【推荐1】Is lying ever morally acceptable?     1     However, there seem to be several instances in which lying seems the most moral choice. Besides, if a broad definition of “lying” is adopted, it seems completely impossible to escape lies.

According to authors such as Kant, a society that accepts lies is a society in which trust is destroyed. And the sense of collectivity is also harmed. However, A less questionable sort of cases in which lying is accepted includes so-called “white lies.” In some circumstances, it seems better to tell a small lie than having someone worrying unnecessarily, or becoming sad.    2     People accept these cases in terms of their results.

Some favourable attitudes toward lying come from the consideration of more dramatic situations. Consider the situation in which someone is angered, out of control, and asks you where she can find a friend of yours so that she can kill that friend. You know where the friend is and lying will help the angry lady calm down. Should you tell the truth? Once you start thinking about it, there are plenty of circumstances where lying seems to be morally excusable.

But who is to say whether the situation is qualified to excuse you from lying? There are plenty of circumstances in which humans seem to convince themselves of being able to be excused from lying. But in the eyes of their peers, they actually are not.     3    

Today, many cases of lying may be seen as the outcome of self-cheating, perhaps a subconscious one. Besides, once we broaden our definition for what a lie may be, we come to see that lies are deeply-seated in our society. Clothing, makeup, plastic surgeries are all topics for discussion.

    4    And people unhesitatingly accept them, or even welcome them.

Therefore, before you criticize lying, think again.

【推荐3】There are two days that set you on your path in life: the day you’re born, and the day you realize why you were born.

Growing up south of Chicago in Harvey, Illinois, most people just had their heads down trying to make it from point A to point B. I was the same way, just going with the flow. I played basketball in high school because I was good at it and because other people thought I should until I discovered my talent.

I give up basketball and started doing speeches. It wasn’t a popular decision but my grandfather told me to do what made me happy. I fell in love with comedy and performing. And when I discovered the passion, I realized why I was born.

I knew I had something to offer —I knew that not only am I powerful, but I can make a difference.

I realized a long time ago that my dream is not to be famous or rich. My talent is to entertain. But it’s more than that. I have the chance to reach people, to brighten days, to bring laughter and positive energy into lives and inspire. And I am grateful forit.

Acting putting myself out there and having doors closed on me time and time again has taught me a lot about myself. I have learned to trust what I have to offer the world over momentary doubt. I’ve learned to put my faith over my feelings. And I've grown a tough skin. More importantly, I have learned there is a long way towards our goals and that when we put our talents and passion to work, we determine our value.

Like a lot of places across the country, there’s poverty, crime, violence and unemployment in Harvey. And growing up there, a lot of people have tragically low expectations for life. But I know that with the right opportunity and with help along the way, everyone can find their passion and go after it. My life is proof.

【推荐1】In Ireland, where I am studying for a PhD in immunology (免疫学) at Trinity College Dublin, we have two official languages. Irish is the first and national language, English the second. I grew up speaking Irish in a small pocket of Ireland, in Ballinskelligs, County Kerry, where the language is still relatively common. Much to my surprise, I have found a practical use for it during my PhD programme.

In December last year, I was contacted by producers at the national Irish-language radio station. They wanted to know whether I would be interested in joining a current-affairs discussion, and highlighted the difficulty of finding people with a strong background in immunology who spoke Irish fluently.

I have since been a guest on the show several times. It wasn’t until I was asked to do the radio programme that I realized how important it is to have someone who can speak Irish and communicate effectively. I began to see a benefit in having a platform for talking about the science that I love, while getting the chance to convey (传达) important information to people who might not otherwise have access to it in English.

Not only has Irish been useful for engagement in a broader sense, but it has also directly helped me with my PhD programme.

To move beyond science and communicate with the public, researchers must be able to speak the language of our audience——which is not always English. Science needs to reflect the linguistic diversity (语言多样性) of the general population. Having people at all levels of academia (学术界) who speak multiple languages, including Irish and other minority languages, is important in bringing science to the masses and can benefit our scientific efforts.

【推荐2】Martin Strel is a long-distance swimmer, best known for swimming the entire length of various rivers. He was born in Slovenia in 1954. He taught himself to swim when he was 6 and became a professional marathon swimmer in 1978. Martin holds Guinness World Records for swimming the Danube River, the Mississippi River, the Yangtze River and the Amazon River.

Of all his achievements, the greatest is his Amazon River swim. The Amazon is known as the largest, longest and most dangerous river in the world. Several long-distance swimmers had attempted to swim it, but all failed. Martin decided to risk his life and make history. He wanted to show the world that people can achieve their dreams and goals with hard work and persistence (毅力).

On April 7, 2007, Martin Strel completed his Amazon River swim all the way from Atalaya (Peru) to the Atlantic Ocean at Belem (Brazil). He struggled with the river for 66 days and totally swam 3,274 miles. He became a worldwide hero.

Many people still cannot believe what he has done so far, so that's why they sometimes describe him as “Fishman”, “Human Fish” or even “The Craziest Man in the World.”

In 2009, American filmmakers produced a documentary called Big River Man. And the book, The Man Who Swam the Amazon, has been sold in many countries worldwide. It's an inspirational story of perseverance and passion.

Martin Strel does not make much money from swimming. Instead, he swims to teach people about the importance of keeping water clean.

Martin has always been looking for the challenges of the impossible. At present, he is training for a new challenge -— swimming the Grand Canyon.