Unit 10 Words Can Give You Power

Unit 10 Words Can Give You Power

Teaching Arrangement  Pre-reading

task

 Background  Analyzing  Exercises

the text in detail

Pre-reading task 

Why do we need to enlarge our vocabulary?

Background 

Intelligence quotient (IQ): Earlier in the 20th century the French psychologist Alfred Binet devise the first tests to measure children's intelligence. In 1916, his tests were revised as Stanford-Binet test by Lewis Terman, a psychologist and professor at Stanford University of the U.S. and are widely used in the US to determine a person's mental age. According to the new method, a person's mental age is divided by his and her chronological quotient obtained. An IQ of 100 is considered average, 130-140 or above is gifted, and 70 or below is thought of as slow.

Analyzing the text in detail You may wonder why you should improve your vocabulary. Why learn the fancy words that you won’t use? The main reason is to receive and send our thoughts more effectively and correctly. A person with a great vocabulary is not only impressive, but he or she is better able to get across and understand complex thoughts as well. Perhaps the most impressive reason for vocabulary development is that a good vocabulary and success are synonymous. And a good vocabulary can be an economic advantage. An institution for testing people’s attitudes found that a good vocabulary is the only character common to successful people. It has also found that the highest scores on vocabulary tests have been made by people getting the highest pay. This is because words are “tools of thought”. It is through words that people grasp the thoughts of others and do their own thinking.

get across 

To make understandable or clear: 

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I have tried to get my point across. 我已尽力让我的观点清晰明了。

To be convincing or understandable: 

How can I get across to the students? 我怎样才能让学生心服口服。

synonymous 

Having the same or a similar meaning: 

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synonymous words

同义词

Equivalent in connotation: 

“a widespread impression that . . . Hollywood was synonymous with immorality” (Doris Kearns Goodwin) “普遍的印象是…好莱坞是不朽的同义词”(多丽 丝·克恩斯·古德温)

grasp       

v.tr.（及物动词） To take hold of or seize firmly with or as if with the hand. To clasp firmly with or as if with the hand. To take hold of intellectually; comprehend.See Synonyms at apprehend v.intr.（不及物动词） To make a motion of seizing, snatching, or clutching. To show eager and prompt willingness or acceptance:

A good vocabulary also means academic success. There is a direct link between verbal ability and scores on an intelligence or achievement test. Many teachers think that the results of the IQ test and a vocabulary test will be about the same. And both predict success. In addition, your vocabulary also determines the shape and size of your world. It says what books you can read and what ideas you can understand. It is the main link to other people. And the best thing about vocabulary is that unlike your height or the shape of your face, it’s something you can easily control and improve. The best way to improve your vocabulary is through reading. Successful people read a lot.

academic 

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Of, relating to, or characteristic of a school, especially one of higher learning. Relating to studies that are liberal or classical rather than technical or vocational. Relating to scholarly performance: 

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a student's academic average 一个学生的学术能力

Relating or belonging to a scholarly organization  

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academic year academic rank academic research

学年 学衔 学术研究

determine 

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To establish or ascertain definitely, as after consideration, investigation, or calculation. See Synonyms at discover To cause (someone) to come to a conclusion or resolution. To be the cause of; regulate:  

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To give direction to:  

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Demand determines production. 需求决定生产。 The management committee determines departmental policy. 管理委员会决定各部门的政策。

To limit in scope or extent.

shape    

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To give a particular form to; create. To cause to conform to a particular form or pattern; adapt to fit. To plan to bring about the realization or accomplishment of; devise. To embody in a definite form:  shaped a folk legend into a full-scale opera 将一个民间传说编成一曲情节相同的歌剧 To adapt to a particular use or purpose; adjust. To direct the course of: “He shaped history as well as being shaped by it”(Robert J. Samuelson) “犹如历史创造了完美的他一样，他也塑造了完美的历史”(罗伯特 J.塞缪尔森)

We learn nearly all of our active vocabulary through context in reading. We learn what a new word means from the words and sentence around it. Only once in a while do we give up and look the word up in a dictionary. But this is not laziness: it’s a good way to learn. Words that we learn through their use in context are much more likely to stay with us than we memorize by themselves, as in a list or in a dictionary. The words we learn through reading will improve not just our reading vocabulary but our listening, speaking and writing vocabularies as well. It is these four types of vocabulary that have a direct impact upon our daily lives. They control how well we understand what we hear or read and how well we speak or write. So we can see that vocabulary is so much more than “fancy words you won’t use” It represents your thoughts. It gives you social, economic, and academic power. EXERCISES

impact    

The striking of one body against another; collision. The force or impetus transmitted by a collision. The effect or impression of one thing on another: The power of making a strong, immediate impression: 

a speech that lacked impact. 毫无影响力的演说

represent 

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To stand for; symbolize:  The bald eagle represents the United States. 秃鹰象征了美国。 To indicate or communicate by signs or symbols:  Letters of the alphabet represent sounds. 字母表中的字母意指发音。 To describe or present in words; set forth. To present clearly to the mind. To draw attention to by way of remonstrance or protest:  Our parents represented to us the need for greater caution. 我们的父母告诫我们更加谨慎小心的必要性。 To act as a spokesperson for. To serve as an example of:  The museum had several paintings representing the artist's early style. 博物馆藏有几幅代表这个艺术家早期风格的油画。

Exercises 

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How many parts can the text be divided And what is each part for? What is the main reason for developing a good vocabulary?

Thank you for your attention!