How to build your vocabulary......and remember them

Alekhyo came to meet me this evening. He looked a bit tired and expended. His elder brother Mainak is at the TIFR doing research work. Mainak got opportunities to study in France and Germany but he decided to finish his research in India. Alekhya has got a chance to study electronics
at Rajabazar. He has also been shortlisted for counseling at Jadavpur Unversity. He is feeling peer pressure. We had a good conversation on various issues. He asked me a very simple yet important question. How can one build a vocabulary of one's own? The obvious answer would be : read, read and read and then look up the meaning of the new words in a not book and start using them. My experience has taught me that young people, especially those who are pursuing science courses are not very fond of dictionary. Some of them think that it is not very essential to know the English language to pursue a career in science. Nothing can be further from the truth. Today's children are facing 'the market pressure'. In this age of globalization you must have a good command over English language if you want to bag a lucrative job in a MNC.( Multinational company ). How can you then build up a vocabulary that will stand you in good stead ? I would recommend the following steps"

• Read the daily newspaper of your choice regularly in the morning over a cup of tea.
• Jot down the new words from your text book and look up the meaning in the dictionary. Your smartphone will help you. Download a good dictionary with audio sound from the internet. It will help you tremendously.
• Listen to BBC News channel whenever you find time. Be a good listener. It is very very important to be a good listener. Listen attentively to your teachers and friends. You will learn a lot from them.
• Read story books. I would recommend to you to read adventure books, detective books and thrillers if you want to learn the modern usage of the English language. Don't read the classics for this purpose. Read them when you have settled in your life and have cultivated a taste for literature.

Last but not the least I would advise you to watch English popular movies.
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Let us now resume our task with phrasal verbs for Madhyomik Students from the ABTA Test Papers.

Page no-427

1. The rumour gradually disappeared.  ( The rumour gradually died down. )=die down.
2. The other three problems are repetitions. The verbs were :read ( go through ), Spread suddenly ( Broke out ) and was born ( came of )

Page no-441

1. Our school closes at 4-30pm. ( Our school breaks up at 4-30 pm. )= break up
2. The soldiers executed the captain's order. ( The soldiers carried out the captain's order .) carry out
3. What is emitting such nasty smell ? ( What is giving off such nasty smell? )= give off
4. I cannot understand what you say. ( I cannot make out what you say. )= make out.

Page no-457

1. I cannot digest any injustice. ( I cannot bear with/put up with any injustice. )=bear with
2. A good friend always supports one in adversity.( A good fried always stands by one in adversity.)=stand by.
3. We must try to abolish corruption from society. ( We must try to do away with corruption from the society. )=do away with
4. She overcame her  difficulties. ( She got over her difficulties. )= get over

Page no-473

1. Try to avoid evil company.( Try to keep away from evil company.)=keep away from
2. It was not easy to compensate for the loss. ( It is not easy to make up for the loss. ) = make up
3. The patient died last night. ( The patient passed away last night. )= pass away
4. They discussed the matter. ( They talked over the matter. )=talk over

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 spk

                                                    Autumn is knocking at the door