READING 1 OF 23 focus words
Context study 1
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
Her brusque reply ended the conversation. Interest in the neglected composer began to burgeon. The apprentice would burnish the brass handles before delivery.
The receptionist was efficient but brusque with late arrivals. New workshops would burgeon around the restored railway station. The exhibition helped burnish the city's cultural reputation.
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.