[originaltext]M: Ouch! That hurts!W: What happened? Did you cut yourself? M:

M: Ouch! That hurts!
W: What happened? Did you cut yourself?
M: Yes, on the edge of this paper.[9]How can such a little cut hurt so much? I’m not even bleeding, but my finger really hurts.
W: You know, I read something about that. It turns out that a little cut on a finger can hurt a lot more than a big cut somewhere else.
M: Why? That doesn’t make any sense.
W: Actually, it does.[10]There are more nerve endings in your hands than almost anywhere else in the body, and it’s the nerve endings that make you feel pain.
M: I guess that’s true.
W: Also, a little cut like yours won’t damage the nerve endings, just irritate them. If they were damaged, you’d feel less pain, but the wound could be more serious.
M: So I suppose I should be happy my finger hurts so much, right?
W: Right. Now go and get yourself a bandage.
M: Why? You’ve just told me it’s not serious.
W: It’s not, but it does seem to be bothering you.[11]Putting a bandage over the cut will keep the skin from drying and will help keep the skin together. If the skin stays together, the nerve endings won’t be exposed, and the cut will hurt less.
9. What surprised the man?
10. According to the woman, what determines the extent of the pain caused by a cut?
11. What does the woman suggest the man do?