Vibrant Publishers - GRE Words In Context: List 1

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When appropriate, those variedcontexts include both literal and figurative uses of the word.

How will our Word List Help You Prepare for theGRE?

Thedictionary definition of the word equipoise, for instance, is notparticularly helpful a: a state of equilibrium b: counterbalance Source: "Equipoise." Merriam-Webster.com.Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 20 June 2014.. The state of equilibrium here is not physical(e.g., a gymnast in equipoise). Instead, the word is beingapplied figuratively to a debate or discussion in which thearguments are not in equilibriumin other words, are not beingdiscussed in an equal and fair manner. By combining the figurativeuse of equipoise with the clues that the delegates are angryand the debate is no longer rational or intelligent, one canconclude the discussion has broken down into mayhem or confusion.The two (2) correct answers signify such a situation.

They are:pandemonium (wild chaos or disorder) and maelstrom (a violentwhirlpool or, figuratively, a tumultuous situation).

For example, the word circuitous has both aliteral use, as in something physically traveling in a circle(e.g., a circuitous route taken by a taxi), and a figurative use inwhich no physical travel is involved (e.g., circuitous reasoning).Adjust your understanding of the word to include both its literaland figurative meanings. d) Even if you do not know a particular word,can you connect the word with one that is familiar to you? Forexample, you may not know the word luminary, but you may befamiliar with the word illumination. You know that illuminationmeans the lighting up of something and you learn, from the WordList, that a luminary is an enlightening persona celebrity or adignitary. In the example sentences, you see that the word is usedto refer to someone who stands out from others for some reason(they are well-known, they have greater skills or expertise thanothers, etc.). You easily make the connection: a luminary issomeone who lights up when compared to other people! Wow! Not toohard! e) Color-code the words with which you arefamiliar. ii) Highlight in green those that arefunctioning as a different part of speech than what you are used toseeing. iii) Highlight in blue those words with aliteral or figurative use that is unfamiliar to you. iii) Highlight in blue those words with aliteral or figurative use that is unfamiliar to you.

Also highlightthe example sentence(s) in which that use of the word appears. iv) Highlight in pink those words that you donot know, but that you can connect to using related words. Chunk your learning of the remainingvocabulary. After activating your prior knowledge andweeding out those words you already know or with which you havesome familiarity, its time to focus on those words you dont know.You can chunk or group those words into manageable segments forlearning. a) One approach to chunking is to grouptogether words that perform as the same part of speech and look forpatterns. For instance, words ending in ous, such as amorphous,chivalrous, dexterous, ominous, and vacuous, all functionas adjectives. b) Another approach to chunking is to groupwords that primarily pertain to certain subject areas.

For example,amphibian, igneous, isotope, and molecule are primarilyscientific terms, while discourse, rejoinder, query andspoonerism are terms that refer to verbal or writtencommunication. c) A final approach to chunking might bepersonal to you: divide the words into groups based on howdifficult or easy they are to you. d) However you chunk your words, you can thendesign a schedule for working with the words, taking on no morethan 4-5 words at a time before moving on to another chunk. Have fun with the words as you make themyour own! Never lose sight of your ultimate goal: toincorporate these words into your personal vocabulary. The WordList example sentences will give you a solid foundation for how theword is usedan excellent launching pad for using that wordappropriately in your own world. a) Enliven your family dinner conversations withwords from the Word List.