Saying what you actually know
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
During a photography workshop, Celia gave a forthright account of why her proposed exhibition had been delayed: she had missed the venue's submission deadline. A new participant asked an ingenuous question about why she had not simply requested another date, unaware of the limits on the booking calendar. A colleague's response was more disingenuous; he claimed never to have heard about the deadline although Celia had shown him the reminder earlier that week and he had acknowledged it.
Celia remained forthright without giving a speech about everyone else's mistakes. She answered the ingenuous question by explaining that the room was already promised to another group for the following month. She then addressed the disingenuous claim privately, referring to the earlier exchange rather than speculating about her colleague's entire character. The conversation could return to the next available date once the immediate facts were clear and nobody had to pretend the reminder had never existed.
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.