词汇选择是职称英语中第一个考试项目, 它考察应试者在一定语境下对单词或短语的理解。从表面上，这是词汇的考题，实际上这是一种最简单的阅读理解题。这里要给大家澄清一个概念，任何一种语言的语义最小单元是句子，而不是词。但是词汇或短语的理解对于句子的理解起着重要的作用。
词汇不足的人在英文听、说、读、写各方面的能力都会受到严重限制。一般大多数人认为背单词既吃力，又成效不大。实际上，若能采用适当的方法，不仅可以缩短扩大词汇量所需的时间，并且能提高记忆单词的质量。下面在本课的第一部分向大家推荐六种单词记忆法，仅供参考。
一、结合记忆法
将比较生疏，不常用的单词放入一定的语言环境——句子中，结合句意来记忆单词。遇到此单词时，若词义忘记，则可通过回忆所在句子的意思来记忆单词。例如：
slope
n. ①倾斜;坡度;斜度
There is always a certain slope in a ship's deck. 船的甲板总有几分倾斜。
②斜面;斜坡
We climbed the steep slope of the hill. 我们爬了那座陡峭的斜坡。
vi. 倾斜。
The railroad slopes up slightly at this point. 铁路在此处有轻微的倾斜。
critical
adj. ①批评(性)的，吹毛求疵的
I don't like people who are too critical about everything. 我不喜欢对每件事都太吹毛求疵的人。
②紧要的，关键的;危急的
His condition is reported as being very critical. 据报告他的情况非常危急。
通过此法来掌握词汇，既有助于记住单词本身的拼写、拼读，又可同时熟悉词的词义、词性、用法和搭配，比孤立地背记单词效果要好。
二、同类记忆法
将同类词汇收集在一起，同时背记。注意，同类词汇与同义词不同：同义词是指意思相同，而同类词是指基本属性相同、具体意义的层次，级别或范围不同的一类词汇。
如headmaster和principal是同义词，都表示，“中小学校长”;president和chancellor是同义词，都表示大专院校“校长”。这两组词是同类词汇，都表示“校长”，但具体级别不同，所以两组词不是同义词。
再如bachelor(学士)、master(硕士),doctor (博士)三个词都表示学位授予的情况，但具体级别不同，所以这三个词也是一组同类词汇。
这样，将同类词汇放在一起记忆，当遇到其中一个词时，头脑中出现的就是一组词，效率大大提高了。
三、比较记忆法
把同义词或形似词放在一起，加以区别。记忆的过程是一组组，一对对单词同时记忆。职称英语中有很大一部分都是对同义词或近义词的考察，需要平时进行记忆和积累。
例题1：The researchers have just completed a study of driving situations.(2004年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. started
B. finished
C. changed
D. made
答案：B
例题2：Michael is now merely a good friend.(2004年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. largely
B. possibly
C. just
D. rarely
答案：C
Merely/ only/ just
四、构词法记忆法
通过掌握构词法来记忆单词。英语主要有三种构词法：
1)转化，即由一个词类转化为另一个词类。例如：
picture (n)画-picture (v)描绘
water (n)水-water (v)浇水
例题1： He has trouble understanding that other people judge him by his social skills and conduct. (2003年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. behavior
B. style
C. mode
D. attitude
答案：A
解释：
Conduct (v.)引导，管理，为人，传导
Conduct (n.)操守，行为
Conductor (n.)列车员，售票员，指挥者，导体等
Semi-conductor 半导体
例题2：The ice is not thick enough to bear the weight of a tank.(2004年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. suffer
B. accept
C. receive
D. endure
答案：D
解释：
bear (n.)熊
bear (v.)负担, 忍受, 带给, 具有, 挤
2)派生，即通过加前缀或后缀构成另一个词，例如：
happy→ unhappy(加前缀) happiness(加后缀)
例题1： The workers in that factory manufacture furniture. (2003年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. promote
B. paint
C. polish
D. produce
答案：D
例题2： Even in a highly modernized country, manual work is a still needed. (2003年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. mental
B. physical
C. natural
D. hard
答案：B
man-, manu- =hand
manage(管理)， manual(体力的，手册)， manuscript(手写稿)， manufacture(生产)， manumit(释放)
例题3：About one million Americans are diagnosed，annually with skin cancer. (2004年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. every year
B. severely
C. actively
D. every month
答案：A
Ann= year
Anniversaire (French)
Anniversary, annals(编年史), annuity(年金)
3)合成，即由两个或更多的词合成一个词。例如：
wood(木) cut(刻)→ woodcut(木刻)
pea(豌豆) nuts(坚果)→ peanut(花生)
例题1： In the latter case the outcome can be serious indeed. (2003年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. judgement
B. result
C. decision
D. event
答案：B
五、根义记忆法
利用根义代替记忆多义，可以解决“没有生词”却老读不懂的问题。
比如要问immediate(ly)是否已记住，回答当然是肯定的。那么就请看下面三个“没有生词”的片段：
a) The woman walks immediately behind the car.
b) She is my immediate neighbor.
c) the immediate cause
若没有读懂，那么就请看immediate(ly)根义
中间没有间隔(地)
1)(时间)立刻;
2)(空间)紧挨，通接，紧跟，
3)(关系)直接
例题1：He will leave immediately. (2005职称英语用书)
A. far away
B. right away
C. right here
D. soon
答案：B
例题2：Can you follow the plot? (2003年职称英语卫生类C级)
A. change
B. investigate
C. understand
D. write
答案：C
请看下面几句中的follow 分别都是什么意思?
She went into the building, followed by a group of students.
The teacher says that everybody should follow the rule here.
I'm sorry, but I can't follow you.
六、几组对容易混淆词进行特别记忆
(1)有些字可当形容词又可当副词,例如： early; past; half; long; straight; fast; hard; quick; deep; slow; pretty; awful; wrong; right; high; late; hourly; early; weekly; etc.
We had an early breakfast. (形容词)
We went by a fast train. (形容词)
We had breakfast early. (副词)
Don't speak so fast.(副词)
(2)有些形容词变为副词, 可在字尾加ly, 也可以不加, 不过在字义上不同。
(A) easy “安适地”; easily “容易地”：
Stand easy!
He's not easily satisfied.
(B) clear ( = completely “完全地”; clearly“显然地”;)
The bullet went clear through the door.
The thieves got clearly away.
(C) high “高”; highly “很;非常”;
The birds are flying high.
He was highly praised for his work.
(D) Slow 和 slowly当副词时同义, 但 slow比 slowly语气强.
I told the driver to go slow(er).
Drive slowly round these bends in the road.
(E) hard “辛苦地”; hardly “几乎不”;
He works hard. (= He is a hard worker.)
He hardly does anything nowadays. (= He does very little nowadays.)
(F) just “刚才;仅”; justly “公正地”;
I've just seen him.
He was justly punished.
(G) late “迟”; lately (= recently)“最近地”;
He went to bed late.
I haven't seen Mr. Green lately.
(H) Pretty (= fairly, moderately)“十分，颇”; prettily (= in a pretty way, attractively)“漂亮地”;
The situation seems pretty hopeless.
She was prettily dressed.