Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Elizabeth Chesla NEW YORK J U S T T I M E IN ® ® Copyright © 2004 LearningExpress, LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conven- tions. Published in the United States by LearningExpress, LLC, New York. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Chesla, Elizabeth L. Just in time vocabulary / Elizabeth Chesla.—1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 1-57865-507-4 (pbk.) 1. Vocabulary—Study and teaching. I. Title. LB1574.5.C44 2004 372.44—dc22 2003019051 Printed in the United States of America 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition ISBN 1-57685-507-4 For more information or to place an order, contact LearningExpress at: 55 Broadway 8th Floor New York, NY 10006 Or visit us at: www.learnatest.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Elizabeth Chesla is the author of 501 Vocabulary Questions, TOEFL Exam Success, Reading Comprehension Success, Write Better Essays, and contributing author of GMAT Exam Success, ACT Exam Success, GED Exam Success, and many other writing and reading guides and test-preparation books. She teaches English language arts at Seton Hall University and lives in South Orange, New Jersey. v Introduction ix Pronunciation Key xiii 1 Study Skills 1 2 Determining Meaning from Context 16 3 Using Prefixes and Suffixes 38 4 Latin Word Roots 60 5 Greek Word Roots 79 6 Homophones and Other Commonly Confused Words 99 7 Magnificent Modifiers 117 8 Versatile Verbs 137 9 Foreign Words and Phrases 157 10 $5 Words 175 Appendix A: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Word Roots 195 Appendix B: Additional Resources 205 CONTENTS vii Y ou are just a few weeks—perhaps even just a few days—from taking a big exam that will test your vocabulary, and you haven’t begun to study. Perhaps you just haven’t had the time; after all, your schedule is filled with work, family, and other obligations. Or perhaps you have had the time, but you have procrastinated; vocabulary has never been your strong suit. Maybe you have waited until the last minute because you simply need a refresher course, not an exhaustive review. Or maybe you didn’t even realize that your test included a section on vocabulary, and now you have only a short time to prepare. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then Just in Time Vocabulary is the right book for you. Designed specifically for last-minute test preparation, Just in Time Vocabulary is a fast, accurate way to build your essential vocab- ulary skills. With over 350 commonly tested words, this workbook will help you review the vocabulary words and skills you already know and teach you other words and strategies that you will need for the exam. In just ten short chapters, you will get just the essentials, just in time for passing your big test. THE JUST IN TIME TEST-PREP APPROACH At LearningExpress, we know how important test scores and an educated vocabulary can be. Whether you are preparing for the PSAT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, or a Civil Service exam, or you simply need to improve your fun- damental vocabulary skills fast, our Just in Time streamlined approach can work for you. Each skill-building lesson includes: • 35–40 commonly tested vocabulary words • a brief Benchmark Quiz to help you assess your knowledge of the words and skills in the chapter • a brief lesson covering an essential vocabulary skill and word definitions • specific tips and strategies to use as you study and during the exam • a 25-question practice quiz followed by detailed answers and explanations to help you measure your progress Introduction ix JUST IN TIME VOCABULARY x Our Just in Time series also includes the following features: • Extra Help sidebars that refer you to other Learning- Express skill builders or other resources that can help you learn more about a particular topic • Glossary sidebars with key definitions • Rule Book sidebars highlighting the rules that you absolutely need to know • Shortcut sidebars with tips for reducing your study time—without sacrificing accuracy • Cheat Sheet sidebars with tips and rules-of-thumb for last-minute test preparation • A Complete Vocabulary List of all the words in each chapter •A Pronunciation Key to reference as needed No vocabulary book can cover all of the words you might come across on a standardized test, and here we have limited our list to just over 350 words. But this book is not just about building your word base; it is also about building those essential skills that can help you determine the meaning of words you don’t know. The vocabulary words in this book have been care- fully chosen to reflect not only what you are likely to see on an exam, but also what you are likely to come across regularly in books, newspapers, lec- tures, and other daily activities. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK The ten chapters in this book are divided into two sections. Chapters 1–5 present specific study and vocabulary skills while chapters 6–10 are word list chapters. While each chapter can stand on its own as an effective vocabu- lary skill builder, this book will be most effective if you complete each chap- ter in order, beginning with Chapter 1, so you can sharpen your study and vocabulary skills before you focus on building your word base. " E O INTRODUCTION xi Here is a brief outline of each chapter: • Chapter 1: Study Skills reviews fundamental study strategies including how to budget your time, create a study plan, and use study aids such as flashcards. • Chapter 2: Determining Meaning from Context reviews how to use context to figure out the meaning of vocabulary words. • Chapter 3: Using Prefixes and Suffixes reviews how to use word beginnings and endings to determine meaning. • Chapter 4: Latin Word Roots reviews common Latin word roots and how to use your knowledge of word roots to determine meaning. • Chapter 5: Greek Word Roots reviews common Greek word roots and how to use them to determine meaning. • Chapter 6: Homophones and Other Commonly Confused Words reviews homophones and frequently confused word pairs such as incredible and incredulous. • Chapter 7: Magnificent Modifiers reviews 40 essential adjectives. • Chapter 8: Versatile Verbs reviews 35 verbs you are likely to come across on exams as well as in newspapers, books, and other texts. • Chapter 9: Foreign Words and Phrases reviews 35 foreign terms you should know. • Chapter 10: $5 Words reviews 35 words that are less common in everyday usage but that often appear on standardized tests. Depending upon how much time you have before the exam, review as much as possible. Review the words from each chapter you have completed before you move on to the next. That way, you will continue to reinforce your knowledge of the words you have already covered before you add more words to your vocabulary. Think positive. Your big test may be just a short while away, but you are taking the steps you need to prepare . . . just in time. . Data: Chesla, Elizabeth L. Just in time vocabulary / Elizabeth Chesla.—1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 1-57865-507-4 (pbk.) 1. Vocabulary Study and teaching. I. Title.. included a section on vocabulary, and now you have only a short time to prepare. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then Just in Time Vocabulary is the