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　　Air pollution is damaging 60％ of Europe's prime wildlife sites in meadows, forests and bushes, according to a new report．

　　A team of EU scientists said nitrogen emissions(氮排放)from cars, factories and farming were threatening biodiversity．It's the second report this week warning of the on-going riks and threats linked to nitrogen pollution

　　Nitrogen in the atmosphere is harmless in its inert(惰性的)state, but the report says reactive forms of nitrogen, largely produced by human activity, can be a menace to the natural world．

　　Emissions mostly come from vehicle exhausts(排气), factories, artificial fertilizers(肥料)and animal waste from intensive farming．The reactive nitrogen they emit to the air disrupts the environment in two ways：It can make acidic soils too acidic to support their previous mix of species．But primarily, because nitrogen is a fertilizer, it favors wild plants that can maximize the use of nitrogen to help them grow．

　　In effect, some of the nitrogen spread to fertilize crops is carried in the atmosphere to fertilize weeds, possibly a great distance from where the chemicals were first applied．

　　The effects of fertilization and acidification favor common aggressive species like grasses, brambles and nettles．They harm more delicate species like mosses(苔藓), and insect-eating sundew plants．

　　The report said 60％ of wildlife sites were now receiving a critical load of reactive nitrogen．The report's lead author, Dr．Kevin Hicks from the University of York's Stockholm Environment Institute(SEI), told BBC News that England's Peak District had a definitely low range of species as a result of the reactive nitrogen that fell on the area．

　　“Nitrogen creates a rather big problem that seems to me to have been given too little attention，” he said．“Governments are responsible for protecting areas like this, but they are clearly failing．”

　　He said more research was needed to understand the knock-on effects for creatures from the changes in vegetation accidentally caused by emissions from cars, industry and farms．

　　At the conference, the representatives agreed “The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen”．The document highlights the importance of reducing reactive nitrogen emissions to the environment, adding that the benefits of reducing nitrogen outweigh the costs of taking action．

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　　I think it was my mother who taught me the meaning of honesty．Not because she actually was honest, but because she lied all the time．She felt that the easiest way out of any given situation was generally the best way out．And, for her, that generally meant telling a “little white lie”．As a young child I thought it was kind of cool．And, naturally, when I would come to her with a concern or question wondering what I should do, she generally advised me to lie．

　　“Mom, I told Theresa that I would go over to her house, but now I would rather go to Sue's house to play．”

　　“Tell Theresa you're sick，” she would advise．And generally I did．But I didn't seem blessed with her lack of conscience．On many painful occasions Theresa would find out that I really went to Sue's house without her．These occasions taught me that it is more painful to be caught in a lie than it is to tell the truth in the first place．I wondered how it was possible that my mother had never learned that lesson．

　　I started thinking of all the lies that I'd heard her tell．I remembered the time she told someone that her favorite restaurant had closed, because she didn't want to see them there anymore．Or the time she told Dad that she loved the lawn-mower he gave her for her birthday．Or when she claimed that our phone lines had been down when she was trying to explain why she hadn't been in touch with a friend of hers for weeks．And what bothered me even more were all the times she had involved me into her lies．Like the time she told my guidance counselor that I had to miss school for exploratory surgery, when she really needed me to babysit．And it even started to bother me when someone would call for her and she would ask me to tell　them that she wasn't there．

　　So, I started my own personai fight against her dishonesty．When I answered the phone and it was someone my mother didn't want to talk to, I said, “Louise, mom is here, but she doesn't want to talk to you．” The first time I did it, she punished me, but I refused to apologize．I told her that I had decided that it was wrong to lie．And the next time it happened I did the same thing．Finally, she approached me and said, “I agree that lying is not the best thing to do, but we need to find a way to be honest without being rude．” She admitted that her methods weren't right, and I admitted that mine were a bit too extreme．

　　Over the past few years, the two of us have worked together to be honest－and yet kind．Honesty should mean more than not lying．It should mean speaking the truth in kindness．Though I started by trying to teach my mom the importance of honesty, I ended up gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning of the term．

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　　The best way to help your children do well in school is to show them that you care about their education and lives．Here’s some helpful advice．

　　You are your children’s first and most important teacher．You know your children better than anyone else, and you probably care about them more than anything．Get involved in their education at every step－from homework help to parent-teacher conferences．

　　A close relationship with your children can keep them from having problems in school．Children need help to make decisions about school, relationships, work, and so on．This can be easier if your children can talk to you about their problems．

　　Be a good listener．Young children want to talk about their school days, so take time to talk and listen every day．As children get older, especially during high school, they might not want to talk to their parents．They usually think their friends may understand them better．At this time, parents should be patient and think of ways to get involved in your children’s lives．You need to be a cheerleader for your children．Tell your children you’re proud if they deserve it．

　　Offer your personal support．Help your children practice multiplication tables(乘法表)or have them read you one of their essays．If your children are having trouble in school．Even if you didn’t have the best experience in school, you can still help your children be successful．Besides, parents should know some effective ways of creating a great homework space．

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　　Dolphins are not fish, but warm–blooded animals．They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language．In this way they are like other animals, such as bees and birds．But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals．Their brain is nearly the same size as our own and they live a long life－at least twenty or thirty years．

　　Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around．They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food．We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw．

　　Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people．

　　There is a story about sailors in the 19^th century．In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack．From 1871 to 1903 Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way．Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack．He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin．

　　Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them．

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　　How to Book

　　Booking opens for Bekett Shorts on 8 September．

　　BY TELEPHONE

　　For credit card bookings．Calls are answered．

　　BOX OFFICE

　　01789 295623 9am－8pm(Mon．－Sat．)

　　0541 541051(24 hours, 7 days, no booking charge)．

　　BY FAX

　　For credit card bookings．Please allow at least 48 hours for reply, if required．

　　BOX OFFICE

　　01789 261974 or 01862 387765．

　　BY POST

　　Please send a cheque or credit card details together with an SAE or add 50p to the total amount to pay the postage．Please send to the Box Office, RST, Stratfordupon-Avon, CV376BB

　　Booking opens for all other plays on 19 September．

　　IN PERSON

　　BOX OFFICE

　　RSTnhall, 9∶30am－8pm(Mon．－Sat．)(6pm when theaters are closed)．

　　OVERSEAS BOOKING

　　The easiest method of payment is by credit card．You can also pay by：Euricheque(up to 500 pounds)with your card number written on the back．

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　　Robby was 11when his mother dropped him off for his first piano lesson．I prefer students begin at an earlier age．Robby insisted that it had always been his mother ‘s dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him in as a student．

　　Robby tried and tried while I listened and encouraged him and gave him more instructions．But he just did not have any inborn ability．

　　I only saw his mother from a distance．She always waved and smiled but never came in．Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons．I thought about calling him but I guessed he had decided to try something else．

　　I was also glad that he stopped comig for the sake of my career．However, several weeks before the recital(演奏会)of my students, Robby came, telling me that he never stopped practicing and begged me to allow him to take part．I agreed but I made him perform last in the program, so I could always save his poor performance through my “ curtain closer”．

　　I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen one piece of Mozart’s．Never had I heard a piece of Mozart’s played so well by someone at his age．When he finished, everyone was cheering．

　　I ran up and put my arms around Robby in joy, “I’ve never heard you play like that, Robby! How’d you do it?’’

　　“Well, Miss Hondorf．Do you remember I told you my mom was sick? Actually she died this morning．She was born deaf so tonight was the first time she could hear me play．I wanted to make it special．I knew I could．” That night, Robby was the teacher and I was the student．He taught me so many important things about life．

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　　A two year-old girl saved her mother when she fell dadly ill．

　　The girl’s mother, Carla Imbrenea, managed to dial 999 before suffering severe chest pains and shortness of breath．As she drifted in and out of consciousness, she heard her daughter, Gabriella, calmly telling the operator her name and address．

　　Gabriella even followed the operator’s instructions and placed a wet towel on her mother’s head and fetched her a drink．

　　When the ambulance arrived at the house in Bournemouth, Dorset, the girl carried her chair to the front door but could not reach the handle(门把手)．She went back to her mother and helped to pull her up that she could let the paramedics in．

　　Lisa White, a nurse, said：“Gabriella was fantastic．She was so calm．Usually children get very upset when their parents are ill, but she did very well．”

　　Ms Imbrenea said she had managed to dial 999, “But I just couldn’t talk because I was too ill．

　　“All I can remember next is hearing Gabriella tell the operator my name．She told them my address and kept telling them I was awake．

　　“Gabriella told them I was hot, and then got a wet towel to put on my head．Then she searched the house before coming back with an old bottle of juice．

　　“I was so lucky to have her there as she completely took control even though she is so young．She is fantastic and I am so proud of her．”

　　Ms Imbrenea added：“I have never spoken to Gabriella about what to do in an emergency, but she was so calm．Perhaps she will grow up to be a nurse．”

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　　Move over Michael Phelps, the Beijing Olympics has another superstar．Usain Bolt came into the Olympic history books last night, becoming the first man to break world records while winning both 100 m and 200m races at a single Games．

　　The Jamaican broke the world record by winning the 200m in 19.30sec, becoming also the first man sweeping the 100 m and 200 m gold medals at an Olympics after American Carl Lewis did so in 1984．Bolt, who turns 22 today, got the top spot closely after his win in the men’s 100 m on Saturday．He bettered his own world record in that race by winning in 9.69sec, despite slowing down over the final 20 m．

　　The performance marked him as one of the breakthrough stars of these Summer Games．One is sure that Bolt and Phelps, the US swimmer who won a record eight gold medals in the pool, will be in leading positions in the top athletes list．

　　Yesterday Bolt showed what he could do when he run at full speed all the way, dashing for the finish line to break the old record of 19.32sec set by American Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Games．“He is Superman 2,” Johnson said after he saw his record fall．All too far behind the Jamaican, Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles took silver in 19.82sec．Defending champion Shawn Crawford of the US got bronze at 19.96sec．

　　Once he saw his new record, Bolt fell to the track, his giant legs and arms pointing out．“I am No．1, I am No．1!” the world’s fastest man declared to TV audiences as he beat his chest and blew kisses at the 91,000 crowd in the Bird’s Nest, before continuing with his victory lap．

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　　Many years ago, a shopkeeper opened a bag of goods from England and found a card at the top．It said, “Expect a Miracle(奇迹)．” “What does that mean?” he thought, and then put it into his pocket．That night he was emptying his pocket and showed it to his wife．“Look at this, dear．What do you think it means?” “Maybe this is what we need,” she said．“Our problems are so great that they are too much for us．If we start expecting great things instead of the worst, miracle may take place．” They decided to try changing their thinking for a few days, starting with their smallest problems．Then something changed．Not only did they find their problems could be solved, but they also started making a lot of money．

　　To make miracles happen, you have to start by expecting them．That way your abilities can become focused in positive(积极的)ways．There are strange coincidences(巧合), and all kinds of happy experiences follow one after another．One becomes hopeful and optimistic(乐观的)．Little problems begin disappearing, while the big ones become much easier to work out．Success is not as far as you thought it was．

　　A positive thinker first sets clear and proper goals(目标)．Then he goes to work, and keeps on working．He never gives up．His dreams are sure to come true, and when they do, a miracle happens．

　　Miracles come in all sizes：big, medium-sized, and small．Start expecting the small ones, and work your way up to the big．Think positively, believe in yourself and work hard．You’ll find yourself amazed by how meaningful and active your life has become．

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　　Everyone has got two personalities－the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real．You don’t show your secret personality when you are awake because you can control your behavior, but when you are asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you．In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions．The important position is the one that you go to sleep in．

　　If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person．You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas．You don’t like to displease people．So you never express your real feelings．You’re quite shy and you aren’t quite sure of yourself．

　　If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive(爱保密的)person．You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset．You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don’t raise your hope too much．You usually live for today not tomorrow．This means that you enjoy having a good time．

　　If you sleep curled up, you are probably a very nervous person．You have a low opinion of yourself and you’re often defensive(防御性的)．You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people．You prefer to on your own．You’re easily hurt．

　　If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality．You know your strengths and weakness．You’re usually careful．You believe in yourself．You sometimes feel anxious, but you don’t often get sad．You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry．