| A | B |
| protocol | a system of fixed rules or behaviors |
| incomprehensible | impossible to understand |
| indispensable | necessary |
| the odds | how likely something will or will not happen |
| pessimistic | the attitude that the future will bring something bad |
| detachment | an attitude of not reacting in an emotional way |
| abort | to stop something before its normal ending |
| gyrations | a series of sudden, unpredictable movements |
| yaw | movement left or right away from its course |
| status | the current situation |