In each of the following unrelated circumstances, explain what course of action a CPA should follow in order to discharge his or her professional and ethical responsibilities: 

1. Nobles is employed by a firm of CPAs practicing in a small town. Early in 19X2, he reviews with the principal shareholder the draft of the audited 19X1 financial statements of Builders, Inc., a building contractor. Nobles notes that the company's deteriorating cash position is so serious that he believes that the company is facing bankruptcy. Nobles subsequently reviews the draft of the audited 19X1 financial statements of Patton Corporation, also a client, and notes that the company has a large overdue account receivable from Builders, Inc., against which no allowance for doubtful accounts has been provided. When Nobles questions the owner of Patton Corporation on the collectibility of the account, he is convinced that the owner is not aware of the actual financial condition of Builders, Inc. 

2. Brenda George, a CPA, is in charge of the audit of Portland Corporation, a public company. George is asked by an economist, who is doing research for a thesis on the financial operations of firms in the same industry as Portland, if she would contribute any information or views on the financial operations of Portland. The economist promises to keep confidential any information received from George. 

3. Singing Mines, Inc., is a small mining company whose principal shareholders are actively promoting the company's stock. Peter Dunn, the auditor of the company for several years, is in the company's offices conducting interim audit tests before the year-end when he discovers a copy of a set of third-quarter financial statements recently prepared and apparently sent to the company's bank. These were prepared by the company's accounting staff without Dunn's knowledge. They are clearly marked "unaudited," and Dunn's name does not appear on them. A quick scrutiny reveals that the statements appear to overstate net income by a material amount.