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Skill 5: VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT QUESTIONS
On both the paper TOEFL test and the computer TOEFL test, you may be asked to determine
the meaning of a difficult word or expression that you do not know. In this case, the passage
often gives you a clear indication of what the word or expression means. Look at a multiple
choice example from the paper TOEFL test of a vocabulary word that is explained in the
context.
Example from the Paper TOEFL Test
The passage:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Professor Richmond's hobby is
philately. The professor has been quite interested in
collecting stamps for a number of years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The question:
The word "philately" in line 1 could best be replaced by
(A) a philanthropic attitude
(B) a common profession
(C) stamp collecting
(D) teaching classes
In this question, you are asked to choose an expression to replace philately. You are not
expected to know the meaning of the word philately. Instead, you should understand from the
context that if the professor is interested in collecting stamps, then philately is most likely stamp
collecting. Answer (C) is therefore the best answer to this question.
The following chart outlines the key information that you should remember about
vocabulary questions:
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT QUESTIONS
HOW TO IDENTIFY What is the meaning of ‘X’ in line Y?
THE QUESTION The word “X” in line Y could be best replaced by …. . .
WHERE TO FIND Information to help you understand the meaning of a vocabulary word can
THE ANSWER often be found in the context surrounding the word.
HOW TO ANSWER 1 . Find the word in the passage.
THE QUESTION 2. Read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
3. Look for context clues to help you understand the meaning.
4. Choose the answer that the context indicates.
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