四级考试中考察生词词义的题目还是较普遍的。我们知道一个词的词义分为词典意
义和语境意义，四级考试中考察的主要是后者-语境意义。
1. The word " …" in line … most nearly means ______.
2. The word "…" in line … probably means ______.
3. In line …, the word "…" refers to ______.
4. In line…, the word "…" could best be replaced by which of the following?
5. The word "…" as used in line … in this passage means ______.
6. The word "…" as used in line … is closest in meaning to ______.
7. In line…, "…" could properly be replaced by _______.
8. By "…", the author means _______.
在解答这类问题时，我们有以下8种方法：
1． 通过上下文中对生词的定义和解释猜测词义，如or, that is, i.e. , refer...
to, as等
2． 根据生词前后的举例，推测
3． 根据对应关系猜测词义
4． 根据常识
5． 根据比较联系猜测
6． 根据not, but, however, on the contrary等反义的词来推测。
7． 根据上下文重述来猜测。（同位语，定语）
8． 根据构词法（前缀，后缀，合成词）
VIIA
A breakthrough in the provision of energy from the sun for the Europe Economic Community (EEC) could be brought forward by up to two decades,if a modest increase could be provided in the EEC's research effort in
this field, according to the senior EEC scientific laboratories at Ispra,near Milan.The phrase "be brought forward" in Line 3 most probably means _______.
A. be expected
B. be completed
C. be advanced
D. be introduced
根据上下文的暗示，可以猜出be brought forward的意思是提出，提前。故选C
VIIB
Precipitation, commonly referred to as rainfall, is a measure of the quantity of water in the form of either rain, hail or snow which reaches the ground. The average annual precipitation over the whole of the United
States is thirty-six inches. It should be understood however, that a foot of snow is not equal to a foot of precipitation. A general formula for computing the precipitation of snowfall is that thirty-eight inches of
snow is equal to one inch of precipitation. In New York States, for example, seventy-six inches of snow in one year would be recorded as only two inches of precipitation. Forty inches of rain would be recorded
as forty inches of precipitation. The total annual precipitation would be recorded as forty-two inches.
1. the term "precipitation" includes
A. only rain
B. rain, hail, and snow
C. rain, snow and humidity
D. rain, hail and humidity
2. Another word which is often in place of precipitation is
A. humidity
B. rainfall
C. wetness
D. rain-snow
第一题在第一句话中已经有很明确的说明，. . . either rain, hail or snow. . .
答案是B. 第二题可以通过第一种方法，根据refer to as rainfall，也可以选出B。
VIIC
The Kenmore Compactor at sears is the appliance that crashes bottles, cans,bones, cardboard, paper, all kinds of garbage, compacts it and puts it into
one disposable bag.
"Garbage" refers to
A. clothing
B. a place where automobiles are kept
C. a rope
D. any kind of waste matter
根据上下文，garbage包括bottles, cans, bones, cardboard, paper, 所以因为"垃圾"的意思，选D.
VIID
Many other lawyers represent only clients who can pay high fees. All lawyers have had expensive and highly specialized training, and they work long, difficult hours for the money they earn. But what happens to people
who need legal help and cannot afford to pay these lawyers' fees?The word "client" means ______.
A. one that has committed a crime
B. a person who needs and uses legal help
C. one who occupies property of another
D. a man who runs an inn or rooming house
这道题可运用第7种方法，在后文中我们可以找到clients的同位语-people who need
legal help, 所以答案为B.
VIIE
In 1975 after observing animal, the Chinese were able to predict a
devastating quake. Although hundreds of thousands of people were killed,
the government was able to evacuate millions of other people and thus keep
the death toll at a lower level.
In the passage, the word "evacuate" most nearly means _______.
A. remove
B. exile
C. destroy
D. emaciate
这题是根据常识来解答的，答案为A
VIIF
As far back as 700 B.C., man has talked about children being cared for by wolves. Romulus and Remus, the legendary twin founders of Rome, were purported to have been cared for by wolves. It is believed that when a she-wold loses her litter, she seeks a human child to take its place.This seemingly preposterous idea did not become credible until the late nineteenth century when a French doctor actually found a naked ten-year-old boy wandering in the woods. He did not walk erect, could not speak intelligibly, nor could he relate to people. He only growled and stated at them. Finally the doctor won the boy's confidence and began to work with him. After many long years of devoted and patient instruction, the doctor was able to get the boy to clothe and feed himself, recognize and utter a number of words, as well as writ letters and form words.1. In this passage, the word "litter" most nearly means
A. garbage
B. master
C. offspring
D. hair
2. In this passage, the word preposterous most nearly means
A. Dedicated
B. Scientific
C. Wonderful
D. Absurd
第一提示根据对应关系（方法3），litter应和child相对印，故选C. 第二题采用方
法6，". . . preposterous idea did not become credible. . .", 所以
preposterous应和credible反义，故选D.
VIIG
If spelling becomes the only focal point of his teacher's interest, clearly a bright child will likely to "play safe". He will tend to write (only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid) adventurous
language. That's why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
The expression "play safe" probably means ______.
A. to write carefully
B. to do as teachers say
C. to use dictionaries frequently
D. to avoid using words one is not sure of
这题可采用方法2，答案为D.
