Brain Teaser

For this week, I have focused on studying law, on law admission test, to be exact. I have studied for it for almost everyday, approximately three hours a day. I have concentrated on solving problems in the logical reasoning section. Oh, there  are five sections in the LSAT(Law School Admission Test). There are two logical reasoning sections, one analytical reasoning, one reading comprehension section, and finally, there is the essay section.
          Although there are many kinds of problems in the logical reasoning section, I focused on only two types of problems in the section in this week: Main Idea Questions and Assumption Questions.
Well, to be frank, main idea questions are not as easy as it seems, but relatively, I think that I could state assumption questions as a "NO-NO"( No, I would not actually please myself in seeing a bunch of assumption questions in the real test).
          I first started by simply reading aloud by myself the 'main idea questions' and 'assumption questions'. I did not start solving problems at first glance for it would be detrimental to my success in the real test. LSAT questions are definitely and constructively arrayed so that test takers fall into every single trap that the test makers had set up in the first place. In short, if I started skimming and scanning paragraphs to basically sort out the answer to that certain question, I would also "PRIMARILY" and "BASICALLY" get every problem wrong. Umm...I could really attest that this is true since I am a living witness to this phenomenon. When I first started to study for the LSAT in 2010, I got 50 problems wrong out of 100 problems. Yes...it is true. As far as I remember, I was pretty much infuriated and disappointed with my score and at myself. I wondered to myself, "Geez..what kind of people go to law school??? Are they geniuses?" And I thought I was smart.
          The problem was not my attitude nor was it somewhat linked to my fate. The problem literally was with my reading technique. I learned the hard way that for the
LSAT, you just cannot skip lines or skim any word or phrase. I virtually have to read every single line quickly and accurately. This was almost impossible since the test only proffered to you 35minutes to solve 27 questions. If I was stuck and spent more than a minute and 20 seconds, I simply failed the test. That is exactly when I took the real test for the first time. I remember I drank a lot of "SOJU(소주)" after the test, not receiving any phone calls from anyone. At that time, my girlfriend called me the next day and I had to listen to her lecturing about manners when I am dating a woman. I remember I said "SORRY". And she kept on asking, "SORRY ABOUT WHAT?!" You know the story and how it ends, right? I am not going to continue. Anyhow, after that I went to the book store and read nearly every book related to reading. I came up with my own skills to read analytic texts and to evaluate them into the main idea, supporting evidence, and background information.
          Accordingly, for this week, I utilized my old method of breaking down arguments into conclusion and supporting premise. Naturally, you might think, "Okay, so Yongju improved and now its just a piece of cake". Nonetheless, I still have a lot to go. I get a few problems wrong still, even after I have gone through about 3000 problems. Maybe it's bizarre; maybe it's plain. But I jut got to say, "GRE and LSAT are both hard. I sometimes don't know where I am going with this. But one thing is for sure. No one was perfect in the first place. Have hope."

Will It Ever End??

     For this week, I am mostly into studying for my Graduate Record Exam, abbreviated as the notorious GRE. It is comprised of five sections: Writing, 2 Quantitative Sections(Math), and 2 Verbal Sections(Reading and Vocabulary). 
     I endeavored to study through the verbal section, namely vocabulary. There is this part in the verbal section of the GRE that asks you to discriminate the two correct words from about 5 to 6 choices. It is in fact referred to as the 'sentence equivalence questions'. This part is extremely difficult for two main reasons: 1. You have to have an ample vocabulary capacity that runs from the alphabet A to Z(This is almost impossible)
2. You have to have a systemic array of synonyms already embedded inside your head(This too is close to not possible). 
    I solved a few problems and noticed that this was eventually associated with a person's IQ(verbal intelligence) and the willingness to memorize every bits and pieces of words that exist in English. I got some problems wrong owing to vague information on a certain word. I got some problems right because I merely guessed the right answer. At least I found out that my conjecturing skills operate from time to time.
   It would be just great if I had the guts and the perseverance to stand out from the hard problems and maintain my sane mind. Nonetheless, to be frank with you, I lashed out after solving 50 problems. My brain just was not up to it. Then, I asked myself if my IQ was low. The answer... I do not know. I have been studying English for ten years now and I could somewhat declaim that I know my stuff in at least the English sphere. Yet, at this time of the hour, I am not sure that I could speak with confidence that I really really do know my "MATERIALS". Well, give yourself a try and see how the world has changed. Here  
goes! 

 Without ________ action, the atmosphere's concentration of greenhouse gases is expected to double from pre-industrial levels by the end of this century.

• A. Expeditious
• B. Valuable
• C. Expendable
• D. Crucial
• E. Prompt

     From this excerpt, you have to chose the best two answers that fits the blank. Thus, the two best answers must be synonyms resembling each other in its meaning. To solve this problem, you first have to read the whole text to get the roughest idea of what it is trying to tell you.  This sentence is linked to air pollution, specifically the Greenhouse Effect. The sentence is composed of a phrase and a clause. Since the clause is intending to assert that the gases are going to augment if something is not done about it, you could guess that some action has to be fulfilled. So, the adjective that actually describes the "ACTION" should be quick or prompt. What is a synonym of prompt? Well, it is expeditious. Your answers are "A" and "E".  The bottom line is that studying for English, especially vocabulary, is not a piece of cake. Yet, I will continue to push myself to go over the barriers and to achieve the score that I long for. Have a nice one !

How I Studied This Week

         This week, as usual, I have studied for the Toefl. I took the Toefl(CBT) about 4 years ago. As almost everyone is aware, the Toefl is valid for only two years. Obviously, since 4 years had passed, I have to take the test again this year. It is not for fun but it is actually as a preparation for graduate school. Yes, I am planning to go abroad to study. Nearly all the schools abroad requires the Toefl test as a requirement for admission to their schools.
         Accordingly, I have taken my time to go through the Toefl. Out of the four sections(Listening, Speaking, Writing, and Reading), I focused on the listening comprehension part. I went over a few scripts and noticed that they were pretty lengthy and tedious, stretching for approximately 10 or more paragraphs. It was plain that the difficulty level of listening comprehension augmented compared to the prior Toefl(CBT).
         To be specific, I listened to a few conversations between a professor and a student from some university. The subject was about "Making Up for Her Absence". The student missed a class due to her sickness; She was down with a flu and could not partake in the class. The professor was insistent that she consult with her classmate about the project that was upcoming in a few weeks. She was furious that she missed a class, and she asked the professor to simply inform her of the project. She did not want to contact her peers to inquire about the incoming project. Well, I felt that the communication rate between the two speakers was somewhat too rapid, affecting the listener's apprehension adversely. The bottom line, I missed a few questions and it was not that pleasant.
         Since the Toefl IBT permits you to use a scap paper and pencil to take memos on what the conversion was about, I also simulated at home using an A-4 paper packed on my printer. I had to scribble the contents quickly on the paper, at the same time, trying to listen up on the script. The writing part was not so hard but I cannot utterly say that It is all that you need to ace the listening part of the Toefl. While the ETS strongly argues and refutes the notion that the test is not an intelligence test, I do think that it is partly associated with the intelligence factor. That is, the smarter you are, the better your score will be since there are so many materials that come into play when listening to a sample script. In short, if you are smart, you would most likely be able to memorize better. And this will ultimately ameliorate your score.
       I studied for about 2 hours every day, concerned about the imminent Toefl test. I download the scripts via online and stored the data on my MP3 player. I took it around anywhere I went(subways, parks, the movies, library) and listed to them whenever the opportunity allowed me. I kind of got the feeling that I was improving despite the slow rate I was progressing. Nonetheless, I do have hope that I will indeed achieve the level that I initially set out for. It is tough but it does not have to be brutal.

Self Introduction

      Hello, everyone. I am Yongju. I major in English Education and am a senior this year. Since I am aware that this class is mainly for freshman, I will put in all my effort to cooperate with you all and try to provide you with fruitful information that might somehow benefit you in the future.
      I was born in Gwangju, Jeolla Province as an elderly son of the two. I grew up in a ranch full of cows, pigs, dogs, and horses. I especially remember one time when a horse lifted me up and tried to eat me. It should have been frightening for a kid of my age at the time but to some people's surprise, I was hardly frustrated. As I remember, It was kind of fun. Well, that doesn't mean I was a weirdo or anything. I think I was a little different compared to other kids.
      If someone asks me what my strong points are, I would, without any hesitation, assert that I have priceless experience that could not possibly be bought with money.  I would say it is that much invaluable. Since I was five, I have traveled around the globe due to my father's occupation. I have lived in Singapore, the Philippines, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Ethiopia(Africa), and the states(U.S.).  I believe that I could adapt to a novel environment in time.
      Some people might assume that I am an extrovert provided that I have engaged and lived in various states around the world. Nonetheless, I am an introvert. I like to be alone and recollect about many other things which would not pop up if I were an extrovert. I like to go to art galleries, museums, the movies, or restaurants by myself. Of course, I also do like to go with friends. I don't always go to these places by myself. Anyhow, my hobbies are watching movies, writing novels, drawing pictures, running, and driving. I especially like to go out late at night with my motorcycle and go for a drive when everyone else is sleeping sound( I do abide by the law and the speed limit, so don't sue me!) I think this is it. Thank you for reading my somewhat boring self-introduction. I hope we could get the best from this class. Thank You.