Skill
Find Definitions From Structural Clues
No description
In the TOEFL ITP Reading Comprehension section, you are often asked to determine the meaning of a vocabulary word as it is used in the passage. Even if you do not recognize the word, the passage itself frequently provides structural clues—signals that help you identify definitions, explanations, or examples that clarify the meaning.
Strong readers recognize these signals and use them to infer meaning quickly and accurately. Understanding this skill will significantly improve your ability to answer vocabulary-in-context questions.
1. What Are Structural Clues?
Structural clues are elements in a sentence—such as punctuation, restatement signals, or example markers—that directly point you to a definition or explanation of a word. They guide your attention to the part of the text where the meaning becomes clearer.
2. Types of Structural Clues
A. Punctuation Clues
Punctuation often introduces definitions or explanations:
- Dashes (—)
- Commas (,)
- Parentheses ( )
These signals typically indicate that the text following them will clarify a word or concept.
B. Restatement Clues
Certain expressions restate or define an idea using different words:
- or
- that is
- in other words
- i.e.
These phrases tell you that the meaning is about to be explained.
C. Example Clues
Examples help illustrate the meaning of a word or phrase:
- such as
- for example
- for instance
- e.g.
Examples allow you to infer the general meaning based on specific cases.
3. Where to Find the Meaning
When a structural clue is present, the most useful information is usually found immediately after the punctuation mark, restatement expression, or example phrase. This is where the passage provides either a direct definition or meaningful hints.
4. How to Answer Vocabulary-in-Context Questions
- Locate the word in the passage.
- Identify any structural clues near the word.
- Read the surrounding sentence carefully, especially the part after the clue.
- Eliminate clearly incorrect choices and select the option that best reflects the definition shown in the passage.
These steps help you answer vocabulary questions efficiently—even when the word is unfamiliar.
Exercise
Complete the following exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned:
PASSAGE ONE (Questions 1–4)
The teddy bear is a child's toy, a soft stuffed animal suitable for cuddling. It is, however, a toy with an interesting history behind it.
Theodore Roosevelt, or Teddy as he was commonly called, was president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He was an unusually active man with varied pastimes, one of which was hunting. One day the president was invited to take part in a bear hunt; and inasmuch as Teddy was president, his hosts wanted to ensure that he caught a bear. A bear was captured, clanked over the head to knock it out, and tied to a tree; however, Teddy, who really wanted to hunt a bear, refused to shoot the bear and, in fact, demanded that the bear be extricated from the ropes; that is, he demanded that the bear be set free.
The incident attracted a lot of attention among journalists. First a cartoon—drawn by Clifford K. Berryman to make fun of this situation—appeared in the Washington Post, and the cartoon was widely distributed and reprinted throughout the country. Then toy manufacturers began producing a toy bear which they called a “teddy bear.” The teddy bear became the most widely recognized symbol of Roosevelt’s presidency.
Questions
1. According to line 1, what is a “teddy bear”?
(A) A dangerous wild animal
(B) The President of the United States
(C) A hunter in the early 1900s
(D) A child’s toy
2. The word pastimes in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) past occurrences
(B) previous occupations
(C) leisure activities
(D) hunting mistakes
3. The word extricated in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) tied up
(B) knocked out
(C) set free
(D) held tightly
4. In line 10, a cartoon is best described as
(A) a newspaper
(B) a type of toy
(C) a humorous drawing
(D) a historical document
PASSAGE TWO (Questions 5–8)
A supernova occurs when all of the hydrogen in the core of a massive star is transformed into iron and the star explodes. All stars eventually die after their nuclear fuel is used up. Stars with little mass fade gradually, but those with large mass end their lives in a sudden explosion called a supernova. The brief flash of light is often followed by several weeks of intense brightness—sometimes equal to that of millions of stars combined.
Supernovae are relatively rare; they occur about once every hundred years in a single galaxy. In 1987, a supernova visible to the naked eye appeared in the Magellan Cloud, a galaxy near the Milky Way. Astronomers still detect supernovae in distant galaxies; however, no supernova has occurred in the Milky Way (the galaxy that contains Earth) since 1604. One particularly remarkable supernova was recorded on July 4, 1054. The explosion lit up the sky for months, and historical records from the period describe widespread fear and speculation—many people believed it signaled the end of the world.
Questions
5. A “supernova” in line 1 is best defined as
(A) the iron core of a star
(B) the hydrogen in a star
(C) the explosion of a star
(D) the mass of a star
6. According to the passage, the “Magellan Cloud” in line 7 is
(A) a galaxy close to the Milky Way
(B) a cloud of hydrogen gas
(C) part of the Milky Way
(D) a cloud visible from Earth
7. The expression Milky Way in paragraph 2 refers to
(A) a cloud near Earth
(B) a star next to Earth
(C) the galaxy that includes Earth
(D) a bright cloud in the night sky
8. The word phenomenon in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to
(A) common event
(B) unusual occurrence
(C) slow process
(D) natural disaster
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