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To attain peak efficiency in reading, you ought to work through all the words and phrases regularly employed in your own field. Chemists, lawyers, engineers and physicians do this as a part of their training. Why should you not be as thorough in your word habits as they are in theirs? Do not expect brilliant results here overnight. But if your reading does not improve after three or four months of word drill, this will almost certainly indicate that you suffer from other serious handicaps. A Word List to Master Here follows a list of words taken, with permission, from a famous survey made by Professor E. L. Thorndike, of Teachers' College, Columbia University. For school use he prepared a list of the 10,000 words which appear most often in books and newspapers ordinarily read. I must assume that nearly all adults are familiar with the most common words among these. But probably the less common will offer a little difficulty at least to some who wish to improve their reading habits. When you have learned all their important meanings you will have the basis of a non-technical working vocabulary. To perfect your business reading, you must next build up your own special vocabulary. As you learn new words here, write them down. Be sure to avoid very rare words, select the important terms only, and be sure to learn all the important meanings of each. Abash, Alcove, Arrant, Barrow Abbot, Alder, Arrogant, Barter Abject, Allay, Arsenal, Baseness Abridge, Allege, Artisan, Bask Bin, Burgess, Chaos, Compile Binder, Burnish, Chargeable, Complement Bladder, Bushing, Charger, Completion Blanch, Butt, Chasm, Compliance Craftsman, Default, Discomfit, Eke Crag, Defective, Discord, Elapse Cram, Defendant, Discount, Ell Cramp, Defer, Discreet, Embark Crane, Deficiency, Disk, Embassy Crank, Define, Dismount, Embattled Crate, Deform, Dispatch, Ember Evince, Foliage, Geyser, Harbinger Executor, Forbade, Girt, Hardihood Exempt, Forbearance, Girth, Harmonious Expedient, Forfeiture, Goad, Haycock Expend, Formation, Goblet, Hazard Expressive, Formidable, Gong, Haze Extol, Fornication, Goodman, Heather Extremity, Forsworn, Gourd, Hedgehog Exult, Fortitude, Gradation, Hedgerow Fabric, Fount, Grail, Heinous Hysterical, Infidel, Jerkin, Lens Idolatry, Infuse, Jig, Leper Ignoble, Ingenious, Jingle, Lever Imbibe, Inglorious, Jockey, Levy Immeasurable, Ingredient, Jocund, Lewd Imminent, Iniquity, Jog, Liable Pestilence, Portable, Progeny, Ravenous Petrify, Portal, Prologue, Ravine Pew, Portentous, Promenade, Ravish Reflexive, Ringlet, Scorner, Shorn Reformation, Rinse, Scorpion, Shortage Regent, Riotous, Scrim, Shred Regime, Risen, Scroll, Shrivel Reiterate, Rivet, Scruple, Shrug Relapse, Rivulet, Scullion, Shutter Relax, Roaster, Scum, Shuttle Relay, Robust, Scurry, Sickle Reliance, Rocker, Scythe, Sieve Relinquish, Rocket, Sect, Sill Rely, Roe, Sedate, Simmer Sniff, Stile, Sware, Tinder Snip, Stirrup, Swarthy, Tinge Spout, Suite, Tempestuous, Treble Upland, Vesture, Weasel, Writhe Usage, Via, Weaver, Wroth Usurp, Vial, Weld, Yew Usury, Vicar, Welt, Yond Utility, Victual, Wench, Yore Uttermost, Viewless, Wend, Zephyr Vacillate, Vigilance, Whelp, Zest Vail, Vigorous, Whim, Zoological Valve, Villa, Whisk Exercise Write down, without consulting the dictionary, all the distinct shades of meaning you can think of for the word "heavy." Now write a sentence or phrase in which "heavy" occurs, each time with a distinct meaning. After you have finished, turn to some dictionary (not a small one!) and see how many meanings you have missed. Finally see in the dictionary how many meanings "heavy" has which are strange to you. Ignore the obsolete meanings of course. Repeat the pattern of this exercise with each of the following words: Heel out initiate of discharge (the verb) over contract (the verb) wild mill will mince close strain (the verb) seed straight rule Note. - If you know as many as one-half of the meanings of these words, you have an unusually good grasp of them. If you do not know them well enough to write them down on order but do recognize them when you see them in print, then you have a fair working grasp. Carry out these word drills and you will soon have a very good grasp of many words.
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