Sorting the family archive
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A somnolent cousin struggled to keep her eyes open while the family listened to a long recording after lunch. The sedentary transcription task kept two other relatives seated at a table for most of the afternoon, although they worked attentively through many pages. A habitual sluggard in the family's comic retelling repeatedly invented excuses to avoid his agreed share of sorting, even when willing and able helpers needed him. The organizer avoided confusing a sleepy moment, seated work, and a persistent choice to evade effort.
The somnolent cousin admitted that she could no longer follow the recording closely and asked another relative to take over the notes. The sedentary task still required concentration, so remaining seated did not make the transcribers lazy or unproductive. The comic sluggard returned only when the difficult sorting was finished and tried to claim credit for work he had avoided. The family assigned clear portions of the next task instead of assuming that everyone sitting at the table was contributing equally.
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.