SKIP TO CONTENT

Unit 3: Selection Vocabulary 1

This list covers "The Vanishing Island," A Night to Remember, and "Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger."
16 words 244 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Full list of words from this list:

  1. subsistence
    minimal resources for survival
    Subsistence, the ability to live off one’s natural surroundings, is no longer possible because of land loss.
  2. erode
    become ground down or deteriorate
    As the land erodes, the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribal culture erodes with it.
  3. maintain
    keep in a certain state, position, or activity
    As the tribal leader, he would maintain the grocery store, distribute mail, help settle disputes, represent the people of the island to outsiders, and gather residents for community service.
  4. settle
    bring to an end
    As the tribal leader, he would maintain the grocery store, distribute mail, help settle disputes, represent the people of the island to outsiders, and gather residents for community service.
  5. catastrophic
    extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin
    Marshes and swamps are like sponges; they can expand and soak up water, protecting the mainland and inland islands from storm surges and flooding—but without wetlands to provide natural barriers, hurricane damage can be even more catastrophic.
  6. glamorous
    having an air of allure, romance and excitement
    This was the fifth night of the Titanic's maiden voyage to New York, and it was already clear that she was not only the largest but also the most glamorous ship in the world. Even the passengers' dogs were glamorous.
  7. detached
    showing lack of emotional involvement
    "Thank you," acknowledged the voice with curiously detached courtesy.
  8. draw
    move or go steadily or gradually
    For the next 37 seconds, Fleet and Lee stood quietly side by side, watching the ice draw nearer.
  9. myriad
    a large indefinite number
    As he paced the deck, he noticed what he and his mates called "Whiskers 'round the Light"—tiny splinters of ice in the air, fine as dust, that gave off myriads of bright colors whenever caught in the glow of the deck lights.
  10. impress
    have a powerful and usually positive effect on
    When the jolt came, it impressed Belford more strongly than Steward Johnson—perhaps because a pan of new rolls clattered off the top of the oven and scattered about the floor.
  11. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    Mrs. Walter B. Stephenson recalled the first ominous jolt when she was in the San Francisco earthquake—then decided this wasn't that bad.
  12. grace
    elegance and beauty of movement or expression
    Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, “Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy.”
  13. horizon
    the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated
    It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons.
  14. professionalism
    the expertness characteristic of a business person
    Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades.
  15. anguish
    extreme mental distress
    And we know of your anguish. We share it.
  16. coincidence
    an accidental event that seems to have been arranged
    There’s a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama.
Created on Fri Nov 13 08:52:26 EST 2020 (updated Mon Nov 23 10:35:09 EST 2020)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.