Give help and return it
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
A benevolent retired costumer offered patient instruction to students who wanted to mend their own performance clothes but could not afford repeated professional alterations. The students' praiseworthy decision to credit every helper in the program recognized work that audiences would otherwise never see. One student hoped to reciprocate the costumer's assistance by organizing and labeling the loose patterns that had become difficult to find. The group asked which arrangement would actually be useful before beginning, so the return of help responded to a real need.
The costumer's benevolent manner made it easier for beginners to admit uncertainty about a stitch instead of concealing mistakes. Their praiseworthy effort to acknowledge unseen work continued when a new volunteer helped finish the last costume. To reciprocate the original assistance, the student completed the pattern index and checked that the labels matched the costumer's preferred names. At the final fitting, the group could both use its new skills and leave behind an organized resource that made the next student's visit easier.
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.