Unit 5 · Interchange Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

the line where the sky and earth seem to come in contact with each other

"The horizon looks clear."

"The sun sank below the horizon painting the sky in shades of orange and pink."

(of a person) extremely careful with their choices and hard to please

"My son is a picky eater."

"My son is a picky eater and will only eat chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese."

an animal or human that eats a certain type or amount of food or has a certain manner of eating

"He is a messy eater."

"He is a messy eater and always spills food on his shirt during lunch."

(of a person) feeling worried because of thinking something unpleasant might happen

"I feel anxious."

"The anxious student paced back and forth outside the exam room because she was afraid that she had not studied enough."

having a strong belief in one's abilities or qualities

"She is confident."

"She is confident that she will pass the exam because she studied very hard."

feeling very unhappy and having no hope

"She feels depressed."

"She feels depressed and has lost interest in activities she used to enjoy."

feeling ashamed and uncomfortable because of something that happened or was said

"He felt embarrassed."

"He felt deeply embarrassed when he realized he had accidentally sent the private message to the entire group."

having or showing intense excitement, eagerness, or passion for something

"The crowd was enthusiastic."

"The enthusiastic crowd cheered loudly when their favorite team scored the winning goal in the final seconds."

intensely interested or captivated by something or someone

"I am fascinated by space."

"The fascinated child watched the ants carry crumbs and worked together to build their underground tunnel."

feeling sad because of being away from one's home

"I feel homesick."

"The freshman felt homesick during her first week of college and called her mother every single night."

feeling unhappy and afraid because of something that has happened or might happen

"She looks worried."

"The worried expression on the mother's face showed her concern as she watched her son climb the tall tree without any safety equipment."

a set of conventional rules or formal manners, usually in the form of ethical code

"Good etiquette is important at dinner parties."

"Proper business etiquette requires you to arrive on time and dress appropriately for meetings."

happening in or between more than one country

"The airport is international."

"The international student from Brazil spoke Portuguese and was learning English while studying engineering at the university in the United States."

the joint where the upper and lower parts of the arm bend

"He hit his elbow on the desk."

"The elbow bends when we lift heavy things repeatedly."

to reach a location, particularly as an end to a journey

"Passengers arrive at the airport early."

"The train is expected to arrive at the station at exactly nine o'clock so please do not be late for your important appointment."

one of the two thin, typically wooden sticks, used particularly by people of China, Japan, etc., to eat food

"The chopstick fell."

"Using chopsticks requires practice because holding them correctly involves coordinating the movement of your index and middle fingers without letting them cross."

a belief about what is likely to happen in the future, often based on previous experiences or desires

"Expectation was high."

"The expectation of success made them work even harder."

in a way that is acceptable or proper

"He dressed appropriately for the cold weather."

"He dressed appropriately for the cold weather with a warm coat and gloves so he did not feel cold at all."

a small book with a paper cover giving information about a particular subject

"The pamphlet was brief."

"The clinic distributed a pamphlet about healthy eating habits to all patients waiting for appointments."

the feeling of disorientation and confusion that people experience when they are in a new and unfamiliar cultural environment

"Moving abroad caused culture shock."

"Moving abroad caused culture shock and she struggled to adapt to the different customs and food."

the town or city where a person grew up or was born

"He returns to his hometown every summer."

"He returned to his hometown every Christmas to visit family and catch up with old friends."

something that helps a person realize something new or different about a situation or a person

"The documentary about poverty is a real eye-opener."

"The documentary about poverty was a real eye opener and changed my perspective completely."

used to express that something happens continuously from the beginning to the end of a period of time

"He slept during the movie."

"During the summer vacation we traveled to Italy and visited many beautiful cities."

regular and without any exceptional features

"That is a common bird."

"While not exceptional, the quiet village offered a common, peaceful way of life."

an act of taking a person's hand and shaking it as a greeting or after having made an agreement with them

"They sealed it with handshake."

"They sealed the deal with a firm handshake and a smile after months of negotiation."

to tightly and closely hold someone in one's arms, typically a person one loves

"She will hug her mother tightly."

"The little girl ran to hug her father as soon as he walked through the front door after work."

to become something greater in quantity, importance, or size

"The business will expand."

"The company plans to expand its operations into international markets next year."

to cause someone to worry

"This news concerns him."

"The new safety regulations concern all factory workers and anyone else who works with heavy machinery on a daily basis."

a change in the normal condition of the body of a person, which is the sign of a disease

"High temperature is common symptom."

"Fever and dry cough are common symptoms of many respiratory infections but they do not necessarily indicate a serious illness requiring hospitalization."

to exchange information, news, ideas, etc. with someone

"We communicate through email and phone."

"Effective managers know how to communicate clearly with their employees to avoid misunderstandings and improve productivity."

related or belonging to a country or region other than your own

"She speaks a foreign language."

"The foreign exchange student from Japan taught her classmates how to make origami and cook traditional dishes like sushi and tempura at a cultural event."

physically feeling relaxed and not feeling pain, stress, fear, etc.

"The bed is comfortable."

"She felt comfortable and relaxed in her new, cozy apartment."

(of a person) interested in learning and knowing about things

"The cat is curious."

"The curious child opened the closet door and found a hidden room behind it that contained old toys and photographs."

feeling very happy, interested, and energetic

"The child is excited."

"The excited children could barely sleep on Christmas Eve because they were waiting for Santa to arrive."

(of a person) not confident about oneself or one's skills and abilities

"He feels insecure."

"The insecure teenager constantly compared herself to models on social media and felt that she was not pretty enough."

worried and anxious about something or slightly afraid of it

"She is nervous."

"She felt nervous before her job interview because she really wanted the position and was afraid of failing."

(of a person) showing a lack of confidence and having doubts about something

"He is uncertain."

"The student felt uncertain about the exam questions, hesitating before attempting to answer them."

feeling embarrassed, anxious, or uneasy because of a situation or circumstance

"I feel uncomfortable."

"The awkward silence made everyone in the room feel deeply uncomfortable."

at a distance from someone, somewhere, or something

"Go away please."

"Go away please because I need some time alone to think about what happened today."

the general beliefs, customs, and lifestyles of a specific society

"Japanese culture is very interesting."

"Learning about a new culture can broaden your perspective and help you understand different ways of life."

a helpful suggestion or a piece of advice

"Give me a good tip."

"She offered some excellent advice, a really useful tip for the upcoming exam."

a person who invites guests to a social event and ensures they have a pleasant experience while there

"He was the host."

"As the host, she made sure every guest felt welcomed and comfortable at the party."

to decline an invitation, request, or offer

"She turned down the job offer."

"Unfortunately I had to turn down the scholarship because I could not relocate abroad."

the action of presenting something verbally

"The offer was good."

"The company made a generous offer to settle the dispute out of court."

to come or go into a place

"Visitors enter the building through the back."

"Before you can enter the restricted area you must obtain special permission from the security office and present a valid identification card."

to stop working, moving, or doing an activity for a period of time and sit or lie down to relax

"You should rest after working hard."

"The doctor advised him to rest for at least two weeks after the surgery to allow his body to heal properly."

to give a small amount of money to a waiter, driver, etc. to thank them for their services

"Customers tip the waiter for service."

"It is customary to tip the waiter about fifteen percent of the total bill for good service at a restaurant in this country."

showing or having enthusiasm or strong emotions about something one care deeply about

"She is passionate about music."

"The passionate musician played the piano with such feeling that everyone in the room was moved to tears."

(of a place or atmosphere) full of excitement and energy

"The music is lively."

"The lively debate between the candidates entertained the audience and the moderator had trouble controlling the spirited discussion."

to the highest degree

"The movie was quite good."

"The movie was quite good actually much better than I expected from the reviews I had read online."

to a very small degree or extent

"I can hardly wait."

"After the long hike, he could hardly move his tired legs and felt completely exhausted."

(of a place, space, etc.) situated inside a building, house, etc.

"This is an indoor pool."

"The indoor swimming pool is open all year round even when it is snowing outside in the winter."

to pay attention and become aware of a particular thing or person

"I notice a change in you."

"Did you notice how the speaker paused dramatically before revealing the surprising conclusion of her inspiring story?"

to think or believe that it is possible for something to happen or for someone to do something

"I expect you to arrive on time."

"You should expect some delays due to the heavy snow that fell overnight on the highways."