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专题四 任务型阅读 第一节 任务型阅读解题方法突破 （2011·江苏卷） 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 were acting as leaders, the circumstances are different. The act of apology is carried out not merely 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. | 
