Just like a detective following clues that lead to the perpetrator (罪犯) of a crime, you as a reader must use context (语境) clues within a text passage to tell the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.Context clues are simply hints (提示) or additional information the author provides that can help you understand the meaning of a difficult word or phrase.These clues can be found in the same sentence as the vocabulary word or elsewhere in the passage, so be on the lookout whenever a new term presents itself.

With reading comprehension (理解) being as important to all aspects of life as it is today, it’s no wonder that language skills such as vocabulary are emphasized (强调). You will most definitely meet vocabulary questions in the reading parts of tests, and you’re going to have to use some skills to get you through.

Understanding how various types of context clues work can help you to understand difficult vocabulary words, even those brand new to you.There may be some words you can’t completely understand in a text, but you shouldn’t let that discourage you.Inside the passage, where all the interesting clues of vocabulary lie, you can figure challenging words out.

Context clues are also helpful when you’re trying to work out the main idea of a passage or struggling to make inferences (推断) about meaning because unknown words can help connect the dots in useful ways.

Every author writes differently, so a number of different types of context clues can be found in reading passages.Some authors offer very little explanation for difficult words, throwing difficult vocabulary into their writing wherever they can with little or no help, other authors carefully create their passages to make sure readers follow every step of the way, and most are somewhere in the middle.No matter what degree of help you’re given, context clues are your friend.

Generally, context clues can be grouped into four types:

•Definitions (定义) or restatements

•Synonyms (同义词)

•Antonyms or opposites

•Examples or explanations

After examining the context of a passage for clues, you should have at least a vague (模糊的) idea of what an unknown vocabulary word means.Use your estimate (估计) to come up with synonyms for the new word, then try these out in the sentence to see if it still makes sense. If not, keep searching for hints until you’ve found something that works.