VTEST

VTEST consists of a single executable file, VTEST.COM, which is used in
conjunction with a series of files, each of which contain 100 multiple-choice
exercises designed to improve your vocabulary.


GETTING STARTED:

Enter as a DOS command:

VTEST F=filename

where filename is one of the .LES files supplied with VTEST.COM. That's all
there is to it.

The following .LES files are supplied:

File Name Number of files Type of questions

SYNx.LES 9 Synonym
ANTx.LES 5 Antonym
SENT1A.LES 1 Sentence usage - type A
SENTxB.LES 2 Sentence usage - type B
SENT1C.LES 1 Sentence usage - type C
ANALOG.LES 1 Analogy

where x will be a single digit. Each .LES file contains 100 questions.

The screen will clear and be replaced by instructions regarding the type of
questions you have selected. Hit any key after you have read the
instructions, and questions will appear on the screen in random order.

As each question appears, enter the number corresponding to your choice of
answer. You may use either the numeric keypad or the numbers on your
keyboard. You may enter the letter "Q" or "q" at any time in order to prevent
additional questions from being asked.

At that time, or if you have answered all 100 questions, you will be told how
many questions you answered correctly and how many questions you answered
incorrectly, along with your score, 100 being a perfect score. In addition,
you will have the following four options available to you:

1. Review all answers
2. Review only correct answers
3. Review only incorrect answers
4. Return to DOS

Choosing option 4 will terminate the program and return you to DOS. Choosing

one of the other options will show each of the requested questions on the
screen, with the correct answer being highlighted and capitalized. If you
answered the question incorrectly, you will also be shown your incorrect
answer.

After all the answers have been shown, you will be given an option to either
terminate the program and return to DOS or to test yourself again with the
same questions. This time, if you choose the re-test, you must enter the
correct answer before the program will allow you to go on to the next
question. When you choose the correct answer, the computer will re-type the
answer highlighted in capital letters. When you have gone through all the
original questions, the program will terminate and you will return to DOS.


ADDITIONAL COMMAND LINE OPTIONS:

In addition to the required F=filename, you may also enter either (but not
both) of the optional parameters, Q=starting questions, or R=random seed.

Q= Entering this parameter with a number between 1 and 100
will cause the program to begin with this question number
and continue in sequential order until either question 100 or
until the program is terminated either through use of
the Q command.

R= If the program is run without the Q parameter, questions will
be asked in random order. At the end of the program, VTEST
will indicate the initial code which was used to generate the
random order. You should use this parameter if you wish to
re-run the program asking the same questions in the same order

SAMPLE COMMAND LINE SYNTAX:

VTEST F=ANT1 Q=93 -- Use ANT1.LES as the input file. Ask questions
in numerical sequence, starting with question 93.
(A maximum of 7 questions will be asked)

VTEST F=SENT2B R=13C015 -- Use SENT2B.LES as the input file. Use
13C015 to determine the order of the
questions.


SAMPLE QUESTION TYPES:

Synonym:
Each question will consist of a word printed in capital letters
followed by 4 or 5 numbered words or phrases. Choose the numbered word
or phrase that is most nearly SIMILAR in meaning to the word in
capital letters. Since some questions require you to distinguish two
shades of meaning, be sure to consider all the choices before deciding
which one is best.

EXAMPLE: PAIR

1. father
2. two similar objects
3. prepare
4. yellow
5. a fruit

The correct answer is 2.


Antonym:
Each question will consist of a word printed in capital letters
followed by 4 or 5 numbered words or phrases. Choose the numbered word
or phrase that is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to the word in
capital letters. Since some questions require you to distinguish two
shades of meaning, be sure to consider all the choices before deciding
which one is best.

EXAMPLE: OLD

1. tired
2. pencil
3. new
4. hot
5. salty

The correct answer is 3.


Sentence usage - type A:

Each question will begin with a sentence containing a capitalized word
or phrase, followed by 4 or 5 numbered words or phrases. Choose the
numbered word or phrase which is most similar to the capitalized word
or phrase.

EXAMPLE: The ELDERLY man moved slowly down the street.

1. weary
2. young
3. old
4. ugly
5. thin

The correct answer is 3.


Sentence usage - type B:

Each question will begin with a sentence containing one or two blanks,
each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath the
sentence are five numbered words or sets of words. Choose the word or
set of words for each blank that BEST fits the meaning of the
sentence as a whole.

EXAMPLE: Although its publicity has been __________, the
film itself is intelligent, well-acted, handsomely
produced, and altogether ___________.

1. tasteless, respectable
2. extensive, moderate
3. sophisticated, amateur
4. risque, crude
5. perfect, spectacular

The correct answer is 1.


Sentence usage - type C:

Each question consists of four or five numbered sentences with one word
capitalized in each sentence. The capitalized word in one sentence is
used improperly, so that the sentence is either incorrect or does not
make sense. Choose the number corresponding to the incorrect sentence.

EXAMPLE: 1. There are TO many questions in this quiz.
2. The sample contained much IRRELEVANT data.
3. He was mentally DERANGED.
4. She is a GLIB speaker.

The correct answer is 1.


Analogy:
Each question consists of a related pair of words or phrases, followed
by five numbered pairs of words or phrases. Select the numbered pair
that best expresses a relationship similar to that expressed in the
original pair.

EXAMPLE: OLD:NEW ::
1. bald gray
2. red black
3. safe clear
4. wine women
5. plain fancy

The correct answer is 5.


There are 1900 questions of one of the above types included in this set.
However some words are used more than once; each one question in sentence
type C may cover four words; and some of the choices themselves will be
unfamiliar words, so that while it is difficult to guess how many words are
actually tested through these 1900 questions, I suspect that it is between
2000 and 2500. The question themselves are of a varying level of difficulty.
The words and many of the questions have been taken from SAT and GRE tests
used by colleges and graduate schools, from teacher certification tests, from
scholarship examinations, and from various "improve your vocabulary" books.


DISCLAIMER:

I believe that this file can be useful in building your vocabulary, regardless
of your present level.

However, you undertake to use VTEST at your own risk. Despite my belief, YOU
must decide upon its use. I do not warrant the suitability of VTEST for any
particular purpose, and assume no liability for damages of any kind resulting
from its use.

In addition, although I have been tried to avoid incorrect answers
(particularly for a testing program), I cannot be certain that I have been
completely successful. There may be typographical errors in both the
questions and the answers. I strongly suggest that you use a dictionary in
conjunction with this program, looking up any words with which you are not
completely familiar. In addition, it should be noted that many words have more
than one meaning and that the answers are not always the most common meaning.


Les Moskowitz
10/18/92