You've just moved to
Los Angeles, and you're in the
industry (You're just answering
phones, but hey, you got to start somewhere). And by
virtue of the
fact you're at the
switchboard, you're connected. And
suddenly, your
cousin, who you haven't seen since your
First Communion, calls you up and says he has a terrific
screenplay, and is there a way you could get someone important to read it?
Sure, no problem, you say. Send it right over. This is common courtesy.
And so you get the script, and either you or a starving artist doing coverage, or an assistant to the assistant to the head of production sits down and skims it. A read in Hollywood does not require any actually reading. You really don't even have to sit, because you, the artist, the assistant, and everyone (except your cousin) know there is no chance in hell that the script will ever be made into a movie. Simply cracking the cover or marking the title page with a yellow highlighter is enough evidence that you have discharged your duties as part of the network.
Welcome to Hollywood.