Reasons Behind a Decision

Test the explanation for a questionable choice

Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.

A staff member tried to rationalize reserving every comfortable seat for his friends by claiming that familiar faces made readings easier. The staff member's evasive response to a parent's question discussed the store's friendly atmosphere without answering why other families had been excluded. The manager considered reserving all comfortable seats for a staff member's friends unjustifiable because the reading promised equal access and no practical need supported that preference. She restored the ordinary seating arrangement and asked the staff member to explain the change directly to the waiting families.

The staff member could not rationalize the preference by saying that nobody had complained at previous sessions, since that did not address the current promise. An evasive account would also leave the families unsure whether the same arrangement might happen again. The manager identified the unjustifiable part precisely: friendship alone had been used to override access offered to everyone. The staff member acknowledged the decision, removed the reserved signs, and helped families choose seats in the order they arrived.

Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.