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Lecture Comments (7)

2 answers

Last reply by: Rui Wu
Wed Oct 15, 2014 4:02 PM

Post by Rui Wu on October 15, 2014

I am an ESL that vocabulary amount is less abundance so I often meet trouble on reading. Whether I am going to recite the enough vocabulary before reading or  reading with reciting unfamilar words in the meantime?

1 answer

Last reply by: Professor Gonzaga
Tue Nov 12, 2013 1:23 PM

Post by Karoli Kolokonyi on November 3, 2013

how can I find exercise I can not see it?

0 answers

Post by Professor Gonzaga on May 19, 2013

Please click on the "exercise files" tab above the comments. You will find all the assignments there.

0 answers

Post by abc123 abc123 on May 19, 2013

i cant find the assignment

In The Beginning: The Big Words

  • Why increase your vocabulary?
  • Definitions from context
  • Definitions from root words
  • Definitions from the dictionary
  • Connotation and Denotation

In The Beginning: The Big Words

Lecture Slides are screen-captured images of important points in the lecture. Students can download and print out these lecture slide images to do practice problems as well as take notes while watching the lecture.

  • Intro 0:00
  • Why Big Words? Reason 1 0:07
    • All Areas of Specialization Have Their Own Vocabulary
  • Why Big Words? Reason 2 1:03
    • Sample Question From a College Entrance Exam
  • What Do We Do with Big Words? 2:02
    • First Instinct
    • What We Should Do
  • A Sample Sentence 2:58
    • Definition of Ontologically
  • Using a Dictionary 3:21
    • Ontological Definition
  • Using Root Words 4:13
    • Logy
  • Using Context Step 1 4:53
  • Using Context Step 2 and Step 3 5:31
  • Why Context is So Important: Reason 1 7:06
    • One Word, Several Definitions
    • Example
    • Example Solutions of How to Use 'Book'
  • Why Context is So Important: Reason 2 8:16
    • Denotation
    • Connotation
    • Similar Denotation, Different Connotation
  • Wrap Up 11:30
    • Best Way to Increase Your Reading Ability
    • More Important to Attempt Steps 1 and 2 Than to Get the Answer Right the First Time
  • Assignment 12:56

Related Books & Services

Joel Gonzaga

Joel Gonzaga

In The Beginning: The Big Words

Slide Duration:

Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction
Introduction to Reading Comprehension

16m 15s

Intro
0:00
Reading Comprehension
0:08
Who Says That Reading Is Important?
0:20
Who Think It Is Not Important?
2:36
Who is Taking This Course?
2:55
Reading Goals?
5:01
What Are Your Goals?
5:12
Reading Comprehension: College
7:06
Entrance Exams
7:11
Grades in High School
7:30
What is Life in College Like?
7:50
Reading Comprehension: First Job
8:05
You're Judged by How You Speak
8:10
Your Boss is as Literate as Your High School Teachers
8:37
Some Jobs Have More Reading Than Others
8:56
Millionaires Read One Non-Fiction Book a Month
9:36
Reading Comprehension: Democratic Ideals
9:44
Life in a Democratic Society
9:47
Right to Self-Govern
10:38
Ability to Self-Govern
10:59
Reading Comprehension: Goals
11:45
Goals By the End of This Class
11:51
Getting Prepared
12:41
Needs for This Class
12:47
To Be Successful
14:16
Assignment
15:52
Kill Your TV

11m 30s

Intro
0:00
The Cable Guy
0:09
Hazards of Television
1:25
Harms the Growth of Your Brain
1:47
Sucker for Advertisements
2:50
Correlates with Obesity
4:00
Great Things About Television
4:49
Positive Social Change
4:54
Creative and Artistic Expression
6:21
Why Do We Enjoy TV?
7:16
Who Do We Like on TV?
7:24
How Did They Get As Good as They Are?
8:09
Assignment
8:57
Chart Your TV Time
9:11
Write Down These Answers
10:24
Section 2: Vocabulary
In The Beginning: The Big Words

13m 23s

Intro
0:00
Why Big Words? Reason 1
0:07
All Areas of Specialization Have Their Own Vocabulary
0:17
Why Big Words? Reason 2
1:03
Sample Question From a College Entrance Exam
1:13
What Do We Do with Big Words?
2:02
First Instinct
2:12
What We Should Do
2:37
A Sample Sentence
2:58
Definition of Ontologically
3:15
Using a Dictionary
3:21
Ontological Definition
3:30
Using Root Words
4:13
Logy
4:18
Using Context Step 1
4:53
Using Context Step 2 and Step 3
5:31
Why Context is So Important: Reason 1
7:06
One Word, Several Definitions
7:26
Example
7:37
Example Solutions of How to Use 'Book'
7:45
Why Context is So Important: Reason 2
8:16
Denotation
8:28
Connotation
8:52
Similar Denotation, Different Connotation
9:13
Wrap Up
11:30
Best Way to Increase Your Reading Ability
11:36
More Important to Attempt Steps 1 and 2 Than to Get the Answer Right the First Time
12:23
Assignment
12:56
Latin Root Words

11m 8s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:09
What is a Root Word?
0:37
Previous Lesson
0:43
Today's Lesson
1:04
Why Latin Roots?
1:20
Makes it a Lot Easier to Understand Big Words
1:24
Which is Easier, 24 Root Words/ Prefix or 300 New Vocab Words?
1:31
Memorizing Root Words Makes Guessing on Exams Easier
1:51
Examples
2:58
English Words
3:57
Latin Equivalents
4:06
Prefixes and Roots
4:33
Prefix 'Ex' or 'E'
4:39
English Words
4:44
Root Word: 'Ject' or 'Jec'
5:15
English Words
5:30
Latin Word: Frater and Soror
6:35
English Words
6:40
Prefixes as Examples
7:01
Bene, Bone vs Mal, Male
7:15
Ex vs In
7:50
Root Words Examples
8:20
Vol
8:23
Fic, Fect, Fact
8:29
Dic, Dict
8:37
Patria, Pat
8:46
Vita, Vit
8:54
Mor, Mort
9:01
Sample Exercises
9:22
Assignment
10:28
Greek Root Words

9m 23s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:08
A Few Words You Know
0:40
Sympathy
1:11
Thermometer
1:27
Megaphone
1:39
Greek Root Examples
2:01
Cracy/ Cratic
2:13
Where It Comes From & Examples
2:57
Philo
3:26
Where It Comes From & Examples
4:11
Mis
4:49
Where It Comes From & Examples
5:29
Phobia
6:04
Theos/ The
7:06
Chroma (Color)
7:49
Assignment
8:24
Scientific & Technical Terms

18m 50s

Intro
0:00
Scientific & Technical Terms
0:12
Plan
0:13
Why?
0:51
Technical Words
2:46
Equivocate
2:56
Definition of Equivocate
3:38
Extrapolation; Extrapolate
4:46
Definition of Extrapolate
5:27
Non Sequitur
6:11
What Does Non Sequitur Mean?
7:01
Science Words and Concepts
7:32
Science Words Easily Defined
8:01
Science Words That Refer to Concepts
8:41
Science Words
9:31
Phenomenon
9:54
Definition of Phenomenon
10:45
Theory
11:37
How Do We Get from Phenomena to Theory
12:49
Observable, Measurable, Phenomena
12:56
Geocentric Theory
14:04
Observable, Measurable, Phenomena That Did Not Fit with Theory
15:28
Heliocentric Theory
16:21
Lesson Wrap Up
16:56
Assignment
18:05
Section 3: Literature
Reading a Short Story

11m 50s

Intro
0:00
Scientific and Technical Terms
0:09
Hollywood Three Act
0:23
Part 1
1:10
Part 2
1:26
Part 3
1:57
Act 1
2:39
Act 2
3:37
Act 3
4:25
Literature Terms
5:09
Exposition
5:50
Rising Action
6:55
Climax
7:46
Falling Action and Denouement
8:28
Assignment
10:16
Characterization

13m 51s

Intro
0:00
Scientific and Technical Terms
0:08
Dr. Flannigan vs. the Zombies
0:36
Part 1
0:40
Character Types
1:59
What is a Protagonist
2:00
How Do We Recognize the Main Character
2:26
Dr. Flannigan vs. the Zombies, Part 2
3:51
Story Continued
4:12
Character Types?
4:51
What is a Foil?
4:54
Dr. Flannigan vs. the Zombies, Part 3
5:29
Character Types?
6:26
What is an Antagonist?
6:29
The Anti-Hero
7:12
Example: The Anti-Hero
8:35
The Tragic Hero
10:08
Examples
10:37
Finishing the Lesson
12:15
Assignment
13:21
Short Story Recap: The Veldt

12m 4s

Intro
0:00
About the Author
0:13
Ray Bradbury
0:23
About the Short Story
1:12
The Veldt, aka The World Children Made Better
1:18
Cost
1:28
Influence
2:06
Hollywood Three Act
2:19
The Veldt: Act One, Part 1
2:52
Part 2
3:50
Part 3
5:06
The Veldt: The First Doorway
5:57
Protagonist
6:42
The Veldt: Act 2, Part 1
6:56
Part 2
8:21
Part 3
9:19
The Veldt 3
10:23
Assignment
10:53
Short Story Recap: The Most Dangerous Game

18m 58s

Intro
0:00
About the Author
0:07
About the Book
0:31
Opening Prelude, Part 1
1:57
Opening Prelude, Part 2
2:48
What is Important About this Conversation?
3:23
The First Door Way
4:00
End of Act 1
5:27
What Do We Know About the Rainsford?
6:01
Beginning of Act 2, Part 1
7:14
Beginning of Act 2, Part 2
8:29
Beginning of Act 2, Part 3
9:45
Beginning of Act 2, Part 4
10:40
What is Civilization According to Zaroff?
11:20
Beginning of Act 2, Part 5
11:36
Beginning of Act 2, Part 6
13:52
What Are Some of Zaroff's Values?
14:06
Would You Trust This Guy?
15:10
Beginning of Act 2, Part 7
15:20
The Antagonist
16:38
Protagonist
16:44
Antagonist
16:51
The Villain as the Hero's Shadow
17:02
Assignment
18:00
Settings & Themes

16m 26s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:12
Settings: Basics
0:35
Basic Questions
0:43
Short Stories
0:52
Settings: Social Conditions
1:10
Other Questions
1:23
Example
1:19
The Veldt: What Are Their Social Conditions?
2:05
The Most Dangerous Game: Social Conditions
3:07
Settings: Questions
4:01
Nationality?
4:10
Social/ Economic Status?
4:16
Government?
4:24
Religion?
4:42
Values?
4:49
Example of a Theme From Movies
5:41
'The Village' M. Night Shyamalan
5:50
Theme: Fear
6:32
Example of a Theme From Books
6:45
'The Lord of the Rings' J.R.R. Tolkein
6:46
Theme: Friendship
7:16
Example of a Theme From Books
7:27
'Lost'
7:30
Theme: Survival
8:09
Other Stories with Theme
8:45
Theme of Survival
8:52
What is a Theme?
9:33
Recognizing a Theme
10:58
Opening Exposition and Preludes
11:04
Recurring Symbols
12:33
Character Relationships, Roles, and Back Story, Traits
13:13
Recognize a Theme by Setting
14:17
Themes in Stories So Far
14:54
The Veldt
14:59
The Most Dangerous Game
15:12
Assignment
15:46
Types of Narration

12m 41s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:11
Narration Examples
0:29
Doc Flannigan Versus the Zombies
0:39
Narration Types
1:24
First Person, Major Character
1:27
First Person, Minor Character
2:37
Third Person - Observer
3:45
Third Person - Omniscient
4:45
What Type of Narration?
6:38
Practice 1
6:49
Practice 2
8:29
Practice 3
9:34
Assignment
11:35
Scripts & Plays

13m 23s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:10
Plays and Theater on Exams
0:47
Roles of Plays on Exams
0:55
What is a Soliloquy?
1:22
Hamlet Example
1:44
Uses of Scripts
2:15
Why Would We Use a Script?
2:27
Scripts Compared to Short Stories
3:17
Novel/ Short Story
3:26
Theater Scripts and Screenplays
4:40
Most Dangerous Game Passage as a Short Story
6:11
Most Dangerous Game Passage as a Short Story, Continued
6:59
Written as a Script
7:50
Jargon in Screen Plays
9:16
Int. Serenity - Bridge 4
9:59
Jargons You Will See
10:30
Assignment
11:45
Section 4: Basics of Reading Essays
Skimming & Scanning

10m 26s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:10
Big Chunk of Text
0:36
Example of Scanning
0:41
Example of Skimming
1:05
Why Do We Skim
1:40
To Keep on Reading
1:47
We're Busy
2:18
To Understand the Author's Outline
2:50
To Remember Important Points
3:23
To Help Us to Research
3:42
Skimming Techniques
4:15
Highlight Repeated Words
4:25
Note Paragraph Breaks
4:56
Highlight Words You Don’t Know
5:56
Highlight Keywords
7:10
Review
7:55
Skimming Techniques
8:50
Assignment
9:49
Finding the Thesis

11m 49s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:10
What is a Thesis?
0:36
Topic is Broadest
0:52
What is a Topic?
1:00
Stated in a Single Word or Short Phrase
1:09
Find it in Introduction
1:30
What is a Thesis?
1:53
Often Describes What Will Come Next
2:07
Often Has an Opinion
2:17
Supported by Major Details Later
2:26
Not Always Directly Stated
2:32
Sample Paragraph
2:44
Continued
3:38
How Do You Find a Thesis?
5:35
Sample Exercise 1
6:09
Sample Exercise 2
7:56
Sample Exercise 3
9:45
Assignment
11:01
Details

15m 44s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:08
What is a Thesis?
0:36
Major & Minor Details
0:44
The Big Questions
1:01
Example 1: Who, What, When , Where, Why, How
1:30
Major Details
2:17
Minor Details
3:10
Keywords
3:52
Major Details
4:09
Minor Details
5:47
Example 1
6:12
Example 2
8:34
Annotation
11:29
What is Annotation?
11:32
Why Annotate?
12:05
What Should You Annotate
13:05
Assignment
14:55
POO - Listing / Definition

11m 29s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:18
Listing and Classification
0:44
What Does Listing and Classification Do
0:50
Sample Essay 1
1:52
Sample Essay 2
2:30
Key Words
4:00
Definition and Illustration
4:36
Definition
4:43
Illustration
4:52
Sample Essay 1
6:24
Sample Essay 2
8:05
Definition Keywords
10:00
Illustration Keywords
10:37
Assignment
10:58
POO - Compare, Contrast & Chronological

8m 42s

Intro
0:00
Compare/ Contrast
0:13
Sample Essay 1
1:15
Sample Essay 2
2:20
Compare Keywords
3:48
Contrast Keywords
4:08
Chronological
4:26
What Does Chronological Order Do?
4:40
Sample Essay 1
5:33
Sample Essay 2
6:18
Chronological Keywords
7:09
Assignment
8:01
POO - Cause and Effect, & Process

17m 41s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:11
Four Causes
0:36
Something Caused by Humans: The Cabin
1:12
The Idea
1:16
Material
1:32
Efficient
2:02
Purpose
2:29
Effect Example: The Painting
3:19
Something Caused by Humans: The Painting
3:54
Causes in Science and the Natural World. Example: A Tree
5:16
What is a Factor?
6:42
Simple Cause and Effect
7:15
More Complex Causes
7:44
The Definition of a 'Factor'
8:59
What is a Process?
9:46
What a Process Is
9:54
Cause/Effect + Chronological = Process
10:05
Cause and Effect Examples
10:37
Sample Essay 1
10:42
Sample Essay 2
12:39
Keywords
16:24
Process Keywords
16:28
Cause Keywords
17:00
Assignment
17:22
Section 5: Discourse and Technical Books
Reading Non-Fiction: Introduction

17m 8s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:14
Why Read Non-Fiction?
0:56
Practicing for Placement Tests
1:00
Getting Through High School Better
1:55
Getting the Skills for Jobs
3:25
Researching and Critical Thinking
5:03
Well Read vs. Widely Read
5:56
Example: Widely Read
6:08
Example: Well Read
7:18
Widely Read
8:41
Well-Read
9:17
Reading as an Interactive Medium
10:36
Non-Interactive Mediums
10:45
Interactive Mediums
12:08
The Pitcher and the Catcher
13:06
What is the Role of the Catcher?
14:15
Overview for the Next Lessons
15:37
Assignment
16:06
The Demanding Reader

24m 36s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:17
Judging a Book by Its Cover
0:43
Introduction
1:47
Table of Contents & Chapters 2-4
2:26
The Job of the Catcher
3:40
The Questions for the Essays
3:54
The Questions We Ask About a Book
4:17
Book Questions
5:29
What is This Book About as a Whole?
5:33
Getting the Answer
6:20
What is Being Said in Detail
7:10
Getting the Answer
8:17
What Important Concepts are Defined Early On?
8:40
What Background is Given?
9:38
Is the Book 'True' in Whole or in Part?
10:29
How Do We Judge Whether a Book is True?
11:54
Different Books; Different Rules
12:20
What Of It?
14:24
What Of It? Well a Good Book is Hard to Read…
15:38
Making a Book Your Own
16:41
Annotating
16:48
Making a Book Your Own
17:11
Why Do We Annotate
17:41
The Skills
18:45
Underlining, and Margin Lines, and Circles
18:49
Numbers and Margin Notes
20:10
The Types of Note Taking
21:47
Assignment
23:35
Pigeon Holing a Book

20m 57s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:20
Kinds of Non-Fiction
0:43
The Deathly Hallows Lectures
0:47
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
1:05
How to Win Friends and Influence People
1:38
Why Pigeon Hole?
2:08
Number 1: Understand How to Judge a Book, Part 1
2:24
Number 1: Understand How to Judge a Book, Part 2
3:31
Different Books Have Different Rules
4:36
Number 2: Understand the Author's Goals
5:09
Theory and Practice
5:56
Theoretical vs. Practical
6:03
'Influence' by Dr. Robert Cialdini
6:34
'Covert Persuasion' by Kevin Hogan
7:41
Not Just Academic vs. Popular
8:39
Why Theoretical?
10:38
Why Practical?
12:55
Various Books Considered
13:39
Science Books
13:51
History Books
14:47
Political Books
16:49
Literature
18:17
Assignment
19:43
X-Raying a Book

12m

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:15
What is an X-Ray?
0:40
The Skeleton of Written Essay
0:44
Skeleton for Book Answer the Following Questions
1:29
Examples of Stating 'Whole'
2:16
Example: 'This is Your Brain on Music'
2:25
'How to Win Friends and Influence People'
3:10
What is 'The Whole'
3:54
Dividing the Whole into Its Parts
5:41
'How to Win Friends and Influence People'
5:50
'This is Your Brain on Music'
6:19
How Do We Divide It Into Parts
7:11
Steps to Consider when Outlining
8:44
Assignment
11:05
Terms with an Author

13m 8s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:21
Definitions from Context
0:56
One Word, Many Definitions
1:02
How Do We Find Definitions
1:35
Words vs. Terms
2:22
The Big Problem with Language
2:25
What is a Word
3:30
What is a Term
3:46
A Word May Have Several Terms
5:06
A Term May be Referred to with Several Words
5:41
How to Find Important Words/ Terms
6:00
Is a Word Unfamiliar to You? Is it Giving You Trouble?
6:23
The Author Spends chapters Explaining Terms, Example 1
7:23
The Author Spends chapters Explaining Terms, Example 2
8:27
Typographical Devices
9:28
Typographical Devices, Continued
10:10
Appeal to the Subjects Vocabulary
10:46
Assignment and Wrap Up
11:45
Propositions, Reasons & Evaluations

22m 16s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:30
Proposition
0:53
What is a Proposition?
0:57
Brain on Music
2:23
What Would Google Do?
3:25
Machiavelli's 'The Prince'
4:52
Arguments, Reasons and Evidence
7:03
Arguments and Reasons
7:13
Presentations
8:02
How to Find Arguments, Evidence and Reasons?
9:34
Evidence in Science
10:45
Evidence in History
12:22
Evidence in Literature
13:45
Evaluating a Book
14:31
Before You Evaluate a Book
14:45
Important Questions to Ask
18:01
Assignment
21:31
Section 6: Test Preparation
Standardized Tests: Don't Panic

14m 58s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:38
Before the Standardized Test
1:16
What You Will Be Tested On
1:25
Long Before a Standard Test
2:29
Caffeine
5:41
Why Every Student Will Drink Caffeine
6:26
Caffeine and Memory, and Activity
7:09
On the Day of the Test, You Will Need
8:49
General Test Taking Tips
10:04
On the Day You Take the Test
10:09
During the Test
11:11
Assignment
13:54
Standardized Tests: Short Reading Questions

20m 35s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:16
What's On The Test
0:37
Four Kinds of Passages You Will Read
0:41
What Kind of Questions Will You Be Asked?
2:04
General Tips
3:58
Skim
4:02
Find the Topic
4:08
Watch for Keywords
4:16
Find the Author's Proposition
4:21
Example 1
5:07
Question Number One
6:38
Question Number Two
8:31
Example 2
10:18
Question Number One
11:42
Question Number Two
13:56
Example 3
15:51
Question Number One
17:07
Question Number Two
17:48
Lesson Wrap Up
19:31
When Reading
19:37
When Answering
20:04
Standardized Tests: Word Games

19m 32s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:19
Structure of the Word Games
0:45
Example 1
0:49
Example 2
1:14
Tricks to Find the Answer
1:53
Find Clue Words in the Sentence
1:58
Predict What Word 'Might' Fit in the Blank
3:24
Eliminate Even Any Incongruent Words
5:09
Use Root Words and Prefixes to Help Guess Well
7:16
Exercises
9:02
Problem 1
10:42
Problem 2
12:04
Problem 3
14:57
Wrap Up
18:44
Section 7: Final Words
Addendum: For A Few Readings More

8m 34s

Intro
0:00
Overview for the Entire Course
0:25
Reading Comprehension: Goals
1:05
Prepared for Entrance and Exit Exams
1:11
Introduced to Short Fiction
1:25
Learn New Words
1:39
Have the Tools to Find Books You Need
1:48
A Few Recommended Books
2:41
What College Will You Get Into
2:46
Adjusting to a Social World
3:56
Manage Your Time and Stress
5:35
Where Else Can You Find What You Need?
6:49
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