Dragon Class Question Dictionary - Junior High School English

Author: Shi Chunzhen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-16
Features: This book was first published in 1999 and is revised annually. This is the seventh revision. Since its publication, the book has been deeply loved by a wide readership. Seeing that the book has helped readers learn English, especially in improving their reading comprehension skills, I feel deeply gratified. I am also extremely grateful for the valuable suggestions many readers have offered. The book includes a total of 220 English reading comprehension passages. The passages are primarily argumentative and expository essays, covering topics such as science, economics, social life, culture and education, as well as human physiology and psychology. All passages are selected from books and journals published abroad. This year, based on the readers' valuable suggestions, the book underwent a major revision. The basic principle of the revision is to prioritize the reader's needs, further facilitate learning and use, enhance the book's learning functions, make self-study more convenient, and help readers quickly improve their true English reading comprehension skills. After this revision, the book is divided into three main parts. The structure of each part is as follows:
Part 1, for comprehensive reading practice, consists of 180 passages, divided into 30 units, with 6 passages per unit. The first four passages in each unit are multiple-choice exercises, with 5 reading comprehension questions following each passage. These questions focus on in-depth issues, primarily addressing the main ideas and themes of the passages, the author's perspectives and attitudes, as well as judgment, inference, and extension based on the passage's logic. The fifth passage is a matching exercise, with 7 options to choose from, requiring readers to fill in the 5 blanks in the passage with the appropriate options. The sixth passage is an English-to-Chinese translation exercise, requiring readers to translate the 5 underlined sentences into Chinese. To facilitate learning and use, the book has enhanced its learning functions. Each unit now includes a vocabulary list of words beyond the syllabus, significantly reducing the time readers spend looking up unfamiliar words. Each unit also provides annotations for each passage, explaining the most difficult sentences for readers to understand. Each annotation not only analyzes the syntactic structure of the complex sentences involved but also provides a Chinese translation of the sentence. Some units also include annotations for the answers to the exercise questions. At the end of each unit, the answers to all exercises in that unit are provided.
Part 2, for single-topic reading practice, consists of 15 passages, divided into 3 units, with 5 passages per unit. Each unit includes a vocabulary list of words beyond the syllabus and annotations for each passage.
Part 3, for single-topic English-to-Chinese translation practice, consists of 25 passages, divided into 5 units, with 5 passages per unit, designed for English-to-Chinese translation exercises. Each unit includes answers to the translation exercises.
The final appendix of the book is the classified table of words beyond the syllabus. Some readers may wonder whether it is necessary to memorize all 1,968 words beyond the syllabus covered in the book. I believe that while vocabulary is indeed important in learning English, it should not be studied as mere knowledge. The primary purpose of learning vocabulary is to use it proficiently in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Learning vocabulary is not about knowing more, but about using it more effectively. Readers should first focus on mastering the syllabus vocabulary. The vocabulary lists beyond the syllabus in each unit and the classified table of words beyond the syllabus in the appendix are designed to reduce the difficulty of looking up unfamiliar words while reading. There is absolutely no need to spend a lot of time memorizing these words beyond the syllabus. If you have extra time, I recommend that readers first memorize the 328 words beyond the syllabus listed in Appendix 1, as they may be more useful.
This book is suitable for readers preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination. If candidates can finish all 220 reading comprehension passages and complete all exercises, their English reading level will undoubtedly be significantly improved. Please do not merely use this book as a simulation test. The questions or translation exercises after each passage are merely tools for readers to self-assess their understanding. The score you achieve after completing each unit does not reflect your performance in the actual exam. The main purpose of this book is to help readers improve their true English reading comprehension skills. If readers focus on thoroughly understanding each passage and fully master all 220 passages, their English reading comprehension scores in the postgraduate entrance examination will undoubtedly be significantly improved. The passages in this book cover a wide range of topics, hoping to provide readers with some benefits in expanding their knowledge. This book can be used as an English reading textbook for readers with a college English level of CET-4 or higher, or for those interested in improving their English reading comprehension skills.