Many investors suffer from economic myopia. (myopia: shortsightedness, narrowness of outlook, lack of foresight) They make radical changes in their portfolio based on short-term fluctuations in the market. (radical: drastic, sweeping, extreme; fluctuations: variations, oscillations, ups and downs)
The Umbrella Club took a circuitous route to its meeting because the direct path passed the chairman's enormous sprinkler. (circuitous: roundabout, indirect, winding) Inside, an ostensible weather expert announced that one dark cloud required an immediate change in the club's entire collection. (ostensible: apparent, professed, purported) His compelling delivery impressed the newest members, although his forecast came from a stain on the ceiling. (compelling: persuasive, convincing, forceful) The treasurer preferred empirical information and quietly looked out of an actual window. (empirical: observational, experience-based, evidence-based)
Several collectors suffered from myopia, changing their plans whenever the sky looked different for a moment. (myopia: shortsightedness, narrowness of outlook, lack of foresight) They proposed radical changes to their umbrella collection before the first drop of rain had reached the pavement. (radical: drastic, sweeping, fundamental) The oldest member observed these fluctuations with amusement and kept repairing the sturdy umbrella she already owned. (fluctuations: variations, oscillations, ups and downs) Her candor unsettled the expert when she asked whether the ceiling stain had ever predicted sunshine. (candor: frankness, openness, directness)
A parsimonious collector refused to buy thread, yet displayed a silver umbrella stand that nobody could afford to move. (parsimonious: stingy, miserly, excessively frugal) Another delivered a pedestrian speech about preparedness, reading the same sentence from three different sheets of paper. (pedestrian: unimaginative, ordinary, dull) The treasurer offered a concise alternative: mend what was broken, keep records, and reconsider the plan after several real observations. (concise: brief, succinct, terse) The proposal received profuse applause, partly because it allowed the club to stop discussing clouds and begin eating cake. (profuse: abundant, lavish, copious)
The oldest member's dispassionate account distinguished a damaged umbrella from an umbrella that merely looked unfashionable beside a new display. (dispassionate: calm, objective, unemotional) A collector tried to circumvent that distinction by claiming every purchase served the noble purpose of preserving the club's dignity. (circumvent: bypass, avoid, get around) The treasurer asked for tangible evidence of a problem the proposed purchase would actually solve. (tangible: concrete, palpable, perceptible) His answer was a digression about a famous traveler whose umbrella had supposedly attracted admiration on another continent. (digression: detour, departure from the subject, aside)
The older member's brevity restored the discussion: admiration did not mend a broken rib or make wet cloth dry. (brevity: conciseness, succinctness, shortness) A parsimonious objection to buying thread then seemed as impractical as replacing every umbrella whenever the sky changed. (parsimonious: stingy, miserly, excessively frugal)
Their improvement was marginal at first, but no one discarded a useful umbrella during the next passing shower. (marginal: slight, minimal, modest) The expert remained adamant that his ceiling was a valuable research instrument and asked permission to preserve the stain. (adamant: unyielding, inflexible, uncompromising) The club granted a provisional arrangement: he could keep the stain provided he stopped selling tickets to inspect it. (provisional: temporary, conditional, interim) Their reward was finally commensurate with their effort: dry notebooks, repaired umbrellas, and a much shorter meeting. (commensurate: proportionate, corresponding, equivalent in degree)