40 Days to Conquer the College English Test Band 4. Core Vocabulary Book

Author: Jiang Tao et al. (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The book has several key features:
1. Precise Word Selection. The book selects 870 high-frequency vocabulary items from past years. Based on the difficulty level of each word, the entries are categorized into four different levels and marked before the word for easy memorization. After removing over 2,500 simple words from the secondary school level, the extended vocabulary of the book is compressed to around 300 words, avoiding redundant learning for students and aiming to be more targeted.
2. Logical Structure. The book abandons the conventional alphabetical arrangement of vocabulary and organizes the words into units based on their difficulty and frequency in exams. These units are then distributed over 40 days to systematically achieve the learning goals.
3. Unique Method. Each entry is highlighted in red to show its prefixes and suffixes, making it immediately clear to readers and enhancing memory. Instead of directly teaching the meaning of each word, the book employs a contextual guessing method, where some answer choices may include other meanings of the word but not the best fit for the sentence. This approach stimulates multi-dimensional word retention and helps students better understand the specific meaning of words in context, improving their reading skills.
4. Multi-dimensional Memory Stimulation. To make a word permanently memorable, it needs to be reviewed 16 times, not by repeating it 16 times in one sitting but by revisiting it at different times and in different places. To this end, the book provides bilingual word cards after each unit, allowing students to study and review in spare moments, increasing review frequency and mastering the words. Additionally, daily exercises are included to reinforce memory.
5. Authentic Practice. To effectively learn new words, they must be frequently used. The book offers two types of exercises: first, connecting key words with their English explanations, which helps students deepen their understanding of vocabulary for reinforcement. Second, it selects representative past exam questions within the range of these words, providing more challenging and repetitive practice opportunities.
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