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. (2006)

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”。