1. List 1 : sink, tap, air conditioning, oven, microwave
List 2: pantry, doorknob, downspout, central heating, cellar
List 3: chair, armchair, bathroom, table, light
2. It was four mounths ago in Cyprus. The first (and actually the only) word was "efharisto" which means "Thank you". I just wanted to be polite with locals and ask them to teach me this word.
3. I'd choose easy-going, bossy, stubborn, hardworking, intelligent. These words are not very easy, but they are pretty useful.
4. sympathetic - looks like Russian word "nice" (симпатичный)
accurate - looks like Russian "tidy" (аккуратный)
anecdote - looks like Russian "joke" (анекдот)
artist - looks like Russian "performer" (артист)
cabinet - looks like Russian "office" (кабинет)
5. It's a difficult question. I think that mostly it depends on the students' level and age. If they're beginners, it's better to decide as a teacher what should they learn first. Upper-intermediate adult students can perfectly decide themselves what to do with their vocabulary.