

 

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　　“I also love nature very much - like the forest and the mountains. I am sure that nature helps us fight against the trouble and suffering our life brings. Looking at nature gives our soul peace. It gives us a new force to continue our life. All people must protect and save these beautiful places!”

 

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　　Thank you both for your comments.

 

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　　We go now to something else that affects our human experience - something that often causes trouble or anger! Have you ever had an earworm? We are not talking about a real worm - an unpleasant little animal. Instead, we are talking about a small part of a song that gets STUCK in your head! The song stays in your head, even when you want to stop singing it! These songs that get stuck in your head are earworms. And we made a program about them called “Earworms: Songs in Your Head”. In that program we asked you about YOUR earworms. Some of you answered very simply. Duryan just said:

 

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　　“My earworms do not bother me.”

 

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　　And some of you even enjoyed having an earworm! D Nguyen wrote:

 

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　　“I experience an earworm almost every day and it does not bother me at all. When a song comes to my mind, I often sing it immediately. It makes me feel excited.”

 

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　　But earworms were not often a problem for Narath.

 

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　　“As for me, I do not have a musical earworm in my mind. I like listening to sweet songs. And sometimes I try to repeat the song, and I can remember it only for a short period of time. I only listen for a short period of time, so I only remember it for a short period of time. I do not have much time to concentrate on music or songs because I have a lot of things to do and achieve in my life.”

 

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　　But Humble71 suggested that earworms can be useful! They can help people remember the words to songs.

 

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　　“Earworms are very useful for singers. All the fans of a musical group have those group’s earworms in their heads. I have earworms because I repeat that songs of a famous English group. I sing the words to their songs again and again with videos on youtube.”

 

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　　That is an interesting idea! Thank you all for sharing your comments with us.

 

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　　If YOU have a comment, we would love to hear it. You can leave a comment on the script page of any program. Or you can visit us on Facebook to see and hear more about Spotlight programs.

 

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　　The writer and producer of this program was Liz Waid. The voices you heard were from the United States. 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 126”.

 

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