Sometimes you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don’t act on your impulse (冲动), but let it pass instead. You know that to take the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.

One of the newest taboos is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that people talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “in” look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, slim manager to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline and self-respect. After all, how can people permit themselves to become fat? In an image-conscious society, thin is ‘‘in”, fat is “out”.

It’s not surprising that millions of people have become obsessed (着迷) with staying slim and “in shape”. The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the only reason for people’s obsession with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of people has changed since last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people’s bodies can easily become weak. In an effort to avoid such a fate (命运), millions of people are spending more of their time exercising. Parks are filled with joggers and bicyclists, and many companies are providing special exercise equipment for their employees to use during the work day.

When you bite into a loaf of bread, you’re eating a little slice of history, with roots that stretch back for millennia. But this basic and important food, which has dominated tables for thousands of years, is in a dangerous decline.

According to a study, 32 percent of the purchased bread is being dumped in the UK. And in France-a country whose breads are internationally well-known-young people are cutting 30 percent less than a decade ago.

Traditionally, bread has been a cornerstone of many cultures around the world. Wherever wheat was grown, bread was sure to follow. Its roles were just as varied as its origins. Bread could be used as an appetizer, a palate(味蕾)cleaner, a post-meal palate cleaner-even as an entire meal itself. As its popularity grew, so too did its symbolic value, Christianity adopted bread as are presentation of Christ during religious ceremonies. “Breaking bread” with someone became a common symbol of friendship. The French even used to bring baguettes(法棍面包)home as a symbol of love to the family.

But recently, the world’s love with bread came to fade. Some guess that the fast pace of modern life is changing people’s eating habits. Others believe it’s a reflection of health concerns. Bread is rich in complex carbobydrates(碳水化合物), a fact that could alienate anyone who practices a low-carbon or gluten-free(不含麸质物的)lifestyle.

The shift against bread is also associated with its mass production. Extra yeast(酵母)and additives are added to the dough, to extend its shelf life. In the process, bread ends up being blanched(变白)and nutritious stripped.

But dedicated bakers around the world have rushed forward to rescue bread’s good reputation. They say no to mass production-in-favor-of-baking-flavorful loaves the old-fashioned way. British baker Mark Newman is a good example. His loaves take up to 18 hours from start to finish. “In terms of nutrition and eating satisfaction, a handmade loaf of real bread and mass-produced bread are completely different products.” he said. Artisanal bakers hope to build on the popular enthusiasm to grow their industry. With a little luck-and some fresh, whole grains-bread might return to its traditional glory.

Embedded (植入的) advertising has been running wild for decades. It forces its way into our daily lives, yet goes largely unnoticed. It’s become so perfectly inescapable that, at the end of the day, you just have to sit back and admire it — or at least accept it.

It used to be that embedded advertisements were harmless. They were obvious, but priceless too. These days, however, people have to draw the line when Tom Hanks makes best friends with a brand-name volleyball on the screen. Pretty soon may come the day when we can’t sit through a Renaissance-set show without local servants sporting the latest mobile phone! Many people have just grown indifferent to the brand promotion. It’s sad that we sometimes have to judge the worth of movies and shows based on how perfectly they’re able to include brands into a storyline.

We can look at The Social Network as an example of how embedded marketing can be destructive or made more pleasant. What could have been a two-hour ad for a famous social media site was instead fashioned into a thematic exploration of the network’s impact on its users. The film examines the networks expansion and makes us question how it has changed the concept of “connectedness” in the so-called information era. We really have to give credit for this.

In such cases the attempt is being made to introduce a certain amount of artfulness where there could have easily been none. Such examples are thought of as “progressive product placement”, which could serve as a model. If today’s embedded advertising can be dealt with in the clever and attractive way, people won’t remain either indifferent to or calm about it.