2008 Kaoyan English Vocabulary Spark-style Smart Memorization and Practice (Volume 5: Breaking Down Each Part)

Author: Ma Degao, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: The "Spark English Review Series for Postgraduate Entrance Exams" consists of three books: "Spark-like Quick and Efficient Vocabulary Memorization for Postgraduate English" (or "Spark-like Quick, Efficient, and Comprehensive Vocabulary Memorization for Postgraduate English"), "Multifunctional Reading for Postgraduate English," and "One Book for All Postgraduate English." Perseverance + Correct Methods = Success. A truly clever and efficient memorization method can save you a lot of study time and effort, achieving the best results with the least cost. The number of candidates for postgraduate entrance exams has surged; competition has become increasingly fierce; courses are numerous, and time is tight. To win in this intense competition, it depends on whether you adopt the correct learning methods while studying the authoritative materials shared by everyone day and night. It is precisely with the aim of providing you with the correct learning methods, helping you overcome the common challenge of insufficient vocabulary that hinders understanding and scoring in each section within the limited time, truly mastering the authoritative material—the "National Master's Entrance Examination English Syllabus"—and improving your comprehensive exam-taking ability that we have compiled this book. So, is the Spark-like memorization method introduced in this book truly clever and effective? The facts speak for themselves. As long as you read a few pages carefully, you will naturally draw your own conclusion, and there is no need to elaborate further. It must be emphasized that in addition to making appropriate revisions based on changes in postgraduate exam formats, this book has also added many new contents to better meet the needs of readers in their review.
First, the unique vocabulary list division—Memorize only what you don’t know. The unique feature of this vocabulary list lies in the fact that we have designed highly targeted classified lists based on the actual needs of readers, adhering to the principles of saving candidates' time and effort and improving learning efficiency. This truly allows readers to pinpoint their weaknesses and gaps and memorize words more efficiently. The compilers of this book, with years of teaching experience and the help of scientific frequency analysis, have selected 1,260 vocabulary items from the past decade of postgraduate entrance exam papers. These words have very high exam frequency and are considered exam vocabulary. Their recurrence rate in recent years' exams has shown an upward trend, highlighting their importance. This section of vocabulary can help readers directly target key points, grasp the essentials, and memorize words more efficiently. These exam syllabus vocabulary items are highlighted in color in the book.
Words with Multiple Meanings Readers often encounter situations where they recognize all the words in a sentence but still fail to understand the entire sentence. One reason is that they have not fully grasped the multiple meanings of words, turning familiar words into unfamiliar ones, which affects reading speed and quality. In recent years' postgraduate entrance exams, the setters have significantly strengthened the assessment of this aspect, and many candidates lack this ability, even struggling with it. Particularly in reading and translation sections, misunderstandings about word meanings often lead to lost points. Given this, we have devoted a lot of time and effort to selecting all words with multiple meanings from the syllabus for readers to study, helping them break through blind spots and avoid pitfalls. This section of words with multiple meanings is listed separately within each unit.
Gap Words Are the vocabulary requirements for the CET-4 and CET-6 exams the same as those for postgraduate entrance exams? If not, what are the differences? The compilers of this book have uniquely identified the gap words between the CET-4 and CET-6 syllabi and the postgraduate entrance exam syllabus, forming a gap word list. Memorize only what you don’t know. Candidates should target this section and memorize it with focus, using the CET-4 and CET-6 syllabi as a stepping stone to reach the peak of postgraduate entrance exams! The gap words between postgraduate entrance exams and CET-4 are marked with a ▲, while those between postgraduate entrance exams and CET-6 are marked with a △.
Vocabulary Beyond the Syllabus The syllabus requires that 3% of the exam paper include words beyond the syllabus. So, the words that have been tested are not only what we must master? Over several months, we have selected more than 200 words beyond the syllabus from the past decade of postgraduate entrance exam papers, adding relevant exam examples. Based on past experience and an understanding of the exam-setting trends, we have also carefully selected commonly used words beyond the syllabus from the latest English and American periodicals with themes similar to recent exam papers. This way, candidates not only remember them more firmly but also remember them more comprehensively, truly dominating the exam with ease. This section of exam syllabus words beyond the syllabus is listed separately in the appendix, while commonly used words beyond the syllabus are marked with an in the book.
Second, carefully selected long and complex sentences—Memorize while reading, ensuring both vocabulary and reading are improved. Vocabulary is the foundation, and reading comprehension is the key. Apart from unfamiliar words, long and complex sentences are the biggest challenge for candidates in reading. To address this, this book selects long and complex sentences from past postgraduate entrance exam papers and the latest English and American periodicals. These sentences not only help readers deepen their understanding and memorization of words in context but also improve reading and translation skills. Memorize while reading, read while memorizing, ensuring both vocabulary and reading are improved.
Third, carefully compiled exercises—Memorize while practicing, use practice to test and reinforce memory. Although the "Vocabulary and Structure" section has been removed from the postgraduate entrance exam, it does not mean that vocabulary is no longer tested. Instead, it has been transformed into other forms of assessment, so we cannot neglect the cultivation of basic vocabulary skills. To this end, we have adjusted the exercises accordingly based on changes in exam formats. This section allows you to practice while memorizing, reinforcing and testing your memory, reducing the burden of memorization, improving efficiency, and enhancing both vocabulary skills and exam-taking ability.
Fourth, accompanied by synchronized audio tapes—Memorize while listening, improving vocabulary and listening skills simultaneously. The requirements for listening in postgraduate entrance exams are becoming increasingly high, pushing those with "deaf-mute English" to the brink. What to do? Practice more and more! To this end, we have recorded audio tapes with words read by English and American experts, creating opportunities for candidates to practice listening while memorizing words. At the same time, psychological research shows that 25% of human memory comes from vision, and 15% from hearing. Combining the two can achieve 65% of the effect. Therefore, using this book is a win-win: memorize words while practicing listening, and practice listening while memorizing words. It is worth noting that helping readers memorize words quickly is the greatest feature of this book. In this revision, we have preserved the essence of the original version while enriching and developing its content, making it even more perfect. With this book in hand, you can memorize while listening, reading, and practicing—everything you need, nothing more!
The following is the table of contents and guide for this book: The book is divided into 15 units, each including the following content:
Expanding Vocabulary
(1) Developing a New Mindset for Memorizing Words with Multiple Meanings The flaw in traditional learning methods lies in memorizing words without questioning the connections between their multiple meanings, replacing thinking with rote memorization, and substituting rote memorization for vivid perception and revelation of the essence of objects. This makes English learning burdensome and yields minimal results. When studying this section, think critically and avoid rote memorization! If you think critically, you will find a shortcut for memorizing words with multiple meanings.
(2) Checking and Filling Gaps in Words with Multiple Meanings Most of the words in this section are "familiar," but due to incomplete mastery of their multiple meanings, these "familiar" words may become your "unfamiliar" words, affecting your reading speed and quality. When studying this section, first read the examples [Checking], then refer to the translations and definitions to fill the gaps. Through these sections, you can avoid the misconception of artificially increasing vocabulary and, to some extent, overcome the common problem of being unable to read smoothly despite knowing all the words.
Expanding Vocabulary
(1) One Familiar Word, Multiple Unfamiliar Ones Can you easily and quickly memorize 6,000 college-level English words by mastering just 600 middle school English words? Is it possible? This section will guide you to glimpse the mysteries of English word formation, enjoy the fun of English learning, and help your English vocabulary spread like wildfire from a spark to a blaze.
(2) Checking and Filling Gaps in the Syllabus Words This section supplements the previous one, allowing you to check and fill gaps and master all the words prescribed in the syllabus.
(3) Decoding Phrasal Verbs with Explanatory Analysis Phrasal verbs are one of the four major challenges in English learning. The traditional view holds that phrasal verbs cannot be understood from context, suggesting that they must be memorized by rote. This section attempts to solve this problem through explanatory analysis, making learning fun. Try it—see the vivid and vivid picture descriptions, and don’t you feel enlightened?
Exercises with Difficult Questions
This section includes exercises divided into three types: vocabulary and collocation, vocabulary and differentiation, and English knowledge application (excerpts). These exercises are carefully selected by several professors from a large amount of postgraduate entrance exam materials based on the key testing points of recent exams. Each type has its own focus but complements the others, training readers to memorize vocabulary and apply vocabulary knowledge points. Finally, readers are advised to arrange their study plans based on their English proficiency levels, as shown in the table below.
The correct method, combined with perseverance, is sure to lead to success!