托福閱讀在于獲得整個(gè)句子、整個(gè)段落、乃至整個(gè)篇章的思想，而不是各個(gè)孤立的詞匯的意義。托?？谡Z考試中的閱讀，也是考查考生對(duì)段落中心思想整體把握的能力，只要能獲得閱讀材料的主要信息，并隨后能用自己的話加以陳述，一兩個(gè)生詞不會(huì)有什么大礙。

不可否認(rèn)，巨大的詞匯量是高質(zhì)量的閱讀和高質(zhì)量的口語的基礎(chǔ)。但當(dāng)遇到生詞時(shí)總查字典又不現(xiàn)實(shí)（特別是在考試時(shí)），那么我們不妨利用上下文來推測，看看我們有多大的猜詞本領(lǐng)。強(qiáng)大的猜詞本領(lǐng)無疑會(huì)有助于閱讀速度和閱讀能力的提高。

1．根據(jù)定義、解釋猜測詞義

We all know that ants are ferocious eaters. They differ widely in their diets and may be carnivorous, herbivorous, or omnivorous, meaning that some eat meat; others eat only plants while others eat a combination of both.

由后面的解釋我們可以得知：“carnivorous”的意思是“食肉的”；“herbivorous”的意思是“食草的”；“omnivorous”的意思是“雜食的”。

2．根據(jù)復(fù)述（同位語、定語等）

Today, I’d like to talk about some of the changes land can undergo, specifically desertification, process through which land becomes part of a desert.

后面的同位語告訴我們“desertification”的意思是“沙漠化?！?/p>

Since the fossil of the Anchaeopteryx, the first ‘bird’, was discovered in Germany in 1861, there has been continuous disagreement as to whether or not it could actually fly.

Anchaeopteryx — the first bird: “始祖鳥”

3．根據(jù)舉例

After breakfast, many people go to church; but the children will be playing with their new toys, and the mother will probably be preparing the Christmas dinner. This includes poultry for the main course (e.g. chicken, turkey, duck, goose), salads, breads, and vegetable, and features a variety of desserts, for example, pies, puddings, and ice cream.

“chicken, turkey, duck, goose”同屬“poultry：家禽”。

4．根據(jù)對(duì)比關(guān)系

Jane was talking with others while Eliza remained reticent all the time.
“while”是一個(gè)顯示對(duì)比的信號(hào)詞，“reticent”與“talking”相對(duì)應(yīng)，“reticent”：沉默的。

Most of us agreed; however, Bill dissented.
“agreed”與“dissented”形成對(duì)比。

5．根據(jù)比喻關(guān)系

The hot-air balloon took off. It was as buoyant in the air as a cork (軟木塞) in water.
把熱氣球比作水中的軟木塞，說明“buoyant ”的意義：“漂浮；浮力?！?/p>

6．根據(jù)同義詞的替代

Venus rotates retrograde, or “backwards”, spinning in the opposite direction of its orbit around the Sun.
由“backwards”這一替代詞得知“retrograde”的意思：“向后的。”

7．有時(shí)也可根據(jù)一般性常識(shí)/生活經(jīng)驗(yàn)猜測詞義

The door was so low that I hit my head on the lintel.
門太低，我的頭撞在“l(fā)intel門楣”上了。

He got on the motorbike, I sat behind him on the pillion, and we roared off into the night.
由經(jīng)驗(yàn)得知“pillion”是motorbike的“后座、后鞍。”

8．也可根據(jù)詞形構(gòu)造猜測詞義

More recently, scientists have documented an alarmingly high occurrence of frogs with malformations.

form是詞根, formation“形式”，mal-:構(gòu)詞前綴，可表示“壞、惡、不良”，還可表示“不、不正常、不當(dāng)、非法。”malformation的意思就應(yīng)該是“畸形?！备嗟睦尤纾簃alnutrition: 營養(yǎng)不良；malconduct:（公職人員的）胡作非為；maladjustive: 引起失調(diào)的；不利調(diào)節(jié)的。

當(dāng)然，要想做到這一點(diǎn)，就必須掌握英語常用的前綴、后綴及詞根的意義。