As has been all too apparent in recent days at Balcombe, few issues cause greater concern than energy policy. Many village communities feel their countryside is being ruined by the power-producing machines of wind farms; yet they never take “ direct action”, even though the planning laws put them at a severe disadvantage. And the generous subsidies(财政补贴),which encourage the expansion of wind power, are not favorable to the village communities and set landowners in conflict with other residents.

    Those who disagree with the rapid expansion of wind farms state that the damage they cause is out of proportion to the benefits they bring, because their energy output cannot match that of the carbon-based power stations they are supposed to replace. Supporters insist that wind must be part of a mix of renewables, nuclear and carbon, and that the country is committed to meeting EU(European Union) targets for non-carbon energy generation.

    Against this background, the fact that there is an argument within the Government over whether to publish an official report on wind farms impact on the countryside becomes even more extraordinary. The two parties in the coalition government are in disagreement over what it should say.

    We have some advice for the two parties :publish the report ,and let the country be the judge. Even if it contains evidence that wind farms are harmful, it will hardly be a pleasant surprise to people who do not like them. Equally, supporters must argue their case by acknowledging the concerns and explaining why they are either misplaced or worthy of much attention.

    The suggestion that further negotiations are to take place to produce an “acceptable” report suggests that the politics of coalition government are doing the country harm in a certain way. Given the sensitivities involved ,all the information should be available so that people can reach their own conclusions, rather than being left with the suspicion that facts are being replaced by political beliefs.

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

What brings a nation together? Of the four choices — shared values, language, history, and religion, it's shared values. In our latest poll (民意调査), seven out of 16 countries chose values as the greatest factor (因素）bringing a nation together, and six preferred language. Both choices scored high in the poll, suggesting that our values and how we express them are closely linked Still, history was not forgotten in some countries, particularly in Mexico and Russia. Even Canada and the United States chose national histories as the second-most important factor uniting their people. The biggest surprise? Not one country picked religion as its top choice.

    A group of people asked this question to a group of 4-to-8-year-old children. “What does love mean?” The answers were surprising. The children would answer like they did below.

    “When my grandmother hurt her knees, she couldn't bent (弯腰) over and paint her toenails (脚指甲) any more. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands hurt too. That's love.” Rebecca–age 8

    “Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't shout at them because you know it would hurt her feelings.” Samantha–age 6

    “Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.” Terri–age 4

    “I let my big sister pick on (捉弄) me because my mum says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her.” Bethany–age 4

    “I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new clothes.” Lauren–age 4

    “Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.” Elaine–age 5

    “My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.” Clear–age 5

    “You really shouldn't say ‘I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” Jessica–age 8

    Dyeing eggs has long been an Easter tradition, but it's the dyeing of baby chicks that is upsetting in some states.

    The dye, which is often ordinary food coloring, is either injected into eggs being hatched or sprayed onto newly hatched chicks. Although hatchery owners say the practice is harmless, critics argue that spraying the birds with color is stressful and that dyeing the animals transforms them into something attractive that can be thrown away when their colorful feathers disappear.

    “These are living creature and dyeing them sends out a message saying that they are more of a new and unusual object than a living animal,” said Dr. Marc Copper, senior scientific manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Dyed chicks — and sometimes rabbits — have been a traditional part of the Easter holiday in some parts of the world, but the practice has gone largely underground in the U.S. because many people view it as cruel.

    Today, about half of U.S. states ban the dyeing of animals, but last month the Florida Legislature passed a bill to remove the state's 45-year-old ban. The drive to end the law wasn't related to Easter chicks; it was done at the request of a dog groomer(美容师) who wanted to enter pet beauty contests.

    Florida governor Rick Scott must agree to remove the ban, which would be lifted July 1, but the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida(ARFF) has asked him not to remove the ban. In addition to allowing animals dyeing, the law would also lift a ban on selling baby animals as pets, and the organization fears that next year the state could see hundreds of dyed baby chicks on the market.

As long as the dye is not poisonous, experts say the birds' health isn't affected, and there are scientific reasons to dye animals. Wildlife researchers often inject eggs with dye to track birds in the wild, and teachers have dyed chicks for educational purposes. However, animal advocates are quick to point out that dyeing baby chicks for Easter isn't educational — it's done simply to earn profits.

    Stephen Hawking was a famous physicist. He was born in 1942. He died at his home on March 14h, 2018 in Cambridge, Britain.
    As one of the well-known physicists on space and time in the world, Hawking devoted his whole life to discovering the secrets of the universe, and he is called the King of the Universe. Since he was 21 years old, Hawking had been badly ill, but he didn't give up his hope of living. He went on to study at Cambridge University after graduating from Oxford University. In 1965, he got a doctor's degree. Then he worked as a professor at Cambridge University.

    Hawking was known for his work with black holes. He also wrote several popular science books. Although he didn't live as freely as others, he still felt he was happy and he was thankful to life. When Hawking was invited to China, he made speeches in some famous universities.

    From Stephen Hawking's whole life, we learn that no matter how bad life is, we should not lose hope. As he once said," Life is not fair, you just have to do the best you can in your own situation."

EVENTS(赛事)

Bicycle tour and race

    A bike tour and race will be held on August 26 and 27(Sat. & Sun. ). At 5:30am, the riders will leave

    Tian'anmen Square and ride the first 35 kilometers as a training leg. Then the next 55 kilometers leg, from Yanjiao to Jixian, will be the first competitive(竞争性的)part of the tour. The riders and their bikes will then be taken from Jixian to Changli.

    The second racing leg of the tour will be from Changli to the seaside of Nandaibe, covering a distance of 20 kilometers. Saturday night includes the stay at Nandaihe and supper. Sunday morning is free for play at the seaside. At noon all the people and their bikes will be taken back to Beijing.

    Cost: 200 yuan

     Telephone: 4675027

    Brazilian footballers

    The Brazilian Football Club will play Beijing Guo'an Team at the Workers Stadium on August 26. The club has four national team players. Also coming is 1994 US World Cup star Romario who has promised to play for at least 45 minutes.

    Ticket prices: 60,100,150 yuan

    Time/Date: 4:30 pm, August 26 (Sat.)

    Telephone: 5012372

    Rock climbing

    The Third National Rock Climbing Competition will be held on August 26-27 at the Huairou Mountain-climbing Training Base. More than 10 teams from Beijing, Wuhan, Dalian, Jilin and other places will take part in it. A Japanese team will give an exhibition climbing. Free for spectators(观众).

    Take a long-distance bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou.

    Time/Dates: 9-12 am, August 26 and 27

    Telephone: 7143177, 7144850, Wang Zhenghua