English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 54: Distances and dimensions

Word List
  • breadth
  • broad
  • broaden
  • broadminded
  • deep
  • deepen
  • depth
  • distance
  • distant
  • expand
  • extend
  • far
  • faraway
  • height
  • heighten
  • length
  • lengthen
  • lengthy
  • long
  • long-distance
  • low
  • lower
  • narrow-minded
  • shallow
  • shortcut
  • shorten
  • spread
  • stretch
  • wide
  • widen
  • width
Exercises

54.1 ‣ Complete B's replies using a suitable form of the dimension/distance words opposite and any other necessary words.

  1. A: These trousers I've bought are too long.
    B: Well, why don't you get ?
  2. A: He's a big boy, isn't he? 1.90 metres!
    B: Yes, he's _____.
  3. A: Why are we going across the field?
    B: Just to get there a bit quicker; it's _____.
  4. A: We'll have to measure how high the room is.
    B: That's not necessary; we already know the _____.
  5. A: The traffic seems to move far quicker on this road since I was last here.
    B: Yes, well, they _____.
  6. A: Why do they have music on TV news programmes? It seems totally unnecessary!
    B: Well, I think they want to create a feeling of drama, and the music is supposed to _____.

54.2 ‣ Give opposites for:

  1. a length of the pool
  2. to shorten _____
  3. a very broad range of goods _____
  4. a local call _____
  5. deep water _____
  6. nearby places _____
  7. narrow-minded _____
  8. raise your hand _____

54.3 ‣ Match the sentence beginnings on the left with the endings on the right.

  1. The city's spread a lot;
  2. It takes ten weeks; _____
  3. We extended the house _____
  4. You can choose; _____
  5. Your experience is too narrow; _____
  6. The forest stretches _____
  1. a) for miles along the river.
  2. b) you should broaden it.
  3. c) it's much bigger now.
  4. d) there's a wide range.
  5. e) it's a lengthy business.
  6. f) to give us more room.

54.4 ‣ Use the verbs in the box to fill the gaps.

  1. spread
  2. expand
  3. extend
  4. stretch
  5. shrink
  6. contract
  1. I'll the rug out on the grass so we can both sit on it.
  2. The steel industry _____ when the economy was strong, but now it has _____. and only employs 8,000 people.
  3. This sweater of mine has _____ in the wash!
  4. Our land _____ as far as those trees there.
  5. The arts centre has recently _____ its opening hours.

54.5 ‣ Fill in the prepositions. If you are unsure, try looking up the word distance in a dictionary.

  1. The car was parked a distance _____ about 150 metres from the scene of the robbery.
  2. I saw you _____ the distance yesterday but didn't call out as you were with someone.
  3. She's a great shot. She can hit an empty can _____ a distance of about 100 feet.
  4. What's the total distance _____ here _____ Paris?
Answer Key
A ‣ Broad and wide and tall and high

Wide is more common than broad, e.g. It's a very wide road/garden/room.

Make a note of typical collocations for broad as you meet them, e.g.
Economics is a very broad subject.
We came to a broad expanse of grassland. [big area]

Note the word order for dimensions, e.g.
The room's five metres long and four wide.

Don't forget that tall is for people but can be used for things such as buildings and trees when they are high and thin in some way. Otherwise, use high for things.

She's very tall for a five-year-old.

Her office is in that tall building in the square.

There are some high mountains in the North.

B ‣ Deep ≠ shallow

The deep and shallow ends of a swimming pool.

C ‣ Derived words, phrases and compounds

longLet's measure the length /leŋθ/ of this rope.
I swam 20 lengths (of the swimming pool).
I've lengthened her skirt for her. [ opp = shorten, see below]
Getting a visa can be a lengthy process. (usually refers to time; rather negative)
Tony has got a job as a long-distance lorry driver.
shortThe new road will shorten our journey by ten minutes.
There's a shortcut to the station. [quick way]
wideLet's measure the width /wɪdθ/ of the room.
They're widening the road.
broadI want to broaden my experience. (usually more abstract contexts)
She's very broad-minded and tolerant of others. [willing to accept other people's behaviour and beliefs; opp = narrow-minded]
I admire the breadth of his knowledge. (usually more abstract concepts)
highThe height /haɪt/ of the wall is two metres.
The fog heightened the feeling of mystery. (usually used only for feelings and emotions)
lowYou can lower the microphone if it's too high. [opp = raise]
farHe loves travelling to faraway places. [a long way away = distant]
distantWhat's the distance from Helsinki to St Petersburg? [= How far is it ... ?]
deepThe depth of the river here is about three metres.
His death so soon after hers deepened our sadness. (often with feelings)

D ‣ Other verbs for dimensions and for changing them

Our garden stretches all the way to the river, so we have plenty of room to extend the house if we want to.

The cities are spreading and the countryside is shrinking. [getting bigger; getting smaller]

The business expanded considerably in the last decade. [grew in size; opp= contract]

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