10: Use Contextto Determine Meanings of Difficult Words

READING SKILL 10
SKILL 1 0 : USE C O N T E X T T O D E T E R M I N E M E A N I N G S OF
D IF F IC U L T W O R D S
On b o t h the p a p e r TOEFL test and the c o m p u t e r TOEFL test, you may be a s k e d

to d e t e r - mine the m e a n i n g o f a d i f f i c u l t w o r d in a r e a d i n g passage, a w o r d
that you are n o t e x p e c t e d to k n o w . In this case, the passage will p r o b a b l y give
you a clear i n d i c a t i o n o f w h a t the w o r d means. Look at a m u l t i p l e - c h o i c e e x a m p l e
f r o m the p a p e r TOEFL test w h e r e t h e c o n t e x t helps you to u n d e r s t a n d the
m e a n i n g o f an u n k n o w n w o r d .
E x a m p l e f r o m the P a p e r T O E F L Test I ll
The p a s s a g e :
In a g o v e r n m e n t e l e c t i o n , the i n c u m b e n t
g e n e r a l l y has a s t r o n g a d v a n t a g e o v er a n e w c o m e r .
A p e r s o n who is a l r e a d y i n o f f i c e and thus has a
c e r t a i n d e g r e e o f p r o m i n e n c e has a
Line b e t t e r c h a n c e o f being e l e c t e d than does s o m e o n e who i s
(5) u n k n o w n to the e l e c t o r a t e . H i s t o r y has shown a
s t r o n g p r o c l i v i t y i n e l e c t i o n s at all levels o f
g o v e r n m e n t to r e t u r n t h e i n c u m b e n t to o f f i c e .
The q u e s t i o n :
An " i n c u m b e n t " i n line 1 i s most l i k e l y
(A) a special type o f e l e c t i o n
(B) a p o litic a l p a r ty
(C) a b e n e fic ia l c o m m e n t
(D) a c u r r e n t o f fic e - h o ld e r
This q u e s t i o n asks a b o u t the m e a n i n g o f the w o r d i n c u m b e n t . In this q u e s t i o n ,

you are n o t e x p e c t e d to know the m e a n i n g o f the w o r d i n c u m b e n t . I n s t e a d ,
you s h o u l d u n d e r s t a n d from the c o n t e x t a p e r s o n who is a l r e a d y in o f f i c e that an
in c u m b e n t is a c u r r e n t o f f i c e - h o l d e r . Answer ( D ) is t h e r e f o r e the best a n s w e r to this
q u e s t io n .
Now look at a m u l t i p l e - c h o i c e e x a m p l e f r o m the c o m p u t e r TOEFL test w h e r e
the c o n -
text helps you to u n d e r s t a n d the m e a n i n g o f an
u n k n o w n w o rd .
TOEFL EXERCISE 1 0 : S t u d y each o f the passages a n d choose the b e s t a n s w e r s to t h e
questions that f o l l o w .
P A S S A G E ONE (Questions 1 - 4 )
The black widow is the m o s t d a n g e r o u s s p i d e r l i v i n g i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s . I t is m o s t

c o m m o n i n the s o u t h e r n p a r t s o f the c o u n t r y , b u t i t c a n be f o u n d t h r o u g h o u t the c o u n t r y . T h e
b la c k
w i d o w g o t i t s n a m e b e c a u s e the f e m a l e h a s b e e n k n o w n to kill the male a f t e r m a t i n g a n d , as a
L in e r es u l t , b e c o m e s a w i d o w .
(5 ) The black widow is r a t h e r d i s t i n c t i v e i n a p p e a r a n c e ; i t has a s h i n y g l o b u l a r b o d y , t h e
size and s h a p e o f a p e a , a n d is m a r k e d o n i t s u n d e r b e l l y w i t h a r e d o r yellow s p o t . T h e
f e m a l e is c o n s i d e r a b l y m o r e a m p l e t h a n the male, r o u g h l y f o u r times l a r g e r o n the a v e r a g e .
I f a h u m a n is b i t t e n by a black w i d o w , the s p i d e r ' s p o i s o n can c a u s e s e v e r e illness a n d
p a i n . B l a c k widow b i t e s have o c c a s i o n a l l y p r o v e d
b la c k
I , b u t i t i s c e r t a i n l y n o t the n o r m f o r
(J O ) w i d o w b i t e s to be m o r t a l .
1. In line 3, the w o r d " w i d o w " m e a n s 3. T h e w o r d " a m p l e " i n l i n e 7 i n d i c a t e s
t h a t the s p i d e r is
(A ) a type o f p o i s o n
(B ) the d e a d m a l e s p i d e r (A ) f em in in e
(C ) the h u m a n v i c t i m o f the s p i d e r (B ) la r g e
(D ) a f e m a l e w h o s e m a t e has d i e d (C ) d o tte d w it h c o lo r s
(D ) no rm al
2. Click o n the w o r d i n p a r a g r a p h 2 t h a t
i s c l o s e s t i n m e a n i n g to " s p h e r i c a l . " 4. L o o k a t the w o r d d e a d l y i n p a r a g r a p h 3.
Click o n a n o t h e r w o r d i n p a r a g r a p h
3 t h a t is close i n m e a n i n g to d � a d l y .
P A S S A G E T W O (Questions 5 - 8 )
T o r n a d o e s o c c u r t h r o u g h o u t the w o r l d , b u t f o r r e a s o n s t h a t s c i e n t i s t s a r e n o t f u l l y a b l e
t o d i s ce r n , the g r e a t m a j o r i t y o c c u r i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s . A p p r o x i m a t e l y 700 t o r n a d o e s a y e a r
o c c u r w i t h i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s , a n d this c o m p r i s e s t h r e e - q u a r t e r s o f the w o r l d w i d e t o t a l . M o s t
o f th e
L in e U.S. t o r n a d o e s take p l a c e i n the M i d w e s t a n d i n the s o u t h e r n s t a t e s t h a t b o r d e r the G u l f o f
(5 ) M e x ic o .
I n g e n e r a l , a t o r n a d o c u t s a p a t h o f a f e w h u n d r e d y a r d s a n d l a s t s less t h a n an h o u r ; a n
a v e r a g e t o r n a d o m i g h t p r o p e l i t s e l f a t a s p e e d o f 1 5 o r 20 miles p e r h o u r a n d t h e r e f o r e c o v e r a
d i s t a n c e o f 20 o r so miles. T o r n a d o e s , h o w e v e r , c a n be m u c h w o r s e t h a n a v e r a g e . T h e m o s t
d e v a s t a t i n g t o r n a d o o n r e c o r d o c c u r r e d o n M a r c h 1 8 , 1 9 2 5 , i n the s t a t e s o f M i s s o u r i , I l l i n o i s ,
and
(J O ) Indiana. The p a t h o f this t o r n a d o was m o r e than 200 miles long and a mile wide. T r a v e l i n g at a n
a v e r a g e s p e e d o f 60 miles p e r h o u r , the winds a t the c e n t e r o f the s t o r m swirled a r o u n d a t
c o n s i d e r a b l y m o r e than 200 miles p e r h o u r . A t o t a l o f 689 p e o p l e died, and c o u n t l e s s m o r e w e r e
i n j u r e d , at the h a n d s o f this k i l l e r s t o r m .

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READING SKILL 10

On b o t h the p a p e r TOEFL test and the c o m p u t e r TOEFL test, you may be a s k e d

This q u e s t i o n asks a b o u t the m e a n i n g o f the w o r d i n c u m b e n t . In this q u e s t i o n ,

The black widow is the m o s t d a n g e r o u s s p i d e r l i v i n g i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s . I t is m o s t

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