Step back from an unwelcome surprise
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
A sudden change to the rehearsal order could disconcert Noor, who had prepared to speak first and now had to wait. She was dismayed to discover that the new order also shortened her group's presentation. Her tutor suggested reviewing the schedule with some detachment before deciding how to respond. Noor took a short break and returned to compare the actual time limits, giving herself enough emotional distance to distinguish an inconvenient change from the more specific problem that required a discussion.
The unexpected announcement continued to disconcert several performers because it unsettled their preparation. Noor remained dismayed about losing time, but detachment helped her examine whether the revised schedule treated each group according to the same rule. She found that two groups had been assigned different limits by mistake. Her request for a correction then focused on a concrete inconsistency, while her account still acknowledged that the abrupt change had been upsetting rather than pretending she felt nothing about it.
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.