背单词捷径的第一条,就是：一定要每次都大量地背。因为自己不比别人聪明,所以 背完单词,别人忘掉五分之一,自己决不会比别人忘得少。然而,别人每天背十个单词,自己却可以背一百个,忘掉五分之一,还剩八十个,是别人最聪明状态下的 十倍。每天一百个是最低限。其实背到后来您会发现这个要求并不高,一个月后,您可能自然而然地就背到三百或者五百。

这 一百个要分成四组来背,上午三十,中午十个,下午三十,晚上三十。第二天早晨复习以前没背下来的词。背的时候,要一目十词(注意,是十个而不是更多或更 少),不要认认真真背,因为没有认认真真的时间。一边看一边读每个词的读音,默读也成。看完后回忆一遍,回忆不起来的 再看。这次背的目的在于留下个大概印象,下次看见能知道这个词,所以背到大部分都能回忆得起来就成了,把剩下的词单独抄出来。

背单词捷径的第二条,就是：背字典！为 什么要背字典呢？因为字典上每个词的解释比较全面,而且相同字母开头的单词都集中在一起。不是什么字典都可以拿来背的,一定要找只包含自己想背的词的字 典。另外,最好有英文方式的解释和例句。而且,一定要有音标！如果是为了考tofel或者gre,注意要选美音音标的字典。一般教材课文后面的词汇表都是 为那些认认真真听课的好学生准备的,想走捷径就千万不要去背那些东西。

背字典的时候, 按开头字母(z,y,x,q,j,k,u)(v,w,n,o,l)(fg,it,hm,bde,r)(c,p,s,a)的顺序背,其中c,p,s,a每个 都要分三部分背。这样背有几个好处：（一）能增加成就感,提高兴趣。至于为什么,您翻翻字典就明白了。（二）便于清楚地知道那些单词已经背过,那些还没 背。（三）能先把最基本的词先掌握。

三万单词里,分为三个等级：三千到四千,八千到一 万,两万二到三万。也就是说,您得分别准备三本字典。这几个等级之间各自有非常不同的特性,所以需要分别用不同方法背。俺当时没有认识到这一点,所以在从 一万到三万之间走了一段弯路,浪费了一些时间,不然或许能突破到五万吧。

所以,背单词捷径的下面这条就有了三个分支：

背单词捷径的第三条,就是：和单词多见面。一 个单词能不能记住,取决于和它在不同场合见面的频率,不在于每次看着它的时间长短。一般想记住一个单词,每星期要和它在“不同场合”见三到四次面。俺在上 文中提到大量背的时候,不要抠某一个字记住与否就是这个意思。因为是否一见钟情都是无所谓的,关键在于有更多不同类型的见面机会。不过,根据要背的单词的 等级不同,增加见面机会的方式也有所不同。

第一个分支：瞎听！三千到四 千这个等级,是非常常用的单词,而且几乎囊括了表达最基本思想所需要的一切词汇。每篇文章中百分之八十都是这些词汇,而且这些词都是最基本的语素(或称 “词根”),就是分割到最小无法再分割,互相之间也没什么类似之处的东西。对付这些词的最好方法,就是进行大量的,不间断的,简单的初级听力练习。因为阅 读材料中,还有百分之二十其他词汇,所以光凭这个等级的词还看不懂那些阅读材料。但是听力练习都是最基本的对话,而且发音一般很标准,多听能够增加单词的 重复率,而且可以为以后背八千到一万那个等级的词打下语音基础。

听的时候,要分精听和 泛听两部分。精听当然是指每个词都要弄懂,俺着重讲一下泛听(饭厅?)。泛听是最重要的,因为掌握语速和语调,以及总体印象都要靠泛听。而这些都是背八千 到一万等级单词的基础？泛听能够让经常用到的词(也就是那些最必要掌握的词)把您的耳朵磨出茧子来,让您模模糊糊听到个音就能反应出它是什么意思。泛听中 您听到的词,才是您真正应该记住的词,所以别害怕精听的时候什么都听不懂。到底什么是泛听呢？泛听,就是说您听的时候,精神要分散,要一边干着其他事(比 如撮饭或和别人大声讨论撮饭,一边有一搭没一搭地听着。泛听一定要见缝插针,一有机会就听着,最好耳机不离耳朵。

而 精听的意义就在于找出您没听清的那些词。啊哈,那就是您背过但还不熟悉的词了。把这些词单独记在另外一个地方,别跟没背下来的词混了。泛听要听精听已经听 过的内容。比如精听听到了第二盘磁带,那么泛听就听第一盘磁带,正好。提醒您一句,千万别拿英语广播当自己的听力教材!!!

顺便跟您推荐一套听力教材：武汉师范大学音乐也很好听。

第二个分支：狂看！八 千到一万这个等级,基本包含了剩下的百分之二十。这些单词在听力教材里很难找到。但是,可不要停止听的练习呦,因为听能巩固您的语调感觉,而这是背这个等 级单词的一个关键。不过,背这个等级的词,需要在听以外增加看的内容。 看,同样要分精读和泛读两种。就象听一样,也是泛读更重要一些。泛读要挑不太长,能有耐心看完的文章,而且看不懂的词不要太多,一篇文章有两三个不认识的 就足够了。千万不要一上来就看英语报刊杂志小说,那些东西不但很难看懂,而且看懂了也对背单词没什么促进作用。

泛 读也需要大量练习,只要您有耐心,又有足够时间,就一直看下去吧！看的时候不要仔细阅读,扫一眼明白个大概意思就成了,然后把这一眼没看懂的词画上记号, 别琢磨它是什么意思,继续扫描吧！全部看完之后,回头再看这些单词,有的可能已经想起来了,有的....还没想起来？那就查查字典,要是自己还没背过,就 扔掉它,要是已经背过了,就单独抄下来吧,和听力练习中没听出来的词放在一起。

俺的经验是新概念第一二册,然后大学泛读课本前两册,然后是另外的一个泛读教程初级部分,然后新概念第三册,泛读课本第三册,某一种听力教材高级听力部分的教师用书,然后新概念第四册,泛读课本第四五册...这么个顺序进度比较合适。

第三个分支：乱说！这 只适合背两万二到三万的词。因为其他的词不用说就已经背下来了。而这个等级的词在阅读材料里非常少,可能阅读十篇文章却一个这个等级的词也没有。所以靠阅 读来增加见面机会已经不行了。这些词甚至有的老外一辈子都没见过,咋能指望他们能写出来呢？尤其是gre词汇,什么 "给马穿衣服","纽约的流氓","从非洲吹向南欧的风"....这些词都是一些精致的修辞,也就是说,如果您话里净是这些词,那您可以假冒一位学者了。

一般的老外都是听不懂您说的这些话的,所以不用这些词也能表达同样的含义。好了,您的机会来了,您可以跟老外讲话中带上这些单词,然后很自豪地假装谦虚地跟他们解释这些词的含义。

每次跟老外解释一两个词就足够了,老外会佩服您佩服得五体投地的。;)hl就向ws解释吧！要大胆而耐心,尤其是大胆。

这个阶段,您就别再练听力了,因为练了进步也不大。还记得开头那句话么？要想成功,得走捷径。

凡是不能在短时期内取得巨大进步的行动,都不必浪费时间去做。

不过,这时候的阅读材料成了问题：您会发现,过去看的东西觉得太浅没意思,看其他深的东西又看不懂。您还会发现一个新的有趣现象：那就是您想看的文章里,现在全是第一个等级的那些词,每个词您都确切知道它的含义,但整个文章您就是看不懂。

那您该看什么呢？就看第二个等级的那些浅显文章啊。虽然浅显,但能帮助您不至于忘了过去背出来的成果。至于您看不懂的那些文章,别着急,等您和老外交流多了,您自然就懂了,那都是一些词组、俚语或文法组成的文章。

背单词捷径的第四条,就是：联想,联想,联想.....背单词的第一个动作是什么？端详一下它的外貌。第二第三个动作呢？看看它的内涵和发音。而第四个动作,就应该是联想,再联想.....

联想它和其他背过的词有没有外表类似的？读音类似的？意思类似或相反的？如果有,就赶紧记在旁边,在另外那些词旁边也把这个词加上。这样,以后看见其他词,也会联想起这个词,等于又增加了一次见面机会。

而 且,在第二、第三个等级的词汇里,还有许多单词是由 "前缀","词根","后缀"组成的,前缀比如"re","in","pseud"...,后缀比?quot;er","a","oid"...,然后共 同组成一个新词。如果掌握了这些前后缀,就可以很方便地猜出一个生词到底什么意思。另外,有很多读音相近的词也有相似的意思,这在俚语、诗歌和儿童用语中 更普遍。如果每天记80个单词,一个月只能背2400个单词,但掌握了这些规律后,实际上背的速度越来越快,几乎一万多单词都是不用背就会了的。

不过,在gre单词中,有很多是既没有和其他词的关系,又没有前后缀,看起来既简单又记不住的单词。这些词里边有希腊语,意大利语,德语,拉丁语,甚至还有日语译音。这就只能靠和别人解释来掌握了。(hl一定要注意！)

背单词捷径的第五条,就是：复习！记 得快,忘得也就快,这是一个非常正常的规律。在背单词的过程中,复习就显得非常重要。俺总结复习??然后是以前所有没背下来的单词。复习的时候,同样不必 细抠,粗略地扫一遍就可以了,但一定要想它的读音(因为英语是象声的)。最后背不下来的单词,一定是不常用的,因为老外一样背不下来。;)

每背完一个开头字母的单词,就要把前一个开头字母的复习一遍。然后每背完前文中括号里面的开头字母,就把上一个括号里的复习一遍。复习的时候,要先看英文翻译中文意思来一遍,然后再看着中文想它的英文单词再来一遍。

前面说过,在泛听,泛读中忘了的词要和背的时候就记不住的词分着记下来,就是为了在复习的时候区别对待。忘了的词,要每天看一遍,会了就划掉,而记不住的词则在背完了整个字母以后,单独背一下这些词,平常就不用看了。

gre单词的复习方法非常奇怪：它需要进行填字游戏。也就是说,盖住单词的一部分,然后想整个词是怎么拼。另外,还得想它的同义词,近义词,反义词。

顺便说一句,考gre的词和考tofel的词互相之间是毫不相关的,也就是说,您不会tofel的词,gre也有可能拿个高分。

1. a big shot = an important person 大腕儿,大亨

2. a breath of fresh air 使人耳目一新的人

3. achilles’ heel 致命弱点;个性的瑕疵

4. be all ears 洗耳恭听

5. be all eyes 目不转睛

6. a wet blanket 讨人嫌的人

7. chip in = contribute money　捐献,集资

8. sell like hot cakes = sell very well or very quickly 畅销

9. get butterflies in one’s stomach = get nervous 紧张不安

10. two thumbs up 举双手赞成

11. be the apple of one’s eye = be very precious to sb. 非常珍贵

12. pull one’ s leg = tease someone 开某人玩笑

13. break one’ s back 辛勤工作

14. twenty-four seven = 24 hours a day, 7 days a week = all the time 永远,一直

15. go for a song = be sold very cheaply 贱卖

16. bucket down = rain very heavily 瓢泼大雨

17. backroom boys 幕后英雄

18. below the mark = not measure up 不够水平,不合格

19. beyond compare 绝佳的,最棒的

20. break even 不赔不赚

21. by the book 照章办事

22. cast a cloud over 泼冷水,是蒙上阴影

23. castles in the sky / air 空中楼阁

24. as clear as a bell 非常清楚

25. clear the air 消除误会

26. come to terms 达成协议

27. shed crocodile tears 假装哭泣,假慈悲

28. cut corners 走捷径

29. do’s and don’ts 行为规范

30. face the music 面对现实

31. fair and square 正大光明的

32. first things first 先说重要的

33. forgive and forget 尽释前嫌;握手言和

34. get the ball rolling 使蓬勃发展

35. a knockout 引人注目

36. a man of few words 沉默寡言的人

37. a rainy day 不如意的日子

38. all thumbs 笨手笨脚的;一窍不通的

39. ants in ones pants (skirt) 坐立不安

40. as mod as sb. 与某人一样时髦

41. at ones fingers tips 了如指掌

42. at sixes and sevens 混乱的

43. backseat driver 指手划脚的人

44. bite ones head off 大发脾气

45. black sheep 不孝子女

46. blow ones top 怒发冲冠

47. break ones neck 痛打一顿;拼命做某事

48. break the ice 打破僵局;打破沉默

49. bring down the house 掌声雷动

50. burn a hole in ones pocket 花钱如流水

1. x-rays are basically a form of radiation.

[a] fundamentally [b] definitely [c] probably [d] frequently

2. johns unabashed behavior caused great concern among his teachers.

[a] terrible [b] unembarrassed [c] cowardly [d] unforgivable

3. in the united states there are numerous federal, state and local programs aimed at combating air pollution.

[a] fighting [b] limiting [c] prohibiting [d] avoiding

4. older citizens in the united states vote more regularly than younger ones, particularly when a states local issues are being considered.

[a] cast their ballots [b] run for office [c] criticize the government [d] give their opinions

5. ten names were deleted from the list of those invited to attend the conference.

[a] suggested for [b] included in [c] removed from [d] absorbed from

keys: 1～5 abaac

on this perfect surface, the artist would sketch a composition with chalk, refine it with ink, and then begin the deliberate process of applying thin layers of egg tempera paint with small brushes.

[a] decisive [b] careful [c] natural [d] unusual

a daring experimentalist in language, gertrude stein wrote in a style so eccentric that early critics were uncertain whether to take her seriously.

[a] circular [b] conservative [c] humorous [d] strange

the earth is not an absolutely rigid body but is elastic under conditions of stress.

[a] pliant [b] durable [c] volcanic [d] hazardous

the quality and number of a citys public roads offer an excellent means of gauging its prosperity.

[a] protecting [b] enriching [c] tracing [d] judging

william christopher handy, the composer of the jazz classic “memphis blues”, composed numerous other pieces in the same idiom.

[a] key [b] period [c] style [d] phrase

keys: 6～10 bdadc

 statistics seemed to justify the common belief that americans were devoted to periodicals.

[a] generate [b] calculate [c] modify [d] prove

born in 1863, annie fellows johnston wrote stories for juveniles that became very popular and are still widely read.

[a] young people [b] women [c] foreigners [d] sports fans

a dogs sense of smell is keener than that of a human being.

[a] more interesting [b] more acute [c] more appropriate [d] more useful

the rules state that if a boxer is knocked down he must stay for a mandatory eight seconds.

[a] long [b] delayed [c] obligatory [d] crucial

logrolling is a sport in which contestants perform various maneuvers while treading on a floating log.

[a] speeches [b] duties [c] marches [d] moves

keys: 11～15 dabcd

 the flowers on the table were a manifestation of the childs love for his mother.

[a] demonstration [b] (an) infestation [c] combination [d] satisfaction

most of the exhibitions were free, but for some a nominal fee was asked.

[a] large [b] raised [c] small [d] higher

i find his idea extremely abhorrent.

[a] superficial [b] dangerous [c] distasteful [d] illogical

hypnotized individuals can be induced to act bizarrely.

[a] in harmful ways [b] against their ways [c] oddly [d] emotionally

the original bobsled was merely a strip of animal skin pulled tight and fastened between smoothed ships of wood.

[a] placed [b] used [c] attached [d] released

keys: 16～20 acccc

1. this place is a habitat for pit vipers.

[a] habit [b] home [c] food [d] candle

2. few composers have been so idolized during their lifetime as was edward mcdowell.

[a] dissatisfied [b] reviewed [c] misguided [d] worshiped

3. the fire occurred while the old lady was taking a nap.

[a] doze [b] trick [c] barrel [d] snap

4. mr. james baker is the narrator of the production.

[a] controller [b] speaker [c] manager [d] pastry cook

5. psychologists have recently mounted an offensive against what they describe as nastiness toward students by educators.

[a] arbitrariness [b] unpleasantness [c] severity [d] aloofness

keys: 1-5 bdabb

. christopher columbus was the first person to navigate under the patronage of the queen isabella of spain.

[a] explore [b] sail [c] work [d] circumvent

. immigrants entering the united states at the turn of the century often encountered living conditions radically different from those they had left behind.

[a] apparently [b] drastically [c] admittedly [d] tragically

. steel expands in hot weather, so suspension bridges may sag a foot more on a hot day.

[a] shrink [b] droop [c] bounce [d] rise

. many immigrants were prepared to work hard and in appalling conditions for the sake of their descendants.

[a] benefit [b] health [c] property [d] entertainment

. ships passing on the high seas exchange salutes by lowering and raising their flags once.

[a] information [b] ceremonies [c] greetings [d] privileges

keys:  bbbac

 among all societies legal marriage is usually accompanied by some kind of ceremony that expresses group sanction of the union.

[a] opinion [b] coercion [c] approval [d] insistence

 the 1960s saw a change in the form and content of movies, treating subjects that for so many years were considered taboo.

[a] unpleasant [b] prohibited [c] unethical [d] worthless

 even a novel in which there is no narrator tacitly creates a picture of an author behind the scenes.

[a] theoretically [b] purposely [c] instinctively [d] implicitly

the legislative filibuster is a parliamentary tactic designed to delay or prevent action by the majority.

[a] tradition [b] rule [c] observance [d] maneuver

 the american medical association has called for the sport of boxing to be banned.

[a] forbidden [b] regulated [c] studied [d] reorganized

keys:  cbdda

 there was a caption underneath the photograph.

[a] signature [b] graph [c] title [d] design

the answer lay in a resource that unknowing americans had trampled underfoot in their haste to cross the “great american desert” to reach lands that sometimes proved barren.

[a] lonely [b] dangerous [c] uncomfortable [d] infertile

huey long s denunciations of the federal government were often inspired by the fervor of his listeners.

[a] size [b] curiosity [c] cheerfulness [d] zeal

hailed as the “queen of soul”, aretha frankilin imparts a gospel sound to most of her music.

[a] inaugurated [b] categorized [c] acclaimed [d] promoted

with laser scientists can probe many physical processes, such as combustion, once beyond our ken.

[a] understanding [b] responsibility [c] interpretation [d] notice