Describe conduct toward other people
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
The fictional apartment building's boor throws another resident's clean washing onto a wet floor rather than wait for an available machine. The resident's uncouth habit of loudly describing bodily functions makes the small shared laundry room unpleasant for people trying to finish their chores. An insolent resident calls the caretaker a fool for asking that the posted closing time be observed. A newcomer watches the exchanges and decides to raise the practical problems at the next residents' meeting without copying the insults.
At the meeting, the boor insists that other people's washing does not matter when he is in a hurry. Several residents explain how the uncouth commentary prevents an ordinary shared task from remaining comfortable for everyone in the room. The caretaker also reports the insolent insult, distinguishing it from a reasonable question about whether the laundry hours could change. The chair records separate proposals for a waiting system and a revised timetable, keeping the discussion focused on conduct that participants can change.
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.