Answer:
The would not react very helpfully or very politely.
<em>Yes, it was a very wise thing to do.</em> Whenever we create new content that we want to present to the public, we have to acknowledge any other material that might contain similar information to ours. Sometimes, this might happen on purpose, like when we research a topic and we find information in other sources that will enhance our research. In this case, we cite our sources as references.
In the case of Jerome, the overlap was accidental. However, if he is aware of it, it is still a good strategy to acknowledge it for several reasons.
Listeners will be aware of the overlap, so they will be less likely to accuse him of plagiarism (claiming another person’s idea are our own).
They will also be more patient with redundant information, instead of getting bored.
It will show that Jerome cares about the proper acknowledgement of sources of information, so they are more likely to trust the rest of his speech.
Finally, the audience is aware of the fact that Jerome could not have predicted this overlap, so they will appreciate his resourcefulness for having a strategy to work around it.
