Proper use of various kinds of reference books is a basic skill for English cognitive competence. The present situation at home, however, is that the teaching of how to use English reference books in schools of higher learning is still unsatisfactory, which fails to activate, to the full extent, the potential of reference books and realize its true value. In teaching the use of English reference books, the tasks of developing students' cognitive comeptence and applying ability of referenc books should be pl...