Advanced English Conversations (2) - Robert Allans, Matt Edie, A. Mustafaoglu 2020

Set 24 - The directors will have the last say

Emma: I was so embarrassed that we made such a scene in the cafe! I was at my wit ends and had had a heated conversation with Helena.

James: Come on! Not again! Why should you two always air your dirty linen in public?

Emma: Ridiculous! She wants me to hire her old flame as a sales manager although he’s an unknown quantity in our sector. Then she would say I throw cold water on her suggestions.

James: Even if you had been right, you shouldn’t have made a racket over your personal stuff in that cafe. You could have pointed out to her that the directors will have the last say. Obviously, we’ll keep running around in circles unless we quit finding fault with each other.

Emma: Sometimes I can’t put up with her unreasonable acts. While I was checking on some urgent reports this morning, she dashed into my office and burst into tears. Guess what? It turned out that she had got a text from a whistle-blower informing her that her boyfriend is cheating on her.

James: Did she? Apparently she’s losing it and love is taking a toll on her.

Vocabulary;

make a scene: to make a public display or disturbance.

at one’s wit’s ends: completely puzzled and perplexed, not knowing what to do.

heated conversation: one where the people involved are angry and excited.

air one’s dirty linen in public: discuss or argue about private things in front of other people.

old flame: a former sweetheart or lover.

throw cold water on: to discourage or try to prevent a plan, etc. from being carried out.

make a racket: to cause a loud noise or clamor, especially of a disturbing or confusing kind.

point out: to bring something to the attention of others; indicate something

have the last say: to have the authority to decide how something ultimately happens or is done.

run around in circles: to waste time and energy engaging in trivial, aimless, or futile things.

find fault with: to find things wrong with someone or something.

unreasonable: not guided by or based on good sense.

check on something/someone: to make sure that they are safe, correct, etc.

dash into: to run or go somewhere very quickly because you are in a hurry.

whistle-blower: informer; someone who provides inside information in order to authority.

take a toll on: to cause damage or wear by using something or by hard living.

Exercise;

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate phrases or words;

1. People have an unnatural fixation on the personal lives of celebrities, but I don't see why they should be expected to air their .......... linen in public.

2. Lack of medical care can take a .......... on children's health and development.

3. Employers may opt to reward ..........-blowers to encourage them, but that honesty should ideally not have to be paid for.

4. After the attack, Peter .......... into the room scared and breathless.

5. You will need to .......... on your new employees' qualifications before assigning them to a given task.

6. She divorced him on the grounds of .......... behavior.

7. He’s always finding .......... with the children, even when they are doing nothing wrong.

8. As the editor in chief, I have the .......... say on the layout design for every issue.

9. The committee spent all afternoon trying to come up with a new PR proposal, but they ran .......... in circles the whole time.

10. No one likes him because he always .......... out everyone's mistakes.

11. The traffic made a terrible .......... in the street below.

12. I’ve had lots of ideas about how to improve sales but my manager pours cold .......... on all my suggestions.

13. How am I supposed to forget about my old .......... if I keep seeing her around town?

14. It was a very .......... argument and they were shouting at each other.

15. I've tried every possible source without success, and now I'm at my .......... end.

16. Robert made a .......... in the store when they refused to refund him for the broken television.

1. dirty 2. toll 3. whistle 4. dashed 5. check 6. unreasonable 7. fault 8. last 9. around 10. points 11. racket 12. water 13. flame 14. heated 15. wit's 16. scene