High 2 · Reading series
Lesson 14 · An Apology with No Excuse
Audio track 14
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
I shared a photograph of our art project before the group had chosen which work to show. My friend Yuki was upset because her unfinished drawing appeared in the corner. I started to say that I had been excited and had not noticed it. Both were true, but neither changed what I had done.
I deleted the post and wrote to her: “I uploaded the image without checking with everyone. Your work was visible. I am sorry. I will ask the group before posting again.” I did not add a request for her to forgive me immediately.
Yuki replied the next day. She appreciated the change but still wanted time before sharing the project publicly. At our meeting, we made a simple rule: everyone in a photograph and everyone whose work appeared in it would check the final image.
An explanation may help someone understand a mistake. An excuse can shift attention away from its effect. The apology mattered because it named my action and led to a different practice.
Sentence practice
Play any sentence in Dicvo’s Jenny English voice. Before playing all, choose how many times each sentence plays. A practice pause about as long as the sentence follows each play, including before the next sentence. The complete reading remains above.
Choose a sentence to begin.
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I shared a photograph of our art project before the group had chosen which work to show.
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My friend Yuki was upset because her unfinished drawing appeared in the corner.
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I started to say that I had been excited and had not noticed it.
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Both were true, but neither changed what I had done.
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I deleted the post and wrote to her: “I uploaded the image without checking with everyone.
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Your work was visible.
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I am sorry.
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I will ask the group before posting again.”
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I did not add a request for her to forgive me immediately.
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Yuki replied the next day.
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She appreciated the change but still wanted time before sharing the project publicly.
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At our meeting, we made a simple rule: everyone in a photograph and everyone whose work appeared in it would check the final image.
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An explanation may help someone understand a mistake.
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An excuse can shift attention away from its effect.
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The apology mattered because it named my action and led to a different practice.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
小组还没决定展示哪些美术作品，我就先分享了一张项目照片。朋友由纪很生气，因为她尚未完成的画出现在角落。我开口想说自己太兴奋，没注意到。两句话都是真的，却都改变不了我已经做出的事。
我删掉帖子，给她写道：‘我没征求所有人的意见就上传了照片，你的作品也露出来了。对不起。今后发布前，我会先问小组。’我没有要求她马上原谅我。
由纪第二天回复。她认可我的改变，但仍想再等一段时间才公开项目。开会时，我们定下简单规则：照片中的每个人，以及作品出现在画面里的人，都要先看过最终图片。
解释也许能帮助人理解错误；找借口却可能让注意力离开错误造成的影响。道歉之所以有分量，是因为我说清了自己的行为，并由此改变了做法。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- unfinished
- 未完成的；由纪的画尚在创作。
- appeared
- 出现；作品露在照片角落。
- neither
- 两者都不；兴奋和疏忽无法改变事实。
- uploaded
- 上传；主人公未征询就发图。
- forgive
- 原谅；没有要求立刻得到。
- immediately
- 立即；对方可有自己的时间。
- publicly
- 公开地；由纪暂不愿对外展示。
- explanation
- 解释；可以说明经过。
- excuse
- 借口；可能转移对影响的关注。
- effect
- 影响；照片给由纪带来的结果。
Background notes (Chinese)
未经同意公开照片可能同时影响被拍到的人和作品作者。主人公删除帖子、明确承认行为，并建立发布前核对机制，没有要求对方立即接受道歉。