Koach Koala's SAT/GRE Coaching

My Apologies

2011-04-05T00:03:00.000+09:00

I am so sorry but I've been unable to update words from March 28th due to my personal problem. I will resume updates on April 5th. and try my best not to happen such an abrupt interruption again.

Today's Quizzes - Week2 Day1

2011-03-28T20:47:00.001+09:00

Daily Quiz on W2D1: Check!

A.alias	___ one's another personality
B.alter ego	___ isolated
C.alienation	___ selfless concern for the well-being of others
D.altruism	___ a public argument
E.altercation	___ a story that has a hidden meaning
F.allegory	___ a false name or assumed identity

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Today's Words - Week2 Day1

2011-03-28T20:41:00.000+09:00

AL/ALI/ALTER(other, another)

1. ALIAS [ey-lee-uhs]
adv. used to indicate that a named person is also known or more familiar under another specified name
Ex) Eric Blair, alias George Orwell, wrote the novel 1984.
n. a false or assumed identity
Ex) A spy operating under the alias Barsad.
v.[transitive](usu. be aliased) [Physics & Telecummunication] misidentify (a signal frequency), introducing distortion or error.
Tip. From Latin 'at another time, otherwise'
2. ALTER EGO [awl-ter ee-goh]
n. a person's secondary or alternative personality
Ex) Dr. Jekyll has an alter ego in the name of Hyde.
Tip. From Latin 'other self'

3. ALIENATION [eyl-yuh-ney-shuhn]
n. the state or experience of being isolatedd from a group or an activity to which one should belong or in which one should be invovled.
Ex) A teacher has a responsibility to create the friendlist environment for a newly transferred student to feel less alinated among his classmates.
Tip. From Latin alienus- 'of another'

4. ALTRUISM [al-troo-iz-uhm]
n. the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.
Ex) Some ay choose to work with vulnerable elderly people out of altruism.
Tip. From French altruisme, from Italian altrui 'somebody else,' from Latin alteri huic 'to this other'

5. ALTERCATION [awl-ter-key-shuhn]
n. a noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public
Ex) Jenny had a fierce altercation with her manager because he always called her name for a cup of coffee as if she were his secretary.
Tip. from Latin altercat 'wrangled'

6. ALLEGORY [al-uh-gawr-ee]
n. a story, ppoem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typicaaly a moral or political one
Ex) Pilgrim's Progress is an allegory of the spiritual journey.
Tip. from allos 'other' + -agoria 'speaking'
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Test Answers for Week1 Day6

2011-03-28T05:18:00.001+09:00

Test Answers for Week1 Day6:
Test on Week1- (from up to down respectively) 3, F, B, S, Z, 2, 8, 7, 6, 1, D, 4, E, X, T, Y, V, U, Q, K, H or P, 9, I, M, J, R, A, O, N, H or P, W, L, C, 5, G

Today's Test - Week1 Day6

2011-03-27T17:18:00.003+09:00

Test on Week1: Check!

A.a-	___ demanding; pressing
B.ab/abs-	___ lacking a moral sense
C.ac/acr-	___ (prefix)away from; apart
D.act/ag-	___ (speech or comment) sharp or forthright
E.ad/al-	___ go to law
F.amoral	___ a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires
G.atheist	___ to attract
H.atypical	___ having a sexual relationship with a man who is not his or her spouse
I.anonymous	___ (room, building) be next to
J.apathy	___ remarkably great in extent, size, or degree
K.amorphous	___ (prefix)to do; to drive; to force
L.abduct	___ make suitable for a new condition
M.abhor	___ (prefix) to; toward; near
N.abolish	___ a person or thing that produces a specified effect

O.abstract (adj.)	___ to worse
P.abnormal	___ able to move quickly
Q.abstinent	___ (speech) bitter or angry
R.acute	___ having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant smell
S.acerbic	___ restraining from
T.exacerbate	___ without a clearly defined shape or form
U.acrid	___ unusual
V.acrimonious	___ a combination of two or more metals
W.acumen	___ unknown (name)
X.agent	___ to hate
Y.agile	___ careless
Z.litigate	___ present or experienced to a severe degree
1.prodigious	___ (prefix)without
2.demagogue	___ not concrete

3.exigent	___ to put an end to
4.adapt	___ unusual
5.adhere	___ the ability to make good judgement and quick decision
6.adjoin	___ to kidnap
7.adultery	___ (prefix) sharp; bitter
8.allure	___ (surface) stick to
9.alloy	___ a person who does not believe in the existence of God

Try to solve all of questions by yourself!
Answers will be posted exactly after 12 hours!

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Today's Quizzes - Week1 Day5

2011-03-26T22:37:00.000+09:00

Daily Quiz on W1D5: Check!

A.agent	___ remarkably great in extent, size, or degree
B.agile	___ a person or thing that produces a specified effect
C.litigate	___ go to law
D.prodigious	___ a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires
E.demagogue	___ demanding; pressing
F.exigent	___ able to move quickly

Review Quiz on W1D4+W1D5: Check!

A.ad/al-	___ make suitable for a new condition
B.act/ag-	___ (surface) stick to
C.adapt	___ able to move quickly
D.adhere	___ remarkably great in extent, size, or degree
E.adjoin	___ go to law
F.adultery	___ a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires
G.allure	___ demanding; pressing
H.alloy	___ having a sexual relationship with a man who is not his or her spouse
I.agent	___ (room, building) be next to
J.agile	___ a combination of two or more metals
K.litigate	___ (prefix)to do; to drive; to force
L.prodigious	___ to attract
M.demagogue	___ (prefix) to; toward; near
N.exigent	___ a person or thing that produces a specified effect

Try to solve all of questions by yourself!

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Today's Words - Week1 Day5

2011-03-26T22:09:00.000+09:00

ACT/AG(todo, to drive, to force, to lead)
1. AGENT [uh-dapt]
n.
1. a person who acts on behalf of another, in particular.
Ex) Many travelists see the quality of travel agents when looking for a tourist company.
2. a person or thing that takes an active role or produces a specified effect.
Ex) The reasearch showed that young companies not old ones, are the main agents of increase in GDP.
Tip. From ag- 'to do' + -ent
2. AGILE [ad-heer]
adj. able to move quickly and easiliy
Ex) John is as agile as a monkey when he climbs a tree.
Tip. From Latin agilis, from agere 'do'

3. LITIGATE [uh-join]
v. [intransitive] go to law; be a party to a lawsuit
[transitive] take (a claim or a dispute) to a court of law
Ex) The company's long delays in compensating the damage caused by its products increased the customers' urge to litigate.
Tip. From Latin litigat-, from lis, lit- 'lawsuit'

4. PRODIGIOUS [uh-duhl-tuh-ree]
adj. remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree
Ex) An airconditioner consumes a prodigious amount of electricity.
Tip. From Latin prodigiosus, from prodigium 'portent'

5. DEMAGOGUE [uh-loor]
n. a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.
Ex) Many historical dictators were demagogues who drove people with a popular want.
Tip. From demos- + agogos 'leading'
6. EXIGENT [n. al-oi, v. uh-loi]
adj. [formal] pressing, demanding
Ex) Lybians' exigent demand of Qadafi's stepping down was met with brutal military violence.
Tip. From Latin exigent- 'completing, ascertaining'

Study Hard, and Score Higher! Please leave comments by making example sentences on your own!
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Today's Quizzes - Week1 Day4

2011-03-25T23:04:00.003+09:00

Daily Quiz on W1D4: Check!

A.adapt	___ (such as metals) to mix
B.alloy	___ a voluntary sexual relationship with a man who is not his/her spouse
C.adjoin	___ (surface) to stick to
D.adultery	___ to attract
E.adhere	___ be next to
F.allure	___ to become suitable to a new condition

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Today's Words - Week1 Day4

2011-03-25T23:00:00.001+09:00

AD(to, toward, near)

1. ADAPT [uh-dapt]
n. [transitive] make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify
Ex) When an organism enters a new habitat, it naturally adapts to the new environment or it will be succumbed.
Tip1. From ad- 'to' + aptare 'fit'
Tip2. Don't confuse with ADOPT, which means legally taking another's child.

2. ADHERE [ad-heer]
adj. [intransitive] (adhere to) stick fast to (a surface or substance)
Ex) A gum adheres so well to a surface.
v. believe in and follow the practices of
Ex) The people adhere to the Muslim religion had to face the unfair discrimination in the U.S. after 9/11
v. to represent truthfully and in detail
Ex) The account adhered firmly to fact
Tip. From Latin adhaerere, from ad- 'to' + haerere- 'to stick'

3. ADJOIN [uh-join]
adj. [transitive] be next to and joined with (a building, room, or peice of land)
Ex) Because the bathroom is adjoined my room, I frequently find my room with full of stink.
Tip. From Latin adjungere, from ad- 'to' + jugere 'to join'

4. ADULTERY [uh-duhl-tuh-ree]
n. voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse.
Ex) In Afghanistan, adultery is a very serious crime.
Tip. From Latin adulter 'adulterer'

5. ALLURE [uh-loor]
adj. the quality of being powerfully and mysteriously attracive or fascinating
Ex) Gold has been allure to people especially during the economic crisis.
v. [transitive] powerfully attract or charm; tempt
Ex) Many pioneering colonists of Canada were the European farmers who were allured by the free offer of its vast land.
Tip. From Latin ad- 'to' + luere 'a lure'

6. ALLOY [n. al-oi, v. uh-loi]
adj. a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, esp. to give greater strength on resistance to corrosion.
Ex) "Eureka!" Archimedes shouted after he discovered the way to prve that the crown is made of the alloy of gold and other cheaper metals.
v. [transitive] mix (metals) to make an alloy
Tip. From a- 'without' + typical
Ex) Bronze is made by alloying tin with copper.

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Today's Quizzes - Week1 Day3

2011-03-24T21:41:00.002+09:00

Daily Quiz on W1D3: Check!

A.acrid	___ (speech or comment) sharp or forthright
B.acerbic	___ having an irritatingly strong smell
C.acumen	___ present or experienced to a severe degree
D.acute	___ (speech) bitter or angry
E.acrimonious	___ to worse
F.exacerbate	___ the ability to make good judgement

Review Quiz on W1D1+W1D2+W1D3: Check!

A.a-	___ to nullify
B.ab-/abs-	___ not concrete
C.ac-/acr-	___ (speech) bitter or angry
D.abstinent	___ to kidnap
E.atypical	___ unknown (name)
F.abolish	___ without a clearly defined shape or form
G.abduct	___ unusual
H.amorphous	___ (speech or comment) sharp or forthright
I.apathy	___ restraining from
J.abstract(adj.)	___ to hate
K.abnormal	___ careless
L.abhor	___ present or experienced to a severe degree
M.amoral	___ without
N.atheist	___ away from; apart

O.acute	___ to worse
P.acerbic	___ lacking a moral sense
Q.exacerbate	___ the ability to make good judgement and quick decision
R.anonymous	___ having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant smell
S.acrid	___ (I'm a prefix!) sharp; bitter
T.acumen	___ unusual
U.acrimonious	___ a person who does not believe in the existence of God

Try to solve all of questions by yourself!

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Today's Words - Week1 Day3

2011-03-24T21:14:00.001+09:00

AC/ACR(sharp, bitter)

1. ACUTE [uh-KYOOT]
adj. (of a bad, difficult, or unwelcome situation) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree; reaching climax rapidly
Ex) As the baby-boom generation approached the age of twenty, the acute housing shortage became a major issue.
adj. having or showing a perceptive understanding or insight; shrewd
Ex) Many young people today have an amazingly acute awareness of changing fashion.
adj. (angle) less than 90 degree

Ex) The angle less than 90 degree is called "acute angle.

Tip. From ab- 'away' + ducere 'to lead'

2. ACERBIC [uh-SUR-bik]
adj. (esp. of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright
Ex) John is a famous movie critic for his acerbic comments; his sharp opinions have made many movie directors and actors nervous.
adj. (Archaic or Technical) tasting sour or bitter
Ex) Although Mary's foods are known for their acerbic taste, her boyfriend always flatters her by saying "Ummm... Ummm... Ummm... it's so yummy!"
Tip. From Latin acerbus "sour tasting" + -ic

3. EXACERBATE [ig-ZAS-er-beyt]
[transitive] v. (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) make worse
Ex) Her diarrhea was exacerbated after eating an icy, cold ice cream.
Tip1. From ex- 'harsh, bitter' + acerbus 'harsh, bitter'
Tip2. Don't confuse with exasperate, which means to irritate.

4. ACRID [AK-rid]
adj. having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell
Ex) Ammonia is known for its acrid smell.
Tip. acer- 'sharp, pungent' + -id

5. ACRIMONIOUS [ak-ruh-MOH-nee-uhs]
adj. (speech or debate) angry or bitter
Ex) The members of Korean Congress are known for their avid spirit; however, their excessive enthusiasm often make their speech acrimonious.
Tip. From acer-, acri- 'pungent' + monious

6. ACUMEN [uh-KYOO-muhn]
n. the ability to make good judgements and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain
Ex) One of the factors that CEO (Chief Executive Officer) should have is the business acumen.
Tip. From Latin acuere- 'sharp'

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Today's Quizzes - Week1 Day2

2011-03-23T19:47:00.001+09:00

Daily Quiz on W1D2: Check!

A.abduct	___ not concrete
B.abstract(adj.)	___ unusual
C.abstinent	___ restraining from
D.abolish	___ to hate
E.abnormal	___ to kidnap
F.abhor	___ to nullify

Review Quiz on W1D1+W1D2: Check!

A.ab-/abs-	___ a person who does not believe in the existence of God
B.a-	___ unusual
C.anonymous	___ lacking a moral sense
D.abstinent	___ careless
E.atypical	___ unknown (name)
F.abolish	___ without a clearly defined shape or form
G.abduct	___ to extract
H.amorphous	___ unusual
I.apathy	___ restraining from
J.abstract(v.)	___ to hate
K.abnormal	___ to kidnap
L.abhor	___ to nullify
M.amoral	___ without
N.atheist	___ away from; apart

Try to solve all of questions by yourself!

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Today's Words - Week1 Day2

2011-03-23T13:07:00.004+09:00

AB/ABS(off, away from, apart, down)

1. ABDUCT [ab-DUHKT]
v. to take away illegally by force or deception; kidnap
Ex) That more than thirty percent of child abduction occurred in school zones shocked people, and urged the government to take an action immediately.
Tip. From ab- 'away' + ducere 'to lead'

2. ABHOR [ab-HAWR]
v.to regard with disgust and hatred
Ex) Sam is a pacifist: he abhors any kinds of war.
Tip. From ab- 'away' + horrere 'to shudder'

3. ABOLISH [uh-BOL-ish]
v. formally put an end to (a system, practice, or institution); nullify
Ex) The income tax was supposed to be abolished after the Second World War was over, but many Western governments decided to keep it even after the war.
Tip. From Latin abolere- 'destroy'

4. ABSTRACT [ab-STRAKT]
adj. existing in thought or an idea but not having a physical or concerte existence.
Ex) Many poems deal with abstract concepts such as love or beauty.
v. to consider theoretically or separately from something else.
Ex) Historians need to be able to abstract the various aspects of the past culture from its historical context.
v. to extract or remove (something)
Ex) Scientists after the Industrial Revolution tried to invent a better application to abstract more water from steams.
v. make a written summary of (an article or book)
Ex) A librarian indexes and abstracts material for an online database.
n. a summary or statement of the contents of a book, article, or formal speech.
Ex) The manager emphasized that the abstracts be written as concise as possible.
n. (the abstract) that which is abstract; the theoretical consideration of something.
Ex) The abstract must be made concrete by examples.
Tip. From ab- 'from' + trahere 'draw off'

5. ABNORMAL [ab-NAWR-muhl]
adj. deviating from what is normal or usual, typically in a way that is undesirable or worrying.
Ex) The illness is reconizable from the patient's abnormal behavior.
Tip. From ab- 'away' + normal

6. ABSTINENT [AB-stuh-nuhns]
adj. restraining oneself from indulging in something, typically alcohol.
Ex) He has been abstinent of alcohol only for two days, but his hands begin to shake.
Tip. From ab- 'from' + tenere'hold'

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Today's Quizzes - Week1 Day1

2011-03-23T11:27:00.002+09:00

Daily Quiz on W1D1: Check!

A.amorphous	___ a person who does not believe in the existence of God
B.atheist	___ unusual
C.atypical	___ lacking a moral sense
D.anonymous	___ careless
E.apathy	___ unknown
F.amoral	___ without a clearly defined shape or form

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Today's Words - Week1 Day1

2011-03-21T22:13:00.010+09:00

A(without)

1. ATHEIST [EY-thee-ist]
n. a person who does not believe in the existence of God or gods
Ex) Sam had been an atheist before his terminal cancer was mysteriously cured a day after he went to a church.
Tip. From a- 'without' + theos 'god'

2. ANONYMOUS [uh-NON-uh-muhs]
adj. (of a person) not identified by name; of unknown name
Ex) On every Christmas Eve, the anonymous benefactor(=donor) leaves a huge amount of money in front of orphanage and no one in the town knows a slight clue about this gracious soul.
Tip. From a- 'without' + onoma 'name' + -ous

3. AMORPHOUS [uh-MAWR-fuhs]
adj. without a clearly defined shape or form
Ex) Clay is amorphous; it can change its shape to various shapes and sizes.
Tip. From Greek a- 'without' + morphe 'form' + -ous

4. APATHY [AP-uh-thee]
n. lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern
Ex) Sam realizes the widespread apathy among crowds, but he stubbornly insists that he sing a song.
Tip. From a- 'without' + pathos 'suffering'

5. AMORAL [ey-MAWR-al]
adj. lacking a moral sense; unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something
Ex) Being immoral is different from being amoral: while an immoral person commits acts that violate society's moral norms, an amoral person has no understanding of these norms, or no sense of right or wrong.
Tip. From a- 'without' + moral

6. ATYPICAL [ey-TIP-i-kuhl]
adj. not typical; unusual
Ex) Our body inevitably(=unavoidably) creates atypical cells, some of which are cancerous, yet most of us do not worry about getting a cancer. The reason is that there is also a special system that constantly removes those irregularities and monitors the body to function properly.
Tip. From a- 'without' + typical

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SAT/GRE Voca Schedule

2011-03-19T00:01:00.006+09:00

*Day 1: 6 New Words will be updated + Daily quiz on Day 1
*Day 2: 6 New Words will be updated + Daily quiz on Day 2 + Review quiz on Day 1+Day 2
*Day 3: 6 New Words will be updated + Daily quiz on Day 3 + Review quiz on Day 1+Day 2+Day 3
*Day 4: 6 New Words will be updated + Daily quiz on Day 4
*Day 5: 6 New Words will be updated + Daily quiz on Day 5 + Review quiz on Day 4+Day 5
*Day 6: Normal Test on Day 1+Day 2+Day 3+Day 4+Day 5
*Day 7: Challenging Test on the PAST weeks' words.

*Answers for quizzes will NOT be posted (self-check pls, thanks!)
*Answers for tests will be posted after exactly 12 hours (If the test is updated on March 12th 10:49 P.M., its answers will be posted on March 13th 10:49 A.M.).

Strategy 1_5: "Dissect" words?!

2011-03-16T18:39:00.005+09:00

On SAT/GRE exams, there are always a couple of complex words that are even rarely used in a professional article. By throwing those words in multiple-choice questions, the test makers wanted to test your ability to “interpret” a vocabulary. What many of students do not realize is that words can be not only remembered but also “dissected.” What?! It may sound odd as if we were in a biology class, but that’s true! Let’s look at the following word:

Hmm… few people may have heard of this word, but it is certainly not a common word we use in our daily lives Whenever you are faced with such long, complex words on the exams, some just cross them out simply because they think there’s no way of figuring out the exact definitions. However, that’s not true; the test makers are testing your “interpretation” skill. The word, though you have never heard of, contains largely two familiar parts: the prefix, circum-, and the suffix, ambulate.

The former, “circum-“, means “about or around,” and it can be found in the common words such as “circumference.” The latter, “ambulate”, comes from Latin “ambulat-,” which means “walk.” Therefore, when you combine those two meanings, you get “walking about or around.” Hmm…? Does “circumambulate” means “to walk around”? Bingo! You got it! Let’s hear what Oxford Dictionary says: “(Circumambulate) v. walk all the way round: they used to circumambulate the perimeter wall.” Haha, easy? Let’s try another one.

The word above can also be divided into two parts, which are “magn-“ and “animous.” The prefix “magn-“ comes from Latin “magnus” meaning “great,” and the suffix “animous” from Latin “animus” meaning “soul.”

When you combine those two, you get “great mind or soul.” That’s right! It is used to describe a person who has a “generous mind or soul.” However, this word is not as rarely used as “circumambulate” is, but I used it to give you some confidence. Okay, let’s try a harder one.

Hmm… Again, it is definitely not a common word we use in our daily lives. But, don’t be scared! When you look at the word carefully, it likewise contains two parts: the prefix “pusil-” and the suffix “animous.”

You may not be familiar with the former but you surely know what the latter, “animous,” means. Does it have to do something with “mind”? Yes! The problem now is that you do not know what "pusil-" means. In Latin, it means "small." Therefore, when you combine those two meanings, you get "small mind or soul." Hmm... doesn't it sound rather negative than positive? Bingo! Okay, that is enough to make a smart guessing. What?! You went furthur and thought "Does it have to do with less courageous? or "timid"? Wow! You should be amazed at yourself! The dictionary says, "(Pusillanimous) adj. showing a lack of courage or determination; timid!" Way to go!
From now on, do not run away or be scared by long complex words. Try to dissect and simplify the complex word as much as possible, then you will soon find out how easy they are!

Does this information help you? Please leave comments and tell me what you think!

Pray for Japan

2011-03-15T22:35:00.001+09:00

A terrible thing has happened to the neighbour country, Japan, that is two hours away from where I am living right now. My condonlences for those who are in heaven right now, and I pray for not only the survivors of disastrous tsunami but also all Japanese people who are probably suffering from the aftermath of this horrible incident. How can I truly understand even 1% of their pain, yet I want to share their pain together because we all are the same citizens of one global village.

2011.03.15

Koach Koala

Strategy 1_4: Chain Reaction?! – Synonyms

2011-03-09T23:59:00.007+09:00

"...many students typically underestimate synonyms... (synonyms) will ultimately save you time, memorizing words faster and more effectively"

Last time, we talked about the importance of getting familiarized with prefix and suffix before actually memorizing SAT/GRE vocabulary. In this article, I would like to introduce another important weapon to effectively memorize the words: synonyms.

Well, I bet everyone here knows what synonyms are, and maybe some of you are snorting at our introduced new friend. However, many students typically underestimate synonyms, and what I am going to tell you about synonyms will ultimately save you time, memorizing words faster and more effectively.

Synonyms are strong “evokers,” I call them, because our brains can easily remember them. For example, when you see the word, “appreciative,” what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it the long definition, which is “recognizing the full worth of (oxford dictionary),” or just simple synonyms like “grateful” or “thankful”? The latter, right?

This apparently trivial phenomenon tells us one important thing about our brains: they tend to prefer synonyms over the definition whenever they are confronted with a new word. Consequently, our brains take less time memorizing three synonyms than a single definition, and, while definitions are easy to forget, synonyms are not easily forgettable.

Knowing synonyms

"This apparently trivial phenomenon tells us one important thing about our brains: they tend to prefer synonyms over the definition..."

"...calling synonyms up to your mind is like a chain reaction... that, if a single word is triggered, all of its synonyms just blow into your mind in an instant."

In addition, synonyms entangle words to words like chains, and, unlike prefix and suffix, calling synonyms up to your mind is like a chain reaction (those of you who are familiar with nuclear chemistry know how awesome this process is) that, if a single word is triggered, all of its synonyms just blow into your mind in an instant.

This unconscious explosion of words is another reason why synonyms can become handy during SAT/GRE exams. When we are confronted with the word that we cannot remember its exact definition (we all know how miserable that can be), your brains sometimes automatically and unconsciously draw the general picture of the word (ex. The tone of the word, good or bad…etc) and, hopefully, that would help you to pick the correct answer!

However, I have to also remind you that synonyms, by definition, are "words or phrases that mean exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrases." Although some words can be used interchangeably with their synonyms, if we only look at synonyms of a word and not its definition, our ignorance can again result in a devastating consequence, in which you will become the pity rabbits that fall under the traps of malevolent test makers. So, we have to stay alert when memorizing SAT/GRE words!

In the next article, I will introduce the technique that can be used when you are confronted with new words that may not appear on our frequent words list (Oh no!). Don't worry, that's why I am here :). Just relax and sit tight until tomorrow!

Is this information helpful to you? Please leave comments, and share your opinion!

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Strategy 1_3: Grouping words - Prefix and Suffix

2011-03-08T23:59:00.027+09:00

Before I introduce the characteristics that English words share alike, let me use some visuals to assist my explanation.

Let’s assume the big circle is the words that are going to show up on the SAT/GRE exams, and small circles are the frequent words of SAT/GRE that we are given to memorize. According to what I said earlier in link: Strategy_1, the total area of the small circles should take 70% of that of the big circle. So, when you arrange the small circles in an alphabetical order, it will look like this.

But, we are not going to memorize the frequent SAT/GRE words in an alphabetical order, so let’s release them.

Don't know prefix and suffix

Okay, the first characteristic that English words share alike is that they are the “branches” of their ancestral languages, especially Greek and Latin. In fact, this characteristic can be easily found in English in the form of prefix and suffix. There a few numbers of common prefixes and suffix we use in English, and one of them is the prefix “un-”. The prefix “un-” has a meaning of “opposite or negative,” and, when it sticks in front of a host word (we call this word “stem or root”), usually changes the original meaning of its host to the opposite. For example, if you know the word, “typical,” which means “usual,” you can guess the meaning of “untypical,” which means “not typical or usual.”

"Prefix" + "Root or Stem Word" = "New Word"
Ex) "Un-" (opposite or negative) + "Typical" (usual) = "Untypical" (not usual)

Therefore, if you understand a few mechanical patterns that prefix and suffix do to their hosts, you can make two or more words to your own by memorizing one. However, as always, there are few exceptions to this rule, and if you just skip the words that you think you know, I guarantee that you will be tricked by the traps of SAT/GRE test makers as innocent rabbits falling under the pits that malicious hunters made.

Memorizing prefix and suffix is quite doable, and, as we group the words together, the time memorizing the words is greatly reduced since the words in a group are “branches” of the root word. So, if we know prefix and suffix, we can group the small circles like this.

Know prefix and suffix

Let’s compare the first image to the image above. The difference between two is that whether we know prefix and suffix.

Know prefix and suffix

Don't know prefix and suffix

Let’s say you memorize a single word (colored by green), then…

Don't know prefix and suffix

Know prefix and suffix

But, when you know prefix and suffix, you can easily make any words connected to a root word to your own, so the image will look like this.

Don't know prefix and suffix

Know prefix and suffix

Can you see the difference between knowing prefix and suffix beforehand and not?

Prefix and suffix will also become our hidden weapons later to help you understand mysterious 30% of vocabulary on SAT/GRE exams (I will explain later in detail), so never forget to get familiarized first with prefix and suffix before you memorize the words! In the next article, I will introduce the second important key for memorizing the words, so sit tight until tomorrow!

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Strategy 1_2: Study Smart

2011-03-07T23:59:00.009+09:00

Okay! In this article, I will talk about our real problem of how we are going to memorize more than three thousands of SAT/GRE words and, of course, taking all of them with us without forgetting them until the day of our exams.

Based on my SAT experience, I have concluded that memorizing the definitions of more than three thousands of words individually is not possible. Even if it were possible, I certainly do not want to study like that, and it's against our principle that “We should sit on a chair to study not to get tortured.”

So, am I suggesting “Okay, let’s blow up Collegeboard and ETS for making up such evil exams!”? Well, that’s not why I am here, isn’t it? I said earlier that “Memorizing the definitions of more than three thousands of words individually is not possible,” but there is actually one more statement I would like to add: On the other hand, making those thousands of words to our own is possible.

“Memorizing the definitions of more than three thousands of words individually is not possible... On the other hand, making those thousands of words to our own is possible."

"... you should always look for a smart way to study, for a simple change to the method of studying can create a totally different consequence"

So, what’s the difference between those two statements?

In the first statement, we simply ignored to look for a smart way of studying and only thought of engulfing the jumbo combo of words as soon as possible. This kind of ignorance will tragically result in the similar situation to my past failure in the SAT exam, of which I tried to memorize 3500 vocabulary head-on, straight from A to Z.

When you look carefully at all English words, you will find that there are a few characteristics that they share alike, and they are the important key to memorize SAT/GRE words faster, easier, and more effectively.

Therefore, you should always look for a smart way to study, for a simple change to the method of studying can create a totally different consequence. In the next article, I will introduce the key characteristics of all English words share, so sit tight until tomorrow!

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Strategy 1_1: Setting a goal

2011-03-06T23:59:00.031+09:00

It is always a good idea to set a goal before we study anything, so we can estimate the amount of work that we are going to face and plan ahead for efficiency.

In this case, our goal is to memorize the words that frequently appear in the SAT/GRE exams. However, setting a goal vaguely, for instance, “I will memorize all the vocabulary for SAT/GRE exams” does not really plant the strong motivation in your mind. On the other hand, setting a specific goal like “I will memorize 2000 SAT/GRE words by the end of year” provides you not only the strong motivation but also the opportunity to constantly whip yourself to achieve the goal.

"It is always a good idea to set a goal before we study anything"

"Setting a specific goal...provides you not only the strong motivation but also the opportunity to constantly whip yourself to achieve the goal."

But, how many words do we have to memorize for SAT/GRE exams?

Well, according to the data that many SAT/GRE prep companies have, there are about 3500/5000 words that a test taker should know in order to get a high score in the SAT/GRE exams. However, we have to remind ourselves that this number is purely based on the past examinations and the likeliness that we will actually face those words on the day of our exams is around 70% (It's also based on the statistics. Don’t ask me how they know all this), which is not bad but still not satisfactory.

Fortunately, the exam makers are not evils, whose purpose is to fail as many test takers as possible. The definitions of other 30%, which will not appear on our frequent words list, are the ones that can easily be deduced from the given information on the exams.

Okay, this is so far about setting our specific goal and a little bit of information about the material that we are given to study, so let’s talk about our real problem in the next article: how are we going to memorize those huge amount of words?

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- Introduction to the First Koaching: Memorizing 3500 SAT/GRE words -

2011-03-05T23:59:00.066+09:00

Dear Human visitors,

Welcome to my first koaching project, which will be to memorize 3500 SAT/GRE words!

If you are someone who has to prepare for SAT/GRE in a near future or wants to score higher in the exams by improving your vocabulary skill, but looking at the Barron's jumbo SAT prep book with its over 3500 words list in alphabetical order makes you nuts, you have come to the right place. Even though you do not fall under the following description, I heartily welcome any study buddies!

"...looking at the Barron's jumbo SAT prep book...3500 words list in alphabetical order makes you nuts"?

"You don't have to and are not supposed to study like a prisoner getting tortured."

Honestly, when I first looked at those SAT/GRE words, I could barely recognize two or three. However, I naively tried to conquer those new words by memorizing straight from A to Z, and had to stop before I could even see the word that starts with alphabet D. Some of you may be planning to do the same, but I highly do not recommend doing so because it is not only ineffective but also painful way of memorizing vocabulary. You don't have to and are not supposed to study like a prisoner getting tortured.

With me, you will find memorizing SAT/GRE words easy, manageable, and, the best of all, fun! Oh, don't misunderstand me as a crazy, lunatic bear. I am a perfectly normal Koala, so just relax and follow me carefully. Come here everyday, check the post, and participate by leaving comments, then you will have become the master of SAT/GRE vocabulary at the end.

I will share my personal tips and strategies for memorizing massive number of vocabulary and announce our study schedule soon (my blog will always be updated at 00:00:00 - Seoul, Korea), so feel free to subscribe my blog.

If you have any questions regarding SAT/GRE or suggestions, please feel free to send email to "koachkoala+ericlee7272@gmail.com".

Thank you for visiting Koach Koala, and I look forward seeing you again!

Sincerely,

From. Koach Koala

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