【推荐1】Like their ancient toga-wearing counterparts, modern philosophers continue to disagree on the nature of freewill. Do we really have any control over the choices we make and the things we desire, and if so, to what degree?

Theories of freewill vary, but the ancient words of Plato still line up with our modern perceptions(概念) of temptation and willpower. The respected Greek philosopher argued that the human experience is one of constant struggle between the intellect and the body, between rationality and desire. Along these lines, true freedom is only achievable when willpower unchains us from bodily, emotional, instinctual slavery.

You can find similar thoughts throughout world religions, most of which offer a particular and often difficult path to rise above our darker natures.

And science? Well, science mostly agrees with all of this. Willpower is all about overcoming your natural desires to eat cupcakes, skip your morning workout, play games on mobile phone, hit the snooze alarm and check your e-mail during a funeral.

Your willpower, however, is limited. If life were a video game, you'd see a glowing "willpower" or "ego"(自我) meter at the top of the screen next to your "life" meter. Successfully resist one temptation, and the meter drains a little. The next temptation drains the "willpower" meter even more, until there's nothing left at all.

Our modern scientific understanding of willpower in large part stems from a 1996 research experiment involving chocolate and radishes(小红萝卜). Psychologist Roy Baumeister led a study in which 67 test subjects were presented with tempting chocolate chip cookies and other chocolate-flavored treats before a persistence-testing puzzle. Here's the catch: The researchers asked some of the participants to withdraw from sweets and snack on radishes instead.

Baumeister's results told a fascinating story. The test subjects who resisted the sweet stuff in favor of radishes performed poorly on the persistence test. They simply didn't have the willpower left to resist slacking off(松懈).

The research inspired more than a thousand additional studies discussing everything from the influence of positive messages to the ego-sapping power of daily decisions

Studies also show that cognitive capacity also affects our ability to hold out against temptation. Cognitive capacity is essentially your working memory, which you employ when resisting a temptation ... or holding a string of numbers in your head. A 1999 study from the University of Iowa professor Baba Shiv found that people tasked with remembering a two-digit number held out better than people remembering a seven-digit number when tempted with chocolate cake.

1. What do you understand by ‘freewill’?

A．The control we have over the choices.

B．The choices we make and the things we desire

C．The choices that philosophers force us to make

D．Our perception of temptation.

2. According to Plato, when is true freedom available?

A．When there is a struggle between the intellect and the body

B．When our willpower helps us to overcome our basic instincts

C．When we desire that which we cannot achieve

D．When we have no control over our ego

3. What is meant by ‘cognitive capacity’?

A．Willpower to realize one’s own ego.	B．Our ability to overcome temptation
C．Our ability to remember things.	D．The desire to give in to temptation

【推荐2】Festivals in India are the special occasions when the country holds many celebrations. Socially, the whole nation becomes active in celebrations. This is the main reason why festivals in India are celebrated by the whole society. On such occasions, families will get together, exchange gifts and greetings, and take part in a lot of celebrations and even special fairs. All these are done to keep the festive spirit alive in modern times.

What is special about these celebrations in India is that people celebrate their common culture in their communities. There is a wide variety of festivals in India because of the presence of many different religions, beliefs, ideas and cultures. It is even said that some places in the country celebrate festivals 365 days a year. There are mainly religious festivals, cultural festivals and tourist festivals that are organized to keep the traditions, values and heritage(遗产) of the region.

Religious festivals are celebrated as part of the Indian belief system. They are organized to honor gods, spiritual personalities and events related to the journey of a religion. Cultural festivals in India are organized to provide a platform for different forms of music, dance and other art. To keep their artistic traditions alive and even make them become more popular in the future, many cities in India are active in cultural events. The rich cultural heritage of India attracts the Western world during the celebration of important festivals such as Onam, Holi and Durga Puja. Tourist festivals in the country are organized to celebrate the heritage of the land for tourism purposes. These celebrations every year bring good results and attract a large number of tourists, both within the country and abroad.

These festivals in India focus on enriching people’s “indian” experience in the most real way. For this purpose, foreigners are very interested in attending the festivals, which are organized to show the rich and colorful side of the country.

1. In India, the whole nation often celebrates festivals actively to_________.

A．meet with all their family members and relatives

B．keep the traditions of their festivals

C．exchange special gifts and greetings

D．have much fun on special occasions

2. India has so many festivals because ________ .

A．there are a great number of old attractions

B．the Indians want to attract more tourists

C．there are many different religions, ideas and cultures

D．the Indians like singing and dancing

3. Paragraph 3 mainly tells us_______.

A．three types of important festivals in India

B．which festival is the most popular

C．the origins of Indian festivals

D．the differences among all types of festivals.

4. The cultural festivals are usually celebrated by __________.

A．getting together and attending fairs

B．visiting the famous old heritage

C．having a journey of honoring gods

D．performing different art forms

【推荐3】All over the world mothers and fathers teach their children manners. Other children may have manners that are not like yours. There are all kinds of manners.

Many years ago, children who had good manners were seen and not heard. They kept quite quiet if grown-ups were talking. Today, well-mannered children have more freedom.

Sometimes good manners in one place are bad manners in other places.

Suppose you are a visitor in the land of Mongolia. Some friends ask you to eat with them. What kind of manners do they want you to have? They want you to give a loud “burp” after you finish eating. Burping would show that you liked your food.

In some countries, if you give a loud burp, you are told to say “excuse me, please.”

In many places people like to eat together. But in some parts of  Polynesia it is bad manners to be seen eating at all. People show good manners by turning their backs on others while they eat.

What are manners like in an East African town? The people try not to see you. They are being polite. You may see a friend. He may not see you at all. If you are polite, you will sit down beside him. You will wait until he finishes what he is doing. Then he will talk to you.

Suppose you visit a friend in Arabia. You should walk behind the other tents until you come to his tent. If you pass in front of the other tents, you will be asked into each one. The people will ask you to eat with them. And it is bad manners if you say no.

Manners are different all over the world. But it is good to know that all manners begin in the same way. People needed ways to show that they wanted to be friends.

1. In an East African town, the people try not to see you. This is because_________.

A．they are busy doing things	B．they don’t want to talk with you
C．it is good manners	D．they are waiting for you to talk with them.

2. Which of the following statements is True?

A．In Mongolia, you should say “excuse me” when you give a burp after dinner.

B．Children with good manners are quiet.

C．You should not walk behind the tents in Arabia.

D．Manners are different all over the world.

3. Sometimes good manners in one place are bad manners in other places. Which should be supporting paragraph(s) to the idea?

A．the fourth one	B．the fifth one
C．the sixth one	D．all of above

4. The best title of the passage should be________.

A．What are good manners	B．All kinds of manners
C．The importance of manners	D．Some good manners