Frank Minirth - Brain Builders: Easy Exercises to Sharpen Your Mind

Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?

The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.

1 Kings 3:913

H ave you ever prayed for wisdom as Solomon did?

Synonyms for the word wise include astute , bright , brilliant , clearheaded , clever , commonsensical , discerning , insightful , intelligent , judicious , perceptive , perspicacious , prudent , rational , reasonable , sagacious , sapient , sensible , smart , sound , and understanding . All of these terms point to gaining knowledge and increasing our mental capacity to apply that knowledge in all areas of life.

Just as Solomon asked for wisdom and received it, so can we. Incidentally, a prudent study of words wouldnt hurt our endeavor for wisdom. Exercising our God-given minds is crucial for gaining wisdom.

Research has shown that words should be memorized in order of increasing difficulty; this book is organized with that in mind. On the next page are some words to get you started. Youll find fifty in each memorization list. These test lists will help you determine your vocabulary level before you begin memorizing. In each introductory test, each list counts as one hundred points with each word counting as two points. Give yourself a grade for each of the following four tests.

If you score 50 to 74 percent on the following tests, you are in the superior range. If you score 75 percent or higher, you are exceptionalyou have a brilliant mind. Whatever your score, you can move toward more brilliance as you memorize the lists in this book.

Introductory Test 1

1. abduct
2. brevity
3. charlatan
4. demur
5. eccentric
6. feasible
7. gourmand
8. hackneyed
9. immutable
10. judicious
11. kinetic
12. list
13. magnanimous
14. novice
15. obdurate
16. parsimony
17. quell
18. rancor
19. scrupulous
20. taciturn
21. unkempt
22. variegated
23. wrath
24. xanthic
25. willful
26. zealous
27. abridge
28. bequeath
29. capricious
30. daunt
31. effervescent
32. fallacious
33. garish
34. hardy
35. impecunious
36. jargon
37. kirk
38. lurid
39. meager
40. nuance
41. obscure
42. parochial
43. quiescent
44. replete
45. sage
46. temerity
47. unwarranted
48. vacillate
49. warlock
50. xenon

    Grade __________

Test 1 Answers

1. to kidnap, 2. briefness, 3. a fraud, 4. to protest, 5. odd, 6. practical, 7. a glutton, 8. overused, 9. unchangeable, 10. wise, 11. lively, 12. to tilt, 13. noble, 14. a beginner, 15. stubborn, 16. stinginess, 17. to extinguish, 18. bitterness, 19. careful, 20. untalkative, 21. disheveled, 22. diversified, 23. anger, 24. yellowish, 25. headstrong, 26. fervent, 27. to shorten, 28. to give, 29. unpredictable, 30. to intimidate, 31. exuberant, 32. false, 33. gaudy, 34. robust, 35. poor, 36. professional language, 37. a church, 38. gruesome, 39. scanty, 40. a shade of difference, 41. vague, 42. provincial, 43. inactive, 44. full, 45. a wise person, 46. audacity, 47. unjustifiable, 48. to fluctuate, 49. a wizard, 50. a noble gas

Introductory Test 2

1. abate
2. bard
3. callow
4. demure