This study investigated the effect of post-reading vocabulary-enhancing activities on vocabulary acquisition and retention, comparing students learning outcomes of two different experimental treatments (reading-plus versus reading-only conditions).
Further introspective research should be conducted as a complement and explanatory follow-up to the present study, so as to allow confirmation on or give insight into what learners actually do and what learners’ cognitive process is that leads to measurable outcomes.
In addition, in measuring vocabulary acquisition and retention, the study mainly concerns the receptive knowledge of word meaning and the productive knowledge of word form. Other knowledge components such as the knowledge on the aspects of phonological, morphological, syntactic, collocational, or pragmatic characteristics of target words should be examined in future research, so that a better understanding of vocabulary acquisition can be reached.
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Appendices
31 profound 32 haughty 33 tactic 34 radical 35 comprise 36 magnitude 37 rapport
38 indigenous 39 modification 40 ultimate
41 libel
42 coordinate 43 supplement 44 dissent
45 contaminate 46 dubious
47 procrastinate 48 coincide 49 detain 50 endorse
Note. The boldface words are the target words in the study. Boldface is used only in the above checklist to easily identify the target words. In the checklist used in the study, none of the above fifty words was marked in any way.
Appendix B. Main texts
(For both reading-plus and reading-only group)
Read the following text and choose the best answer for each question.
Round 1: An Attractive Man
What kind of men attracts women? In the world that women power is on the rise, it turns out that women are not that mercenary and into rich men, thinking as if money is the most important thing in the world. Yet, what still delights women is men with attractive appearance. Is an attractive man strong and muscular, or slim and thin? We might think that either answer will be arbitrary, because it comes down to personal choice instead of rules or reasons. In spite of this, science is showing that certain features like wide shoulders and thicker necks are always considered attractive in a man. It seems women are still influenced by biology to find out a mate that can protect them when being assailed by enemies or that can help them produce strong, healthy children.
Another study done by researchers in Scotland and Japan, however, showed that a slightly feminine face doesn’t taint men’s image, but is instead felt attractive by women. A man’s face that have some womanly traits is shown to be viewed as having a caring personality—a man who will be a good father.
However, it seems that appearance is not everything. Researchers at Aberdeen University’s Face Research Laboratory have discovered that it is not only what a man looks like that is important, but what other women think of him. They claimed that women regard a man as more attractive after they’ve seen another woman smiling at him, and less desirable after seeing a woman staring at him with a cold, unfeeling face.
So, “Humans are social creatures” is not just a banal statement that’s commonly seen. What it lacks in originality it makes up for its accuracy. As Dr. Ben Jones in the Face Research Laboratory says, “Our choices about what we wear, what cars we buy, and even what men we date, are all influenced by others and are not as personal as we think.”
1. Based on the research results given in the article, an attractive man has the following characteristics except ____.
(A) A man who is strong and hardy.
(B) A man who is popular among women.
(C) A man with a feminine figure.
(D) A man with a good temper that never gets angry.
2. The author shows how men are considered to be attractive by ____.
(A) analyzing opinion polls (B) defining important terms (C) offering scientific studies (D) comparing and contrasting
3. According to the article, Dr. Ben Jones’ words imply that ____.
(A) we human beings cannot lead a private life
(B) the so-called personal preference requires re-examining (C) people are not willing to accept others’ advice
(D) in our society there are too many choices to choose from Round 2: Putting things off: A Barrier to Completing Work
With many jobs and school courses requiring meeting deadlines, sometimes, people put off doing their work. There’s even a verb that describes the action of putting things off, and that is “procrastinate.” You may concede that you sometimes delay things too, but if it becomes a habit, it can cause despair and pressure.
Experts believe that the habit of putting things off can be caused by either brain problems or by psychological problems. Brain problems may be that the part of the brain that deals with organizing work is damaged or not working well. The psychological problems can include low self-confidence, which is a feeling that things aren’t going to turn out right, or mental depression, from which people feel sad and hopeless, making it very difficult for them to get anything done.
There are also two main types of people who put things off: those who worry a lot about the work they’re not getting done, and those who are calm about their delaying things. The first type of people have many negative feelings about being detained by other things and not completing their work, but the relaxed type of people are not worried at all.
Though the habit of putting things off may be depressing, thankfully, there are some tactics to fix it. Understanding why you put things off is the first step in stopping this behavior. Another helpful method is to put your tasks in order of importance, and remember, start not from the easiest task, but from the most important one. Setting goals and promising to meet these goals are also good ways.
For example, if you make a resolution to stay focused in class, then you should put away your comb, mirror, and other stuff that may draw your attention away. By doing this, your schoolwork productivity may be increased.
Regardless of someone’s reason for delaying things, he or she should try to discuss with a doctor to learn about what may be causing this bad habit and how to overcome it.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a possible cause of the habit of putting things off?
(A) Brain malfunction.
(B) Lack of self-assurance.
(C) Poor working conditions.
(D) Pessimistic attitude.
2. Which of the following statements is true?
(A) People who put things off are constantly worrying about the unfinished work.
(B) Putting off doing things may cause people much stress and depression.
(C) The first step in stopping the behavior of delaying things is to prioritize things.
(D) Doctors are not able to help people with the problem of delaying things.
3. Which of the following writing mode is NOT used in the article?
(A) Cause and effect.
(B) Problem and solution.
(C) Compare and contrast.
(D) Classification and division.
Round 3: Celebrity and Our Society
Our society comprises a group of people interested in celebrity news, and celebrities thus have an amazing power to influence the society they live in. They influence what we wear, how we think about certain things, and sometimes even our moral standards. Their behavior, speech, and tastes in clothes and make-up are things that a lot of teenagers try to copy. As a result, some people believe that celebrities have a great responsibility toward the society they live in and should serve as a good example for the young people and even the adults in society.
Many celebrities question why they should have this sort of responsibility. They might sometimes show bad attitude in public, appearing haughty, arrogant, and insincere; they might also make mistakes just like everyone else. No human being is perfect. Regardless of what the celebrities might think, lots of people, especially the young fans, often think that celebrities must live in a perfect shining world and want to be the same as these fantastic people. This puts a lot of pressure on the celebrities.
Is it fair to ask celebrities to safeguard the morals of society?
What about the media? Should the media tell the world when a celebrity has a problem or does something wrong? Sometimes media are not careful about what they report and so tell things that are not true. This results in the public developing a false image of the celebrity, and the media being blamed for libel. Some celebrities thus try
to build a good rapport with the media, hoping that the media thus won’t speak evil of them.
There are also celebrities who are aware of their roles and are willing to accept the responsibilities in society. They always appear congenial in public, trying to be as friendly as possible; they try not to let their personal lives affect their image or work;
and they contribute their time and money to help charity. Those celebrities have a positive influence on the society and really deserve our applause.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The past and future behavior of celebrities.
(B) Some good examples of being a celebrity.
(C) The images and responsibilities of celebrities.
(D) Some of the problems of being a celebrity.
2. Which statement is NOT true about celebrities?
(A) Not all celebrities agree that they should serve as a good example for the society.
(B) Even the clothes a celebrity wears can create a new fashion.
(C) Things reported about celebrities in the media are usually true.
(D) Some celebrities make efforts to maintain a good image.
3. Which of the following statements is true?
(A) Everyone thinks that celebrities live a perfect flawless life.
(B) Only young people see celebrities as role models. Adults do not.
(C) Celebrities do not have good moral standards or taste in clothes.
(D) Celebrities are only human and make mistakes like everyone else.
Round 4: Shopaholics
Shopaholics are people who are addicted to shopping. You may gape at how much they will buy, because they seem unable to stop themselves from buying.
Actually, most of them are experiencing frustration or depression in their daily lives.
For them, shopping is an escape from these negative feelings. A recent study conducted by Dr. Koran shows that about six percent of the U.S. population falls into this group — more than the country’s gambling addicts. So, shopaholic phenomenon may be more prevalent than you think, and men and women suffer equally.
Some social conditions are responsible for the shopaholic phenomenon. Credit cards, for example, encourage people to buy now and worry about fiscal responsibility later. The Internet and TV shopping channels also make shopping even easier. Pop culture is another factor. With magazines or books like the Shopaholic series and TV shows like Sex and the City, shopping has become a need in our lives.
Shopping has become an extra problem for all these people. They can be so
focused on shopping that they don’t have enough time to spend with their friends or family members. This can destroy their relationships. What’s more, their uncontrolled use of credit cards often leads to a large debt, which might cause anxiety and result in deeper depression.
Psychologists suggest that they should face the facts. Shopaholics should admit that their thoughtless shopping trips mean disorder in their lives. Having realized this, when they feel an urge to buy, they should listen to the dissent and disagreement in their heads. One American psychologist has created addiction recovery programs.
This recovery program is totally new that has never been tried before, yet it sets a good precedent that should be followed and extended. In the program, shopaholics are taught how to control their shopping habits. For example, they are told to cancel their credit cards and shop only with cash. They are also encouraged to do other activities when they suddenly feel the need to go shopping.
1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor that leads to shopping
1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor that leads to shopping