IELTS Vocabulary True Guide (Shuowen Jiezi Memorizing Words)

Author: Liu Hongbo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Authoritative word selection, personally reviewed by current IELTS examiners; master annotations, experiencing the joy of memorizing words; powerful functions, establishing a solid foundation for high IELTS scores! Throughout the long history of vocabulary books, many English words have long accumulated their own wonderful stories. With these stories as companions, how could memorizing words be dull and monotonous? This book incorporates elements such as etymology, roots and affixes, religion, theology, literature, music, film, historical allusions, proverbs, and colloquial usage, providing annotations on words, hence the name "Explaining Characters While Memorizing Words."—Liu Hongbo
Achievement. As early as 2003, when I planned the book "IELTS Reading True Classics," I had an idea: if I could integrate the highlights and memory methods taught in class about English vocabulary into the word list, people wouldn’t find memorizing words dull and tedious. The most important thing about memorizing words is persistence, and interest is the best driving force to maintain that persistence. Therefore, I invited Qu Bing, a master who taught IELTS vocabulary at the time, to participate in writing "IELTS Reading True Classics," and I selected a few words at a time, adding interesting annotations from perspectives such as etymology, culture, and practical application, hoping to spark some interest in English vocabulary learning. It turned out that this method of explaining characters while memorizing words was successful. In 2004, "IELTS Reading True Classics" topped the IELTS book rankings on major online bookstores across the country, and many English training institutions in various regions used it as a designated textbook, with multiple reprints. I also clearly recognized that this unique method of word annotations was one of the key reasons for the book’s success. When I and Qu Bing decided to collaborate again and create a series of books on "Explaining Characters While Memorizing Words" (including "IELTS Vocabulary True Classics," "TOEFL Vocabulary True Classics," and "CET-4 Vocabulary True Classics") following this model,: Qu Bing received offers from both Oxford and Cambridge for doctoral studies. What’s more unfortunate is that shortly after, she called from Cambridge, saying she was studying the differences between Confucius and Jesus Christ and thoroughly enjoying it, no longer willing to concern herself with worldly matters. Sad. With no other choice, I had to write late into the night. I firmly believe that effort always pays off. Finally, one day, Professor Hu Min, a towering figure in the English training industry and the principal of Beijing New Channel School, was attracted by my dark circles and, after a long conversation, showed great interest in the book’s creation, offering many valuable writing suggestions. After that, she occasionally dug out yellowed English books from her home for my reference. I always handled these books with great care, afraid of damaging the artifacts. Receiving detailed guidance from Professor Li Chuanwei, a genius in the English training industry, was also a great fortune for this book. Professor Li often took time out of his busy schedule to point out highlights in word annotations, and his expertise in vocabulary studies is truly awe-inspiring. Professor Li himself is proficient in seven languages, and his understanding of Latin, Greek, Spanish, and French has elevated his grasp of English vocabulary to an extraordinary level. It is said that in his IELTS preparation classes at New Channel School, he occasionally mixes up different languages, leaving students amazed and deeply impressed. Additionally, teachers such as Bai Yong from New Channel School, Mu Zhilong, a member of the Chinese IELTS Dream Team and the main instructor for IELTS vocabulary, Zhang Hong, the main instructor for IELTS listening, and others contributed their wisdom without reservation to the writing of this book. Vice Principal John A. Gordon of New Channel School conducted a comprehensive review of the book in the final stages to ensure its quality. The strong support of Cai Jing, Guo Xia, and Mr. Zhang Qubo, the director of the publishing department at New Channel School, finally brought this book to the. Sincere thanks.
Features of the Book:
1. Selected Core IELTS Vocabulary (3000 words)
Among these 3000 core words, this book is the first to include distinctive words that frequently appear in IELTS exams. For example: cobra (cobra, reading), venom (venom, reading), falcon (falcon, listening), acupuncture (acupuncture, Cambridge IELTS 4), hinge (hinge, reading). The book even includes simple words like crocodile (crocodile) and raincoat (raincoat), because in the actual IELTS listening exam, candidates are required to spell these words correctly after hearing them. You might encounter these questions in future exams and need to spell "crocodile" correctly. Therefore, all the core words in "IELTS Vocabulary True Classics" should be carefully memorized.
2. Extended Practical Vocabulary (4000 words)
The common synonyms, antonyms, and collocations expanded after each word, along with the etymology and word-building knowledge throughout the book, make the actual vocabulary capacity exceed 7000 words, sufficient to establish a solid foundation for high IELTS scores.
3. Concise and Effective Example Sentences
The writing method for example sentences in this book follows the golden mean: one classic example sentence is provided for each word. This ensures that readers fully understand the meaning of the word through examples while maintaining efficiency in memorization.
4. Powerful Categorized Vocabulary
It is recommended to review the categorized IELTS vocabulary in the later part of the book before the exam, as they will greatly help in short-term IELTS preparation.
5. Explaining Characters While Memorizing Words
This is a vocabulary book that takes you from A to Z. However, to fully understand the knowledge points in the annotations, please first familiarize yourself with the following basics of English vocabulary:
Approximately 80% of English vocabulary is borrowed from over 120 languages, with a significant proportion coming from Greek and Latin, which have contributed many roots and affixes to the English language. Roman mythology adopted the system of Greek mythology, with the same god having different names in Roman and Greek mythology. For example: Eros () is the god of love in Greek mythology, while Cupid () is his Roman counterpart. They have given rise to words like "erotic" () and "cupidity" (, ).
Liu Hongbo
June 2005