1 In every established human group, individuals fill various roles, and a very important role is that of leader. Leaders perform certain functions that are necessary for the group to achieve its goals. Leadership is distributed throughout all segments of our society: government, business, organized labor, education, social agencies, the professions, the media, and so on. Leadership is also dispersed through the levels of social functioning, from the highest levels of national life to the school principal, the store manager, the local union leader, and the club president.
2 The relationship between leaders and followers varies in different cultures. The relationship also varies according to whether the group or organization is in a time of calm or crisis, prosperity or recession, growth or stagnation. Leaders must be considered within their cultural and historic context, the setting in which they function, and the system over which they preside. The top leader of a nation, the president or prime minister, symbolizes the nation"s collective identity. For this reason, the death of a nation"s top leader causes a profound sense of grief and loss.
3 A leader is a crucial symbol of unity. In a healthy society, every activity takes place within a set of shared beliefs that define the standards of acceptable behavior governing individual members. One of the tasks of leadership at all levels is to energize these shared beliefs and values, and to draw on them as sources of motivation for the efforts of the group. Leaders renew the society"s values and keep them relevant. They help the society to understand its history as well as the problems of the present. Leaders have an important role in creating the mindset of the society, in setting the society"s goals, and in uniting people toward reaching these goals. History will judge leaders on how well they understand the society"s values and on how they adapt traditions to deal with present problems.
4 On a very basic level, leadership is the process of persuasion or example by which a single leader or a leadership team persuades a group to pursue objectives held by the leader or shared by the members of the group. Most leadership today is an attempt to accomplish purposes through large, complex, organized systems, such as the government ministry, the university system, and the professional association.
5 Leadership requires a great deal of energy, effort, common sense, and courage, and effective leaders are skilled in five essential areas. The first of these is agreement building. Leaders must be skilled in conflict resolution, compromise, achieving consensus, and building coalitions both within the organization and with other organizations. The second essential skill concerns the exercise of power. Leaders must know how to use the power that comes to them naturally through their position as leader. They must also know how to utilize other legitimate forms of power, such as the power of the media and public opinion. Third, leaders must be skilled in networking, the exchange of information and ideas and the creation of connections with other organizations—relationships that are necessary for accomplishing results. Fourth, leaders must be flexible. They must have the judgment and ability to change strategies when one strategy does not work or when circumstances change. Finally, leaders must be skilled in organization building. They must have a vision of where the whole organization should be going, and they must establish the systems that will move the organization to where it should be.
6 Each of these essential skills involves communication. In fact, if one had to name a single, all-purpose instrument of leadership, it would be communication. If an organization is to remain vital, it must have fluid and open communication among all its parts. There must be easy communication from leaders to followers, but also return communication, including disagreement. Leaders have to recognize and respond to all of the signals coming toward them. Communication and influence must flow in both directions, and in the process, leaders both shape followers and are shaped by them.

单选题 According to the author, why is the role of leader important to any group?

单选题 The word dispersed in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

单选题 Paragraph 2 supports which of the following statements about leadership in different contexts?

单选题 Why does the author mention the president or prime minister in paragraph 2?

单选题 According to the author, why is a leader a symbol of unity?

单选题 The word mindset in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

单选题 Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 3? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

单选题 According to the passage, an important goal of leadership is

单选题 The word exercise in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to

单选题 According to the passage, a leader must have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT

单选题 The word instrument in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to

填空题 Look at the four squares, A, B, C, and D, which indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?
Effective two-way communication is critical to the proper functioning of the leader-follower relationship.
A Each of these essential skills involves communication. B In fact, if one had to namea single, all-purpose instrument of leadership, it would be communication. C If an organization is to remain vital, it must have fluid and open communication among all its parts. D There must be easy communication from leaders to followers, but also return communication, including disagreement. Leaders have to recognize and respond to all of the signals coming toward them. Communication and influence must flow in both directions, and in the process, leaders both shape followers and are shaped by them.

填空题 An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

The role of leader is important to any organization and therefore requires certain leadership skills.

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A. Leadership involves setting goals and uniting people to accomplish these goals.
B. Leadership is more important when the organization is in a time of crisis, recession, or stagnation.
C. The death of a national leader causes an intense reaction of grief and loss in the nation.
D. Effective leaders understand and practice the values held by the organization.
E. Leaders need excellent communication skills for agreement building, networking, and motivating people.
F. Universities must have degree programs in leadership to develop the leaders of the future.