托福阅读词汇题是十大阅读题型中的一种最基本题型，题目基本都为The word X in the passage is closest in meaning to ...。
很多考生对于这种考察特定语境下相互替代的单词的题目感到有难度。一方面，本身的托福阅读词汇量不够，不知道遇到题目从何下手；另一方面，不知道该怎样通过语境来推断单词含义。
其实，词汇题做题过程中，可能我们能够依据自己的词汇积累来很快做出题目，但这个方法并不怎么保险：一词多义的情况难以确定具体释义；生僻释义考察，自己很难想到会这么解释。所以，最保险的做题方式是和词汇题本质对接：既然词汇题是考察特定语境下词义，那么就依据语境来推断，辅以本身的词汇量。
那么语境推断又该怎么下手呢？这里展示三种策略：
一、 举例语境策略：
例子与主要论证对象特质一致。任何举例都是由“大”到“小”的过程，即从一个整体对象具体地抽出其中的一个，而既然例子是属于整体的，它必然具备整体的特质。
例题：“The opposite of an opportunist is a competitor. These organisms tend to have big bodies, are long-lived, and spend relatively little effort each year on reproduction. An oak tree is a good example of a competitor. A massive oak claims its ground for 200 years or more, outcompeting all other would-be canopy trees by casting a dense shade and drawing up any free water in the soil...”
The word massive in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. huge
B. ancient
C. common
D. successful
解析：A。这个题目考査的是“massive”,其中文释义为“大而重的，大块的”可能依据词汇量可以确定答案A ，但是可以利用保险的语境来分析：massive修饰oak，根据之前 An oak tree is a good example of a competitor，说明oak是竞争者的例子。所以先不管massive什么意思，先确定整体这个论证对象的特质：“big bodies”、“long-lived” 和 “spend relatively little effort each year on reproduction”例子oak的特质应该和主要讨论对象的特质是一致的。只有huge符合。
二、 并列语境策略：
“and”前后连接的句子感情色彩一致。
举例：Paragraph 3: The ephemeral plants evade drought. Given a year of favorable precipitation, such plants will develop vigorously and produce large numbers of flowers and fruit. This replenishes the seed content of the desert soil. The seeds then lie dormant until the next wet year, when the desert blooms again.
In saying that ephemerals will develop "vigorously" when there is favorable precipitation, the author means that their development will be (D)
A. sudden
B. early
C. gradual
D. strong and healthy
解析：D。such plants will develop vigorously and produce large numbers of flowers and fruit，这种植物会怎么样生长，并且会大量开花结果。And前后的短语感情色彩一致，所以前面部分表达的应该是积极，好的一面，蓬勃向上，所以选D。
三、 转折语境策略：
转折词前后的内容相反。
一般转折词，“but”“although”“however”；较难的转折词，“even”递变含义或转折含义，“instead”。
举例: When one considers the many ways by which organisms are completely destroyed after death, it is remarkable that fossils are as common as they are. Attack by scavengers and bacteria, chemical decay, and destruction by erosion and other geologic agencies make the odds against preservation very high. However, the chances of escaping complete destruction are vastly improved if the organism happens to have a mineralized skeleton and dies in a place where it can be quickly buried by sediment. Both of these conditions are often found on the ocean floors, where shelled invertebrates (organisms without spines) flourish and are covered by the continuous rain of sedimentary particles. Although most fossils are found in marine sedimentary rocks, they also are found in terrestrial deposits left by streams and lakes. On occasion, animals and plants have been preserved after becoming immersed in tar or quicksand, trapped in ice or lave flows, or engulfed by rapid falls of volcanic ash.
The word “terrestrial” in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. land
B. protected
C. alternative
D. similar
解析：A。terrestrial陆地的，陆生的。Although most fossils are found in marine sedimentary rocks, they also are found in terrestrial deposits left by streams and lakes.尽管大部分的化石都是在海洋中找到的，但也有一些是在河湖中的什么沉积物当中找到的，Although表明了前后的转折义，前面说海洋，肯定后面会说是在陆地上找到的，所以答案是terrestrial。
所以，在备考托福阅读时，针对词汇题，一方面我们要保证自己有足够的词汇量，一方面也要掌握以上的这种做题策略，比较保险地做对题目。希望本期前程百利小编的分享能给大家带来帮助。
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