名人教英文：vocabulary 字汇
to improve one's command of english, it is necessary to improve english vocabulary. one could take several steps to achieve this objective:
a.by decoding the origin of english words in question （1）;
b.by frequently using english and the new words one has learned;
c.by committing them to memory; and
d.by spotting the difference in words.
many english words are derived from different sources. some words are derived from anglo-saxon origins （2）. others have their origin in greek and latin, in french and other european or asian languages （3）. some words come from ancient mythologies （4）. there are other words which come from names of famous or infamous people （5）; or from names of special places （6）. the ability to decode words will enrich one's vocabulary and improve one's reading comprehension.
■passage of the week﹕nicknames 花名、绰号
（please read the following passage and test your reading comprehension by doing a précis of the passage in your own words. clues and answers are given in the relevant footnotes）
there is the inevitable truth （7） that for every person who matters, there is invariably a nickname which sticks to him or her like a second skin. （8）
here in hong kong with our bi-cultural attitudes and multilingual skills （9）, our special talent for nicknames borders on the legendary （10）. from the sharp satirical rhymes and rhythms , we capture at once the essence of the person from his or her nickname. some nicknames are complimentary （11）. others are malicious （12）. however, names come and go, but nicknames are often remembered better than the real names themselves.