As an example of undistinguished speech, read aloud the following explanation given by an executive who arrived late for a meeting. Each of the italicized words and expressions in this paragraph can be replaced by a more expressive and more suitable word. Try your skill in improving the executive’s explanation by replacing all the italicized words and expressions with words of your own selection.

I’m sorry I got here so late, but I couldn’t get here any earlier. I got a faxed message from Washington just as I was getting ready to leave, and I had to get off a reply at once. I tried to get a call through, but I got tired of waiting and finally got a fax on its way. Before I could get out of the office, I got a call from my sister. She had just gotten word that our father had gotten hurt in an automobile accident. When I finally got down to the garage, I found I had forgotten to get gas, so I had to get a taxi. It’s a wonder I got here at all.