Skill and tact in a small moment
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At a community reading, the microphone stopped working just as an unfamiliar poet began. The host made an adroit adjustment, moving the chairs closer and inviting the audience to gather around. His affable manner put the speaker at ease. A visitor's loud complaint about the poet's quiet voice was gauche, especially while everyone else was trying to resolve the technical problem.
The poet thanked the host for his adroit handling of the interruption and continued without the microphone. During the break, his affable conversation helped introduce several people who had arrived alone. The visitor recognized that his earlier remark had been gauche and apologized directly. A brief acknowledgment was enough; nobody needed to turn the awkward moment into the center of the evening.
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.