GRE comprises three sections – Verbal;
Quantitative; and Analytical. For Asian applicants, Quantitative
is a piece of cake, like middle school math in Japan. Most Japanese
applicants try to obtain the perfect score in that part so that overall they can
achieve the minimum requirement because Verbal is just too demanding.
Verbal’s vocabulary part requires a significant memory of words
that are not used in day-to-day conversations. “Xenophobia” was one of the most
frequent words when I took the test, though it is commonly used these days.
While I am relieved that I no longer need to take the GRE test (I
hope so), I also think that having a rich vocabulary does not hurt at all.
I recently read a book written in such a wealth of vocabulary and
confirmed my wishful thinking. It also includes some real definitions of day-to-day
words that normal dictionaries would never teach, such as “inclusive”: a
tiresome American expression to describe the need for political balance.
Whether it is good or bad, each word has its own definition or
nuance, depending on the contemporary circumstances and the user’s perspective.
