a) Because it is against their arrogant nature.

b) It is culturally insensitive.

c) If they apologise, they are admitting they did something wrong and this might encourage lawsuits.

d) Clients will trust them less.

2 In which country are apologies already common in the financial services industry?

a) China

b) Canada

c) Japan

d) France

3 What happened after Southwest Airlines' CEO apologised when one of its planes accidentally killed a six-year-old boy?

a) The staff didn't receive bonuses.

b) Its share price went up.

c) Its CEO was fired.

d) The company was sued.

Language Focus

An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood by defining each word in the expression separately. They are usually created by a person or culture using it commonly over a long period of time, and are usually specific to cultures. One needs experience and practical usage to recognise idioms.

Match the following idioms from the passage to their meanings.

1 put their hands on their hearts

2 actions speak louder than words

3 Master of the Universe

4 make it to the top

a) to excel to the highest possible point

b) a sarcastic way to describe someone with lots of power

c) to communicate honestly

d) what you do is more important than what you say

Word Power

Match the words with their meanings below

1 arrogance

2 fund

3 forgo

4 shareholder

5 litigation

a) in financial terms, a collection of money used for investing

b) having too much pride

c) a lawsuit

d) a person who pays money to own part of a company, and thus receives the company's future profits or losses

e) to give up

Think About

Because of the bank's poor financial performance, Deutsche Bank management has voted against awarding themselves any bonuses this year.

1 How else can banks apologise with 'actions rather than words'?

2 Who is someone from whom you would like to hear an apology, and why?

Answers

Reading Comprehension ;1. c, 2. c, 3. b

Language Focus: 1. c, 2. d, 3. b, 4. a

Word Power: 1. b, 2. a, 3. e, 4. d, 5. c