Do not treat silence as enthusiasm
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
When the committee proposed ending gatherings earlier, Omar expressed dissent because he thought the new time excluded people with late shifts. Several others offered only acquiescence: they still had reservations but stopped objecting after a long discussion. The chair separately asked for each volunteer's consent before adding that person to the closing rota. She wanted the record to distinguish disagreement, passive acceptance of a group decision, and an individual's voluntary agreement to take on a particular responsibility.
Omar's dissent remained in the minutes after the proposal passed, showing that a collective decision could coexist with a member's disagreement. Quiet acquiescence from two tired participants did not establish that they liked the earlier closing time. Nor did it provide their consent to supervise the gate every Friday, a separate commitment that required a direct invitation. The chair circulated the new schedule with an open sign-up sheet, letting members choose duties rather than interpreting the absence of further objections as permission.
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.