When Should a Leader Apologize and When Not？

Why Difficult？

When we wrong someone we know，even not intentionally，we are generally expected to apologize so as to improve the situation. But when we’re acting as leaders，the circumstances are different. The act of apology is carried out not only at the level of the individual but also at the level of the institution. It is a performance in which every expression matters and every word becomes part of the public record. Refusing to apologize can be smart，or it can be stupid. So，readiness to apologize can be seen as a sign of strong character or as a sign of weakness. A successful apology can turn hate into personal and organizational harmony—while an apology that is too little，too late，or too obviously strategic can bring on individual and institutional ruin. What，then，is to be done？How can leaders decide if and when to apologize publicly？

Why Now？

The question of whether leaders should apologize publicly has never been more urgent. During the last decade or so，the United States in particular has developed an apology culture—apologies of all kinds and for all sorts of wrongdoings are made far more frequently than before. More newspaper writers have written about the growing importance of public apologies. More articles，cartoons，advice columns，and radio and television programs have similarly dealt with the subject of private apologies.

Why Bother？

Why do we apologize？Why do we ever put ourselves in situations likely to be difficult，embarrassing，and even risky？Leaders who apologize publicly could be an easy target. They are expected to appear strong and capable. And whenever they make public statements of any kind，their individual and institutional reputations are in danger. Clearly，then，leaders should not apologize often or lightly. For a leader to express apology，there needs to be a good，strong reason. Leaders will publicly apologize if and when they think the costs of doing so are lower than the costs of not doing so.

Why Refuse？

Why is it that leaders so often refuse to apologize，even when a public apology seems to be in order？Their reasons can be individual or institutional. Because leaders are public figures，their apologies are likely to be personally uncomfortable and even professionally risky. Leaders may also be afraid that the admission of a mistake will damage or destroy the organization for which they are responsible. There can be good reasons for hanging tough in tough situations，as we shall see，but it is a high-risk strategy.

―→·Public apology is much more than a(an)   　72　    act.

·It’s no    　73　   job to strike a balance between apologizing or not.

·Apologies not    　74　    offered can bring on individual and institutional ruin.

―→     ·In an    　76　， admission of all sorts of wrongdoings is more required than before.

·The    　77　  of public apologies has been widely reported in the mass media.

―→ ·Being public figures， leaders are supposed to appear    　78　.

·There needs to be a sufficient reason for a leader to    　79　    in public.―→ ·Making apologies is likely to be personally uncomfortable and   　80　.

·Admission of a mistake or wrongdoing will probably do    　81　   to their organization.

The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.

　　The origin of Father's Day is not clear, but no matter when the first true Father's Day appeared, the strongest supporter of the holiday was Mrs. Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon(布道) in 1909.

　　Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War soldier, was left alone when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart had to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a farm in eastern Washington state.

　　After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the sacrifices (牺牲) and was a courageous, selfless, and loving man. In 1909, Mrs. Dodd gave her own minister and others in Spokane some advice about having a church service devoted to fathers, thus Father’s Day came into being. People celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Children made special sweets, or visited their fathers if they lived apart. In early times, wearing flowers was a traditional way of celebrating Father’s Day. People wore red roses to honor a father still living, and wore white flowers to honor a dead dad.

When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental(多愁善感的). Most greeting cards have strange shapes, so fathers laugh when they open them

66. Who first raised the idea of Father’s Day?

A. Sonora                B. Smart                C. Smart’s wife     D. Sonora’s minister.

67. How many brothers and sisters did Sonora have altogether?

A. three                   B. four                  C. five                     D. six

68. Smart was a _______ father while Sonora was a _______ daughter.

A. selfless, considerate                         B. selfless, beautiful      

C. clever, diligent                               D. perfect, sentimental

69. What was the traditional way of celebrating Father’s Day in early times?

A. Visiting fathers                                 B. Taking fathers out to dinner

C. Sending fathers greeting cards           D. Wearing flowers

70. Most people send their fathers greeting cards of strange shapes to _______ them.

A. relax                   B. please                C. frighten             D. surprise

The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.

　　The origin of Father's Day is not clear, but no matter when the first true Father's Day appeared, the strongest supporter of the holiday was Mrs. Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon(布道) in 1909.

　　Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War soldier, was left alone when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart had to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a farm in eastern Washington state.

　　After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the sacrifices (牺牲) and was a courageous, selfless, and loving man. In 1909, Mrs. Dodd gave her own minister and others in Spokane some advice about having a church service devoted to fathers, thus Father’s Day came into being. People celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Children made special sweets, or visited their fathers if they lived apart. In early times, wearing flowers was a traditional way of celebrating Father’s Day. People wore red roses to honor a father still living, and wore white flowers to honor a dead dad.

When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental(多愁善感的). Most greeting cards have strange shapes, so fathers laugh when they open them

66. Who first raised the idea of Father’s Day?

A. Sonora                B. Smart                C. Smart’s wife     D. Sonora’s minister.

67. How many brothers and sisters did Sonora have altogether?

A. three                   B. four                  C. five                     D. six

68. Smart was a _______ father while Sonora was a _______ daughter.

A. selfless, considerate                         B. selfless, beautiful      

C. clever, diligent                               D. perfect, sentimental

69. What was the traditional way of celebrating Father’s Day in early times?

A. Visiting fathers                                 B. Taking fathers out to dinner

C. Sending fathers greeting cards           D. Wearing flowers

70. Most people send their fathers greeting cards of strange shapes to _______ them.

A. relax                   B. please                C. frighten             D. surprise

　　A sixth of undergraduates in Beijing this year have registered at driving school. The students, mostly from majors such as business management or international trade, will finish their driving courses within 20 days or so.

　　Training costs have dropped to 2, 600 yuan for students, according to the Haidian Driving School in Beijing. The price is not really low, but students will accept it, seeing it as an investment （投资）in their future. Familiarity with the operation of computers and fluent English are the basic skills graduating students need to find a job. But a driver’s permit has become another factor （因素）.

　　“In the job market, owning a driver’s permit sometimes strengthens a graduating student’s competitiveness for a good position, ”says Zhou Yang, an undergraduate at the China University of Political Science and Law.

　　Cars will become a necessary part of many people’s lives in the coming years, and it is difficult to get a permit of campus because of the pressures on working people’s time. “Having a fulltime job after graduation offers limited time to learn to drive. We senior students have plenty of spare time, plenty of opportunity to learn. ”Zhou says.

　　Xu Jian, an official at the driving school, said undergraduates were very able and serious, and could grasp in an hour what ordinary people took four hours to learn. In this driving school, middle -aged people, young women and college students are the main customers.

　　To get a driver’s permit, a beginner is now required to have at least 86 hours’practice before the final road test.

　________ in Beijing want to learn to drive.

　　A. Most of the undergraduates

　　B. Many undergraduates

　　C. Many students in the driving school

　　D. Most of the students who learn business or international trade

　　The undergraduates are learning to drive because ________.

　　A. they need this skill to find a good job

　　B. they like to drive cars

　　C. they will not have any time to learn to drive after they have

　　found a full - time job

　　D. most of them will be able to buy cars in the future

　　Which of the following is likely to be Xu Jian’s opinion of students learning to drive?

　　A. He thought it was better to learn it at college than at work.

　　B. He decided it was a waste of money and time to learn to drive.

　　C. He agreed that they could learn to drive.

　　D. He thought they would spend three times more time to learn to drive than usual.

　　Which of the following can be the best headline for the passage?

　　A. Students Pay Less to Learn to Drive Now.

　　B. Students Learn to Drive.

　　C. It is Better to Learn to Drive at Colleges.

　　D. Welcome to the Driving School.

A sixth of undergraduates in Beijing this year have registered at driving school. The students, mostly from majors such as business management or international trade, will finish their driving courses within 20 days or so.

　　Training costs have dropped to 2, 600 yuan for students, according to the Haidian Driving School in Beijing. The price is not really low, but students will accept it, seeing it as an investment （投资）in their future. Familiarity with the operation of computers and fluent English are the basic skills graduating students need to find a job. But a driver’s permit has become another factor.

　　“In the job market, owning a driver’s permit sometimes strengthens a graduating student’s competitiveness for a good position, ”says Zhou Yang, an undergraduate at the China University of Political Science and Law.

　　Cars will become a necessary part of many people’s lives in the coming years, and it is difficult to get a permit out of campus because of the pressures on working people’s time. “Having a fulltime job after graduation offers limited time to learn to drive. We senior students have plenty of spare time, plenty of opportunity to learn. ”Zhou says.

　　Xu Jian, an official at the driving school, said undergraduates were very able and serious, and could grasp in an hour what ordinary people took four hours to learn. In this driving school, middle-aged people, young women and college students are the main customers.

　　To get a driver’s permit, a beginner is now required to have at least 86 hours’ practice before the final road test.

1.The undergraduates are learning to drive because ________.

A. they like to drive cars

B. they need this skill to find a good job

C. they will not have any time to learn to drive after they have found a full-time job

D. most of them will be able to buy cars in the future

2.Which of the following is likely to be Xu Jian’s opinion of students learning to drive?

A. It is better to learn it at college than at work.

B. Young people have an advantage in learning to drive.

C. It is a waste of money and time to learn to drive.

D. They will spend three times more time to learn to drive than usual.

3.Which of the following can be the best headline for the passage?

A. Students Learn to Drive.

B. Students Pay Less to Learn to Drive Now.

C. It is Better to Learn to Drive at Colleges.

D. Welcome to the Driving School.