Thursday, March 6, 2008

Speed Reading

Hi,
Much water has flown since I came, oops posted, here last. The gap was unwarranted. However I thought of returning seriously and thus here I'm back. That means there are going to be regular posts to be read. So return here at least once a week. There will be something for you.

Today I'm going to talk about speed reading. In this post I'm focusing on five strategies, that too basic, which can be considered as a pre-requisite for achieving speed reading. One word of caution. This strategies are not going to make a watershed change in your reading speed. But if you are patient and persist you can observe a change sooner.

Strategy 1
Do you hear your own voice when you read??? That is a block to speed reading. This you have to unlearn first. The matter is chronic for those who read with lip movement. The principle is simple. This read-aloud determines the speed of your reading. You won't be able to go beyond a particular speed.

Strategy 2
Don't read word by word. Read in phrases or chunk. You've to increase your word-intake limit in order to increase your speed. The number of words you can process at this time can be limited. You can test your present limit by following the simple activity stated below. Take an A4 paper which has standard printed material. Draw an inverted triangle and read the space marked by the triangle. As you notice the number of words increase as you go down. At one point you realize that you can't process more than this. Mark that as your present limit. When you read keep that in mind and read.

Strategy 3
When you read focus on the centre space of your word limit and read. Thereby you avoid the time of reading word after word. It makes use of your eye's lateral vision capability. That is one skill which you have to tap in order to increase your reading speed.

Strategy 4
Use a pointer when you read. This will tell your eyes where to focus on. That will reduce the stain on your eyes. Human eyes, by default, is movement packed. It has to be taught where to focus and that can be done by the help of the pointer.

Strategy 5
Never read horizontally but vertically. In order to practice that start reading a standard newspaper. There you have columns. This principle behind this is to facilitate reading. Make use of that provision. Place your pointer at the centre of the line in a column and read down not side. Your word-in-take limit will help you in carrying the surrounding words along with you.

That's all for the day. Hope you enjoyed.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Personal Experience -series

I gave gre on july 30 2007 . I share some of my experiences with verbal ( may not be the pertinent person ) section.....eventhough it looks unobscure but it is a riddle ( enigma,conundrum )and it is meticulously designed such that it is presented as a labrynith...

Wednesday, February 20, 2008


GRE® – TEST STRUCTURE

Verbal Reasoning

  • 30 min section
  • 800

Quantitative Reasoning

  • 45 min section
  • 800

Analytical Writing

  • 45 min- Issue
  • 30 min- Argument
  • 0-6 (graded)

Experimental

  • Either Quantitative or Verbal Reasoning (45 or 30 min)
  • 800

WORDS, WHAT ELSE.


Some synonyms that coin analogies, and a few important antonyms are listed down. They have surfaced in recent tests, not too infrequently. lifted from places, they assort a few test-takers' experience. Leaf through in leisures.
Synonyms:
1. Esoteric - Beyond the understanding of an average mind; mysterious, obscure; not publicly disclosed; confidential; confined to a small group; intended for or understood by only a particular group; of or relating to that which is known by a restricted number of people
2. Augury - The art, ability, or practice of auguring; divination; sign
of something coming; an omen; phenomenon that serves as a sign or warning of some future good or evil; practice of reading signs or omens
3. Rapacious - Taking by force; plundering; greedy; ravenous; subsisting on live prey; grasping; having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit
4. Spurious - Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine; false; of illegitimate birth; similar in appearance but unlike in structure or function; counterfeit, fake; fraudulently or deceptively imitative
5. Reminiscence - The act or process of recollecting past experiences
or events; event that brings to mind a similar, former event; calling to mind of incidents within the range of personal knowledge or experience; narrative of experiences undergone by the writer. commentary (often used in plural)
6. Sacrilegious - Grossly irreverent toward what is or is held to be sacred; showing irreverence and contempt for something sacred; profane; grossly irreverent toward what is held to be holy
7. Unflappable - Persistently calm, whether when facing difficulties or experiencing success; not easily upset or excited; cool and calm
8. Apron - A garment of cloth worn to protect your clothing; a defined area on an airfield intended to accommodate aircraft for purposes of loading or unloading passengers or cargo, refueling, parking, or maintenance; flat piece of wood mounted under the base of a cabinet; part of a stage in a theater extending in front of the curtain; platform, as of planking, at the entrance to a dock
9. Arboreal - Relating to or resembling a tree; living in trees; pertaining to trees; of or relating to or formed by trees; inhabiting or frequenting trees; resembling a tree in form and branching structure
10. Altercation - A vehement quarrel; discussion, often heated, in which a difference of opinion is expressed; fight, often verbal; angry fight or dispute
11. Whet - To sharpen (a knife, for example); hone; make more keen; stimulate; sharpen; arouse; excite
12. Obstreperous - Noisily and stubbornly defiant; aggressively boisterous; unruly; not submitting to discipline or control; offensively loud and insistent
13. Interloper - One that interferes with the affairs of others, often for selfish reasons; a meddler; one that intrudes in a place, situation, or activity; one that trespasses on a trade monopoly, as by conducting unauthorized trade in an area designated to a chartered company; ship or other vessel used in such trade; one who encroaches or intrudes; person given to intruding in other people's affairs
14. Voluble - Marked by a ready flow of speech; fluent; turning easily on an axis; rotating; talkative; marked by a ready flow of speech
15. Reify - To regard or treat (an abstraction) as if it had concrete or material existence; interpretation of an abstract idea or concept, such as the state, as real or concrete; consider an abstract concept to be real
16. Modicum - A small, moderate, or token amount
17. Fraught - Filled with a specified element or elements; charged; marked by or causing distress; emotional; freight; cargo; marked by distress; filled with or attended with
18. Placidity - The quality or state of being placid; calmness; serenity; a feeling of calmness; a quiet and undisturbed feeling; a disposition free from stress or emotion
19. Phlegmatic - Without emotion or interest; having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional
20. Intermittent - Stopping and starting at intervals; alternately containing and empty of water; irregular, sporadic; happening or appearing now and then
21. Unctuous - Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness; slippery; greasy; affectedly and self-servingly earnest; too polite in speech or manner
22. Saunter - To walk at a leisurely pace; stroll; leisurely pace; leisurely walk or stroll; stroll; walk in a confident manner; act of walking, especially for pleasure
23. Cavil - To find fault unnecessarily; raise trivial objections; quibble about; detect petty flaws in; carping or trivial objection; critic of our own work
24. Laxatives - Laxatives are products that promote bowel movements; having power to open or loosen the bowels
25. Doleful - Filled with or expressing grief; mournful; causing grief; depressing
26. Lugubrious - Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
27. Awe - A mixed emotion of reverence, respect, dread, and wonder inspired by authority, genius, great beauty, sublimity, or might; amazement; amaze; deep respect mixed with fear and wonder; impress strongly by what is unexpected or unusual
28. Tepid - Moderately warm; lukewarm; lacking in emotional warmth or enthusiasm; halfhearted; neither hot nor cold
29. Unsubstantial - Lacking material substance; insubstantial; lacking firmness or strength; flimsy; lacking basis in fact; lacking material form or substance; unreal
30. Slipshod - Marked by carelessness; sloppy or slovenly; shabby or seedy; careless; not well done; indifferent to correctness, accuracy, or neatness
31. Equivocation - Intentionally vague or ambiguous; falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language; a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth; expression or term liable to more than one interpretation; use or an instance of equivocal language
32. Mendicant - Depending on alms for a living; practicing begging; beggar; member of an order of friars forbidden to own property in common, who work or beg for their living; one who begs habitually or for a living
33. Repose - Freedom from labor, responsibility, or strain; relax; recline; calm; rest; to lie while being supported by something; to place (trust, for example); cease from troubling
34. Futility - The quality of having no useful result; uselessness; lack of importance or purpose; frivolousness; condition or quality of being useless or ineffective; fruitlessness
35. Dicey - Involving or fraught with danger or risk; risky;of uncertain outcome; especially fraught with risk
36. Zest - A distinctive property of a substance affecting the gustatory sense; spirited enjoyment; energy, gusto; taste, flavor; hearty enjoyment. Also: The outermost part of the rind of an orange, lemon, or other citrus fruit, used as flavoring; piquancy
37. Fustian - A coarse sturdy cloth made of cotton and flax; pretentious speech or writing; pompous language; pompous, bombastic, and ranting
38. Thaw - Change from a frozen solid to a liquid by gradual warming; unfreeze, warm
39. Sangfroid - A stable, calm state of the emotions
40. Grueling - Physically or mentally demanding to the point of exhaustion; difficult, taxing
41. Venerate - To regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference
42. Quisling - A traitor who serves as the puppet of the enemy occupying his or her country; someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force
43. Hodgepodge - A mixture of dissimilar ingredients; a jumble; mixture, mess; a theory or argument made up of miscellaneous or incongruous ideas; collection of various things
44. Skittish - Feeling or exhibiting nervous tension; very nervous; lively; shy
45. Circumlocution - The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language; roundabout expression; evasion in speech or writing; redundancy
46. Bewail - To cry over; lament; express sorrow or unhappiness over; regret strongly
47. Bemoan - To express grief over; lament; express disapproval of or regret for; deplore; express sorrow; regret strongly
48. Blasphemous - Impiously irreverent; showing irreverence and contempt for something sacred; irreverent
49. Minotaur - A monster who was half man and half bull, to whom young Athenian men and women were sacrificed in the Cretan labyrinth until Theseus killed him
50. Stern - Hard, harsh, or severe in manner or character; grim, gloomy, or forbidding in appearance or outlook; firm or unyielding; uncompromising; inexorable; relentless; the rear part of a ship or boat; rear part or section
51. Abaft - Toward the stern; nearer the stern than; behind; at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane; in or behind the stern of a ship
52. Abattoir - A slaughterhouse; something likened to a slaughterhouse
53. Cleaver - The knife used by slaughterers
54. Gerontophobia - Fear of old people or of growing old; fear of growing old, or a hatred of the elderly
55. Mollify - To calm in temper or feeling; soothe; lessen in intensity; temper; reduce the rigidity of; soften; ease the anger or agitation of; ause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of; make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate
56. Presbyterians - Supporters of Calvinism, preaching the doctrine of the elect and advocating church government by a hierarchy of courts. Ultimate authority was the Bible and services gave great prominence to preaching
57. Presbyterian (1) - One who holds the conviction that the government authorities of the Church should be called presbyters; that form of church government which invests presbyters with all spiritual power, and admits no prelates over them; also, the faith and polity of the Presbyterian churches, taken collectively
58. Presbyters (2) - A priest in various hierarchical churches; elder of the congregation in the early Christian church
59. Cinnamon - A light brown spice made from the inner bark of a tree that grows in the East Indies; of a light reddish brown
60. Stygian - Gloomy and dark; infernal; hellish
61. Zealot - Excessive enthusiasm or u can say excessive zeal; or fanatic
62. Impertinent - Exceeding the limits of propriety or good manners; improperly forward or bold; not pertinent; irrelevant; bold, disrespectful
63. Satiate - To satisfy to the full or to excess; stuff, satisfy
64. Debauched - Dissolute; dissipated; violated, corrupted; lead away from virtue or morality; to corrupt
65. Gallant - Smartly or boldly stylish; dashing; unflinching in battle or action; valiant; nobly or selflessly resolute; courteously attentive especially to women; chivalrous; fashionable young man; having or showing courage; brave, gentlemanly
66. Mason - One who builds or works with stone or brick; craftsman who works with stone or brick; to build of or strengthen with masonry
67. Sap - A person who is easily deceived or victimized; lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of; lessen or weaken severely, as by removing something essential; squeeze out; watery fluid that circulates through a plant, carrying food and other substances to the various tissues; vitality; leather-covered hand weapon; a blackjack; covered trench or tunnel dug to a point near or within an enemy position; undermine the foundations of (a fortification)
68. Crux - The basic, central, or critical point or feature; puzzling or apparently insoluble problem; most important part; a cross; a difficulty; a stumbling-block; a puzzle
69. Awry - In a position that is turned or twisted toward one side; askew; away from the correct course; amiss
70. Intransigent - Refusing to moderate a position, especially an extreme position; uncompromising; firmly, often unreasonably immovable in purpose or will; not capable of being swayed or diverted from a course; unsusceptible to persuasion
71. Wag - To move (a body part) rapidly from side to side or up and down, as in playfulness, agreement, admonition, or chatter; humorous or droll person; a wit; walk with a clumsy sway; waddle; person whose words or actions provoke or are intended to provoke amusement or laughter
72. Droll - Amusingly odd or whimsically comical; amusing, farcical; buffoon; arousing laughter
73. Sabotage - Destruction of property or obstruction of normal operations, as by civilians or enemy agents in time of war; treacherous action to defeat or hinder a cause or an endeavor; deliberate subversion; deliberate damage to equipment or information; incapacitate, damage
74. Saboteur - Someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks; a member of a clandestine subversive organization who tries to help a potential invader
75. Venerable - Commanding respect by virtue of age, dignity, character, or position; worthy of reverence, especially by religious or historical association; belonging to, existing, or occurring in times long past; respected
76. Subtle - So slight as to be difficult to notice or appreciate; able to make or detect effects of great subtlety or precision; clever, cunning; nice, quiet, delicate; having a low intensity; not severe and having no serious sequelae; difficult to detect or grasp by the mind
77. Infirm - Weak in body, especially from old age or disease; feeble; lacking firmness of will, character, or purpose; irresolute; not strong or stable; shaky; sick, weak; weak; feeble, as from disease or old age
78. Vigorous - Possessing, exerting, or displaying energy; energetic, powerful; active in mind or body; robust
79. Providential - Happening as if through divine intervention; opportune; of or resulting from divine providence; characterized by luck or good fortune; opportune; unexpectedly and conspicuously beneficial to the person so describing it
80. Fortuitous - Happening by accident or chance; occurring unexpectedly; lucky, accidental; fortunate
81. Surfeit - To feed or supply to excess, satiety, or disgust; overindulge; excessive amount; satisfy to the full or to excess; Immoderate indulgence, as in food or drink; overfill; state of being more than full; quality of being so overabundant that prices fall
82. Incrimination - The act of incriminating; crimination; charging of someone with a misdeed; an accusation that you are responsible for some lapse or misdeed
83. Loathsome - Arousing loathing; abhorrent; objectionable as to elicit despisal or deserve condemnation; hateful; disgusting
84. Harebrained - Foolish; flighty; stupid, unthinking; senseless as to be laughable; very foolish
85. Floppy - Tending to flop; loose and flexible; lacking in stiffness or firmness; limp
86. Insolence - The quality of being arrogant; state or quality of being impudent or arrogantly self-confident; boldness, disrespect; instance of insolent behavior, treatment, or speech
87. Inclement - Stormy; showing no clemency; unmerciful; bitter, nasty (weather); cruel, merciless; (of weather of climate) physically severe; used of persons or behavior; showing no clemency or mercy
88. Nepotism - Favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business; favor a relative, especially in regard to political office; favoritism

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Words of the Day

picayune (adj): (informal) small and of little importance
"giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction"


infraction (n): A crime less serious than a felony


felony(n): a serious crime (such as murder or arson)


arson (n): malicious burning to destroy property

Welcome

Here are we... dreaming all the way to 1600!!!

Through this blog let us help you to make that a reality... a tangible thing...

join us in this cruise... let's post, comment, discuss, and do many things... learning all the way through...

once we're there... at that dream summit of 1600 let's be grateful... and say to ourselves...

WELL DONE!!!