託福閱讀的十種題型中，詞彙題是佔比例較多的，每篇文章都會有3-5題，詞彙題所問單詞考生認識自然是好，可直接選答案。但很多時候，考生是會遇到自己不認識的單詞。這個時候也不要簡單粗暴的放棄，隨便選一個答案。
大多數的詞彙題在它的上下文中都有對這個單詞意思的提示。其中有所考察單詞的同義詞出現在該單詞附近是很重要的'一個思路。我們來看下面這個例題
This unprecedented development of a finite groundwater resource with an almost negligible natural recharge rate—that is,virtually no natural water source to replenish the water supply—has caused water tables in the region to fall drastically.
The word “virtually” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○Clearly
○Perhaps
○Frequently
○Almost
在這個句子當中，假若考生不認識virtually這個詞，我們可以去到上下文找線索。我們看到這個句子裡面是有一對破折號的，那麼在同一個句子當中，一對破折號起了括號的作用，也就是破折號中間的內容是對前文的解釋。那麼 almost negligible 等於virtually no , 也就是almost 等於virtually, 我們再看選項，剛好就有almost 正好出現在了選項中。
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再看下面這個例題,
Another suggestion is that before children can talk about past events in their lives, they need to have a reasonable understanding of the self as a psychological entity. The development of an understanding of the self becomes evident between the first and second years of life and shows rapid elaboration in subsequent years.
The word “ elaboration” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ development
○ specialization
○ use
○ transformation
有些同學記過這個詞，大意是精緻，詳盡。在這幾個選項中似乎找不到同義詞。這種情況也要回到文中去找線索。在The development of an understanding of the self becomes evident between the first and second years of life and shows rapid elaboration in subsequent years.這個句子中，有一個並列結構如下：
The first and second years in subsequent years
The development becomes evident rapid elaboration
是分兩個時間階段講一件事的發展過程，如果分兩個時間點講兩件不同的事就不合邏輯。所以這兩個並列結構的主語應該是一件事。也就是elaboration 等於development. 答案也就顯而易見了。
