A Hidden Scratch

Upper Intermediate (B2) Daily Life American Accent 58s

Practice using the word 'conceal' naturally while discussing a small accident and deciding how to handle it with honesty.

Vocabulary Highlights

conceal /kənˈsiːl/: To hide something or keep it from being seen or known.; "The spy tried to conceal the documents in a secret compartment of his briefcase." — hiding physical objects; "She couldn't conceal her excitement when they announced her name as the winner." — hiding emotions or truths

Speaker 1: Hey Maya, I'm in a bit of a panic right now.

Speaker 2: Oh no, what's wrong? Did something happen to the car?

Speaker 1: Yeah, I scraped the bumper while parallel parking downtown.

Speaker 2: Yikes. Is it really noticeable?

Speaker 1: It's pretty bad, and I tried to conceal the scratch with some cheap polish.

Speaker 2: Let me guess, that didn't work out too well?

Speaker 1: Not at all. Honestly, it just made the whole thing look way worse.

Speaker 2: You can't just hide it, Leo. You've gotta tell your brother.

Speaker 1: I know, but I was hoping to somehow conceal the damage until I could get it fixed.

Speaker 2: Trust me, he's gonna notice it the second he walks up to the driveway.

Speaker 1: You're right, there's no point trying to cover it up anymore.

Speaker 2: Exactly. Just be honest and offer to pay for the repairs.

Practice in Shadowee with interactive phrase-by-phrase audio playback, Echo mode, and Focus mode.