Reading without adding a story
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
One member began to construe Noor's question as an attempt to delay the opening, although she had only requested a clear date. Another said her message seemed to allude to a previous dispute over borrowed chairs without naming it. Noor did not want anyone to attribute motives to her without asking. She explained her practical concern and acknowledged that the earlier dispute had made her notice the missing cleanup instruction more quickly.
After the explanation, the group could construe the question as a request for clarity rather than a hidden veto. Noor agreed that her reference to returning furniture might allude to the earlier experience for people who remembered it. She still asked them to attribute only the intention she had actually expressed, unless further evidence suggested something else. Their reply focused on the wording of the rule instead of speculating about her attitude toward the project.
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.