1．词义题标志：题干中具体给出原文中某处的单词或短语，要求推测其意思。
2． 词义题做题关键：注意单词所在的上下文，尤其是上下句。假如所考单词是常见词汇，那么其字面意思一般不是正确答案，正确答案应该是根据上下文推测出来的一个更深刻的意思。
3．词义题做题方法：
1） 阅读上下文，看什么词或词组，甚至是句子（如定语从句、并列分句等）对所考词汇进行了解释，根据所考词汇与它们的关系（如意思相同或相反）确定答案；
2）根据微观阅读技巧，如标点符号判断词义。例如，冒号前的词汇的意思可以由冒号后的部分归纳，破折号之后词汇的意思可以由破折号之前的部分推测。
3）代入法。 将确定的答案代入原文，看是否通顺，如果通顺就是正确答案。
例一，
Discoveries in science and technology are thought by “untaught minds” to come in blinding flashes or as the result of dramatic accidents. Sir Alexander Fleming did not, as legend would have it, look at the mold on a piece of cheese and get the idea for penicillin there and then. He experimented with antibacterial substances for nine years before he made his discovery. Inventions and innovations almost always come out of laborious trial and error. Innovation is like soccer; even the best players miss the goal and have their shots blocked much more frequently than they score. (1994)
17. What does the author probably mean by “untaught mind” in the first paragraph?
[A] A person ignorant of the hard work involved in experimentation.
[B] A citizen of a society that restricts personal creativity.
[C] A person who has had no education.
[D]An individual who often comes up with new ideas by accident.
如果所考的词汇是常见词汇，含有字面意思的选项通常是干扰选项。C“没有受过教育的人”是问题中的词汇“untaught minds”的字面意思，是干扰选项。可以根据上下文确定该词组的准确意思。从一段第二句开始，作者以Alexander Fleming为例，说明untaught minds的观点“科技中的发现是灵感或戏剧化事件的结果”不对，认为“发明和创新是辛勤的试验和不断的错误之后的结果(Inventions and innovations almost always come out of laborious trial and error)”。由此可知untaught minds “对试验中的艰苦工作不了解”，因此A为正确答案。
例二，
Science has long had an uneasy relationship with other aspects of culture. Think of Galileo’s 17th-century trial for his rebelling belief before the Catholic Church or poet William Blake’s harsh remarks against the mechanistic worldview of Isaac Newton. The schism between science and the humanities has, if anything, deepened in this century.(1998)
9. The word “schism” (Line 3, Paragraph 1) in the context probably means.
[A] confrontation [B] dissatisfaction
[C] separation [D] contempt
词义可以根据上下文推测出来。被考词汇在一段末句，这句话谈论自然科学和人文科学的关系，指出二者之间有schism，而且这种schism在加深。这句话与文章首句相呼应。首句指出：自然科学和文化的其他方面之间长期以来关系紧张，就是说自然科学和人文科学等关系紧张，不够协调，不够协调就是有分歧，C“分歧”符合此意，为正确答案。其他选项的意思分别是：A“对抗”，B“不满”，D“蔑视”，其中A干扰性大，但是由于一段末句的谓语是deepened（加深），所以A不行，因为对抗只能加强，裂痕才能加深。
例三，
In spite of “endless talk of difference”, American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. (2023)
21. The word “homogenizing” (Line 1, Paragraph 1) most probably means
[A] identifying. [B] associating.
[C] assimilating. [D] monopolizing.
根据原文首句的上下文就能确定正确答案是C，因为原文首句开始的in spite of表示转折关系，就是说homogenizing与前面的 difference在上下文中构成反义词，而在四个选项中能与difference构成反义词的只有assimilating，所以C为正确答案。当然，文章后面出现了核心词assimilate，根据上下文也能看出它是对homogenizing的同义说明。此外，根据homogenizing的词根homo（相同）也能确定意义。其他选项的意思分别为：A“确定”、B“联合、联想”、D“垄断”。