Seeing the complete picture
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
The production manager handled fiscal oversight by recording approved expenses and checking them against the available funds. She examined the aggregate of the department requests, not just the size of each request in isolation. Several small purchases together would exceed the remaining budget. To make review easier, she offered to consolidate the separate spreadsheets into one shared record with a clear place for each department's entries and supporting receipts.
Once the records were combined, the aggregate showed where several departments had requested the same materials. The manager's fiscal responsibilities included making that overlap visible before the group committed its funds. She could consolidate the orders for shared supplies while preserving each department's responsibility for its own decisions. The revised plan did not create extra money, but it gave everyone a clearer account of what the production would require.
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.