Exercise 1

Fill in the blanks below with terms used in the conversation.

NOTE: This is NOT a transcript of the dialogue you just heard.

Bruno: I'm furious with you Horatio. I mean really, really angry. But I'm trying to stay calm, and not lose my .
Horatio: I don't care if you yell and shout, Bruno. I'm not a little child, I can take your anger like a man. Don't worry, I'm not like Icarus or Luna.
Bruno: Well I'm not going to scream and shout. Dr. Donna Donovan has asked me to get better at controlling my emotions. I'm trying to as a person.
Donna: Fantastic, Bruno! Your statement is a major accomplishment, a real .
Bruno: Donna, have you been here this entire time?
Horatio: Where did this woman come from?
Donna: I was under the desk. Now, Bruno, embrace Horatio. Give him a big, warm, American .
Bruno: Fine.
Donna: And now a little kiss.
Horatio: No kissing.

I don't know

Fill in the blanks below with terms used in the conversation.

NOTE: This is NOT a transcript of the dialogue you just heard.

Bruno: I'm furious with you Horatio. I mean really, really angry. But I'm trying to stay calm, and not lose my temper 1.
Horatio: I don't care if you yell and shout, Bruno. I'm not a little child, I can take your anger like a man. Don't worry, I'm not sensitive 2 like Icarus or Luna.
Bruno: Well I'm not going to scream and shout. Dr. Donna Donovan has asked me to get better at controlling my emotions. I'm trying to improve 3 as a person.
Donna: Fantastic, Bruno! Your statement is a major accomplishment, a real breakthrough 4.
Bruno: Donna, have you been here this entire time?
Horatio: Where did this woman come from?
Donna: I was under the desk. Now, Bruno, embrace Horatio. Give him a big, warm, American hug 5.
Bruno: Fine.
Donna: And now a little kiss.
Horatio: No kissing.

1 temper: "To lose one's temper" is an expression which means "to lose control of one's emotions", or to become very angry. In this conversation, Bruno apologizes to Horatio for "losing his temper", or acting in anger while in Horatio's laboratory. In this exercise, Bruno is expressing that even though he is angry with Horatio, he won't lose control of his emotions, and he will remain calm.

2 sensitive: A "sensitive" person is especially perceptive or easily affected emotionally by actions. The term is sometimes used to describe a person who is easily offended or upset, although the term is not pejorative. In this conversation, Horatio says "I know (Bruno's nose) is a sensitive subject", which indicates that Horatio knows that Bruno's nose (specifically his loss of his ability to smell) is a delicate topic which upsets or disturbs Bruno. In this exercise, Horatio informs Bruno that he should speak freely because he is capable to take or deal with anything Bruno might say, and that he isn't delicate or "sensitive"

3 improve: "To improve (as a person)" is to get better or develop as a person. For example: Your work has improved considerably over the last few weeks'. In this conversation, Bruno tells Horatio that he knows "how hard (he) is working to improve his English", meaning that Horatio is working hard to get better at speaking English. In this exercise, Bruno refuses to yell and scream at Horatio because he is trying to "improve" as a person.

4 breakthrough: A "breakthrough" is a term used to describe an achievement, accomplishment or discovery. The term is frequently used by psychologists and therapists to describe a great accomplishment in a patient's life, specifically to express that they have "overcome" or "surpassed" an obstacle. For example: When Horatio admitted that he was wrong, it was an incredible breakthrough. Note that a "breakthrough" can also be used in a different context to describe an important discovery or milestone. For example: The discovery of penicillin was a breakthrough in the medical field. "Breakthrough" can also be used as an adjective: A "breakthrough" technology.

5 hug: A "hug" is an embrace, a physical gesture in which two people briefly hold each other affectionately. Donna suggests that Bruno and Horatio hug at the end of their session, and then Horatio insists that Donna join them in their embrace.

Exercise 2

Sam says, "Let's not split hairs".
What does he mean by this?

Let's not lose our tempers

This is not the best choice."To lose one's temper" is to become angry and lose control. This is not what Sam is saying here.

Let's not spoil our meal

Sam is not asking Bruno to avoid "ruining" or "spoiling" the lunch, but rather he is saying that he doesn't want to argue about the small difference between the interest rate Bruno mentions and the interest rate which Sam talks about.

Let's not beat around the bush

The expression "to beat around the bush" means to avoid addressing an issue directly. It is a tactic often used by politicians trying to avoid commenting on controversial matters. When someone does not want to say or admit something, they often "beat around the bush". Example: The politician beat around the bush for several hours before finally admitting that he had tried to seduce the goat.

Let's not argue about minor details

This is the best choice. The expression "to split hairs" means to make fine distinction between two things that are essentially the same or very close to one another. In the dialogue, Sam points out that the rate of interest is not 1%, as suggested by Bruno, but rather 0.95%. The difference between the two rates is very small, thus Sam acknowledges that he is "splitting hairs" by pointing out the difference.

To lose one's temper meaning in English

Definition

Examples

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