CONTENTS Introduction 1 Pretest 5SECTION 1: TOOLS FOR BUILDING WORD POWER 13Lesson 1: Why Work on Your Vocabulary? 15• Five important reasons to improve your vocabulary• Sample questions to measure your strengths and weaknesses• Set goals for increasing your word powerLesson 2: Tools and Techniques for Learning New Words 21• Useful resources for vocabulary building• Which dictionary should you use?• Why you should keep a personal word book• Beware the dangerous thesaurus!Lesson 3: Use a Word's Context to Figure Out Its Meaning 27• How to figure out a word's meaning without a dictionary• New words: Use them or lose them!Lesson 4: Create Meaning from Connotations 35• Learn how a single word can have many meanings• Mean what you sayLesson 5: Understanding Word Parts 43• Learn how to take words apart to figure out their meanings• Common prefixes and suffixes to build your word powerLesson 6: Take Words Down to Their Roots 49• Learn common word roots that will increase your vocabulary• How ancient Latin and Greek words influence modern English wordsLesson 7: Mnemonics: Codes to Help You Spell Words 55• Memory aids to help you spell better• Tricks for remembering difficult ideasLesson 8: Synonyms and Antonyms: Similars and Opposites 63• How to find the single right word among the many that might do• Knowing how the opposite word can help youLesson 9: Which Is the Right Word? 71• Clearing up the confusion between similar-sounding words• Memorize these tricky word pairs and never misuse them againSECTION 2: USE DIFFERENT PARTS OF SPEECH TO INCREASE WORD POWER 79Lesson 10: Discover New Nouns 81• Acquire new nouns that create word power• Why it's useful to know more than one word for every ideaLesson 11: Pick the Best Adjectives 87• Learn how adjectives are like the salsa on chips• Five ways in which adjectives can improve your word powerLesson 12: Zip Up Your Verbs 93• Learn how verbs are the engines that power good communication• New words that create verb versatility• Tips for remembering the spelling of some tricky verbsLesson 13: Dress Up Verbs with Adverbs 101• Learn why adverbs are the fuel that makes verbs go• Intense adverbs will make you a better communicator• Common adverb mistakes to avoidSECTION 3: BUILD WORD POWER IN ALL SUBJECT AREAS 107Lesson 14: Words to Describe Personalities 109• Learn new ways to describe yourself—and everyone you know• Identifying personality types and traits with their special namesLesson 15: Words to Describe Feelings 115• Learn new words to use when it feels as if words aren't enough• Common words that describe uncommon emotionsLesson 16: Words to Describe Extreme Emotions 121• Learn new words to overcome vocabulary frustration• Tips on using the same word in different grammatical formsLesson 17: Strange Feelings and Emotions 127• Learn the precise words that describe some very uncommon feelings• Strange emotions don't require long words, just the right wordsLesson 18: Learn Words for the Sciences 133• Learn words to describe the various fields of science• Reminders on how to increase your vocabulary by knowingword rootsLesson 19: You May See the Doctor Now 139• Learn useful words in the medical field—for doctors and patients alike• Specialized words for illnesses and research areasLesson 20: Words about Families 145• Learn how complicated it sometimes is to define who's in your family• Specialized family words that help define relationshipsLesson 21: Mind Your Manners 153• Learn many words to help you obey society's rules• With good manners, simply saying thank you is often not enough• Why it's okay to not say what you meanLesson 22: Words from Popular Culture 159• Learn how old words are adapted to describe new ideas• Increase your vocabulary inventory by spotting new trendsLesson 23: Words from the Sports Arena 165• Learn new words to use on and off the playing field• Discover why sports is considered the universal languageLesson 24: Words about Politics 171• Learn words that describe both national and local governments• Your school may be the place to use your new political word powerLesson 25: Words about Computers 177• Learn the precise and accurate words to describe commononline activitiesSECTION 4: BUILD WORD POWER IN SPECIAL WAYS 183Lesson 26: Words We've Adopted 185• Learn words brought into English from other languages—and sound like a sophisticated traveler• Pronunciation and usage tips to increase your foreign wordpowerLesson 27: Words That Really Mean Something Else 191• Learn vocabulary-building euphemisms to impress (or comfort) your listeners• Five good reasons to avoid saying exactly what you meanLesson 28: Confused and Abused Words 199• Learn how to get unconf。
