2006 Graduate Entrance Exam English New Course

Author: Zhang Jinxi, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: In terms of exam format, the most significant change in the 2005 postgraduate entrance examination was the cancellation of the listening section and the addition of new reading comprehension and applied writing sections; many candidates reported that the new reading comprehension section was quite challenging. In terms of content, in addition to some traditional topics, social hot issues remained a key focus of the exam. This edition has made substantial adjustments based on the new characteristics of the exam, including completely replacing the content of some units, adding new reading comprehension and applied writing exercises to each unit, and revising the master vocabulary list. These changes were made to meet the requirements of the new syllabus and the needs of candidates. The outstanding features of this book are: (1) Each section of every unit is systematically structured around a central theme; (2) The units in the book are arranged in order of difficulty as much as possible; (3) Each unit is accompanied by detailed explanations, full translation of the main text, translation and annotations of difficult and lengthy sentences in the reading passages, and writing guidance for essays, to facilitate candidates in thoroughly studying each unit; (4) The thematic organization of each unit helps candidates systematically absorb knowledge and memorize vocabulary and expressions related to frequently tested themes; (5) The book includes a master vocabulary list with key vocabulary highlighted, guiding candidates to focus on memorizing postgraduate entrance examination vocabulary. The above features and key points of this book emphasize the concept of "precision." We believe that one important reason why many candidates feel they have made little progress after a period of review is that they accumulate little in the process of doing mock tests and mistakenly believe that doing a large number of mock tests will ultimately improve their exam skills. Of course, a certain amount is necessary, but the key to improving exam skills lies in actually reading and studying some articles in depth. Only by doing so can candidates continuously accumulate and consolidate their language foundation, expand their vocabulary and knowledge, and improve their comprehension and application skills. Below is a detailed introduction to the features and usage of this book:
(I) The book is divided into 20 units based on themes, covering 19 themes. Correspondingly, the "main text" and "exercises" in each unit are selected around the same theme. Upon reviewing the materials of each part of past exam papers, the following themes have become the preferred choices: computer networks, economy, education, law, medicine, scientific knowledge, language and culture, and social values. In addition to these themes, the 20 units in this book also include other themes that we believe may be tested. This arrangement not only helps candidates systematically accumulate knowledge and understand various perspectives of Westerners on these issues but also enables them to build relevant vocabulary. Since the same theme uses a certain degree of common vocabulary and expressions, candidates can focus on a single theme to learn and master a set of vocabulary and expressions related to it.
(II) Each unit consists of a main "text" and "exercises." The exercises include comprehensive fill-in-the-blanks, reading comprehension (including new types of questions), translation, and writing sections (including applied writing). These exercises are largely self-contained and are designed according to the format and requirements of the exam. The book is divided into "Intermediate" and "Advanced" sections. While considering the themes, we strive to arrange the 20 units in a progressive difficulty level, which is particularly necessary for students with weaker language foundations. Based on two years of use, this edition has further adjusted the arrangement of units in terms of difficulty. The purpose of this is to allow candidates to start from the basics and steadily improve their language proficiency and exam skills.
(III) The book emphasizes the role of in-depth reading and systematic knowledge accumulation during preparation. In terms of layout, the main text is slightly longer than the reading comprehension passages in postgraduate entrance examination papers to cover sufficient language knowledge and scope. The main text is accompanied by reading comprehension exercises and a reference translation to help candidates verify their understanding and truly master the content. Based on this understanding, candidates should memorize and accumulate useful language knowledge. Before reading the translation of the main text, we recommend that candidates first attempt to translate the text themselves and then compare it with the translation to practically improve their reading and translation skills, particularly in understanding difficult and lengthy sentences.
(IV) The "comprehensive fill-in-the-blanks" material is novel, and the difficulty level of the exercises is reasonably designed, receiving praise from most candidates. The two articles in the exercises are roughly the same length as the reading comprehension passages in the postgraduate entrance examination and are accompanied by comprehension exercises and translation exercises. Difficult and lengthy sentences in the articles are also translated and annotated to help candidates truly understand every sentence. The questions in the reading comprehension section include frequently tested types of questions in the postgraduate entrance examination, as well as some types of questions that have not yet appeared in the exam, to prepare candidates for these types of questions. The translation section provides detailed analysis of sentences from both a linguistic and knowledge perspective and explains translation techniques.
(V) The "writing" section is divided into two parts: applied writing and short essay writing. Applied writing covers various formats, while the second part focuses on practice in picture and chart essays. For picture and chart essays, topic analysis is crucial, as many candidates tend to be one-sided in their analysis. Therefore, we have added topic analysis guidance to each essay to train students' thinking process. Additionally, to help candidates accumulate knowledge, each essay provides common vocabulary and expressions for writing essays on similar themes, allowing candidates to select and memorize useful phrases.
(VI) All exercises are accompanied by answers and explanations. The translation, annotations, and explanations of the main text are attached after the main text; the answers and explanations of each section of the exercises are attached after each unit, and essays include reference examples. We hope candidates will carefully study the explanations to learn the perspectives of solving problems and summarize some problem-solving techniques.
(VII) The "appendix" is the master vocabulary list, which includes new words from the main text and exercises. The selection of words, phrases, and meanings was referenced from the syllabus but is not strictly limited to it. The vocabulary is provided with phonetic transcriptions because we believe that memorizing words from sound can lead to more retention, thus addressing the drawback of the postgraduate entrance examination syllabus not providing phonetic transcriptions. The vocabulary is categorized into three types: (1) key vocabulary and phrases that candidates must memorize; (2) optional vocabulary and phrases to be memorized after mastering the key ones; (3) vocabulary and phrases that appear in the book but do not need to be memorized. The basis for categorization is, of course, frequency of occurrence. The purpose of compiling this textbook is to allow candidates to study something solidly. Candidates should realize that only through gradual accumulation and gaining sufficient vocabulary and improving their reading and writing skills can they achieve satisfactory results in the exam.