What happens without a plan?
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
An instinctive smile appeared on Mara's face as soon as she heard her grandmother's familiar greeting on the next recording, before she thought about responding. Mara's inclination was to arrange the letters by writer rather than by date, because she enjoyed following each person's continuing account. Mara's brother was prone to mixing loose envelopes with unrelated pages whenever he rushed, a repeated tendency the family had noticed on earlier afternoons. They chose a sorting method and separate trays before opening another bundle.
Mara's instinctive response belonged to the immediate moment of recognition, while her later choice of a sorting method involved deliberate thought. Her inclination toward following individual voices helped explain her preference without making it the only workable arrangement. Because her brother was prone to mixing materials when hurried, the family gave him a smaller batch and asked him to finish one tray before beginning another. The plan responded to observed tendencies without claiming that every future action was already determined.
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.