Read the followingpassage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks. When you read something in a foreign language, you frequently come across words you do not fully understand. Sometimes you (21)_________the meaning in a dictionary and sometimes you guess. The strategy you adopt depends very much upon the degree of accuracy you require and the time at your disposal. If you are the sort of person who ...

Read the followingpassage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks. When you read something in a foreign language, you frequently come across words you do not fully understand. Sometimes you (21)_________the meaning in a dictionary and sometimes you guess. The strategy you adopt depends very much upon the degree of accuracy you require and the time at your disposal. If you are the sort of person who tends to turn to the dictionary frequently, it is (22)_________remembering that every dictionary has its limitations. Each definition is only an approximation and one builds up an accurate picture of the meaning of a word only after meeting it in a (23)_________ of contexts. It is also important to recognize the special dangers of dictionaries that translate from English into your native language and vice versa. If you must use a dictionary, it is usually far safer to consult an English-English dictionary. In most exams you are not permitted to use a dictionary. (24)_________ you are allowed to use one, it is very time-consuming to look up words, and time in exams is usually limited. You are, You are, therefore, forced to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. When you come across unknown words in an exam text, it is very easy to panic. However, if you develop efficient techniques for guessing the meaning, you will overcome a number of possible problems and help yourself to understand far more of the text than you at first thought likely. Two strategies which may help you guess the meaning of a word are: using contextual clues, both within the sentence and outside, and (25)_________use of clues from the formation of the word.

Sometimes you (21)_________the meaning in a dictionary and sometimes you guess.