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  3. There has been a fair amount in the news lately about apologies, particularly whether the chief executives of financial institut

There has been a fair amount in the news lately about apologies, particularly whether the chief executives of financial institut

admin2010-11-29  57
问题     There has been a fair amount in the news lately about apologies, particularly whether the chief executives of financial institutions have been contrite enough about the role they played in bringing about this recession. But whether it be an apology from a public figure to an anonymous mass of people or a private one between you and your spouse, a good apology has the same essentials.
    These include an acknowledgment of the fault or offense, regret for it and responsibility for it — and, if possible, a way to fix the problem, said Holly Weeks, a communications consultant and author of "Failure to Communicate: How Conversations Go Wrong and What You Can Do to Right Them" (Harvard Business Press, 2008).
    We’re taught when we’re very young to say, "I’m sorry," when we steal someone’s pail in the sandbox or lock our sister in a closet (hypothetically speaking). But somehow, as we grow up, our apologies often become more abstract, more defensive and less an acceptance of responsibility than a demand that the wronged person forgive us.
    The act of contrition sometimes comes wrapped in self-congratulation. For example, Ms. Weeks said that she analyzed the speech by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York when he publicly admitted wrongdoing and resigned. Only 17 percent of that speech was apology. The rest "was about how great he was," she said. In my opinion, the apology sent by e-mail or text message is also a cowardly way out, except for the most minor of incidents. Do it in person, or at least over the phone.
    An apology should not be thought of in terms of an expression of regret or getting something off your chest, which is more like a monologue, Ms. Weeks said. Rather, it has to be thought of as a communication between people. "Take the focus off yourself and keep it on your counterpart," she said. Apologizing has been complicated over the years by the threat of liability. This has led to apologies that have been carefully parsed to remove any real regret or accountability. "So many apologies are constructed by legal or P.R. people" as a defensive mechanism, not as a sincere expression of remorse, Ms. Weeks said. This can be true for politicians, doctors and business executives, but also for you or me if we’re, say, involved in a traffic accident. Should we say we’re sorry? Is that admitting fault?
What’s Ms. Weeks’ opinions about the art of apology?
选项 A、She likes the ways of apology that lawyers and public relations practitioners have taught their clients.
B、She thinks that the custom to apologize properly and sincerely of the past should be kept.
C、She encourages people to use any means to apology, such as letters, emails and phone calls.
D、She is indifferent about whether people can apologize well or not.
答案B
解析 细节题。“Ms．Weeks”是定位关键词，相关信息出现在第四、五段。从文中可知，Weeks夫人认为律师和公共关系人员关于道歉就是承认负有责任的观点是不对的，而且当面道歉要比使用其他任何形式，如信件、电话等更能显示出道歉者的诚意。另外，全文引述了她许多关于道歉艺术的陈述，如果她对这一议题不感兴趣，逻辑上是说不通的，所以D也不对。
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