Ask what the attention is for
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
At a networking evening, a guest used fawning praise whenever a successful designer approached, calling every unfinished sketch brilliant before looking at it. Another visitor acted as a hanger-on, staying beside the best-connected members mainly to receive invitations to private events. A third appeared to be an opportunist: he abandoned his stated objection to unpaid work as soon as accepting it might bring him influential contacts. The host looked at these observable choices rather than assuming that every friendly newcomer had a hidden motive.
The host contrasted the fawning compliments with a thoughtful question from a student who had actually studied the displayed work. The hanger-on drifted away when the conversation turned to helping with the evening's cleanup and no further invitations seemed likely. The opportunist changed his position again when a different contact offered a more useful connection. These patterns suggested attention organized around personal advantage, while the student's specific interest and willingness to contribute supported a more generous interpretation of her visit.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.