托福阅读词汇题联系上下文猜词技巧实例讲解

在托福阅读中，遇到词汇题时，可以通过上下文来猜测答案。以下是一个实例讲解：

原文段落：The extinction of the dinosaurs, which marked the end of the Cretaceous period, remains a topic of scientific debate. One popular theory suggests that an asteroid impact caused a global catastrophe, resulting in their demise. However, recent evidence indicates that dinosaur species were already in decline before the impact occurred. Other factors, such as volcanic activity and climate change, may have also played a role in their extinction.

问题：What does the word "demise" in paragraph 1 mean?

在这个例子中，我们要根据上下文猜测“demise”的意思。

我们可以看到“demise”在句子中出现在“their”之后，意味着它指的是之前提到的某个事物的结束或消亡。然后，我们可以观察前文，发现这一段是关于恐龙灭绝的讨论，提到了灭绝原因和其他因素。因此，"demise"在这里应该指的是恐龙的消失或灭绝。

基于上述推理，我们可以确定“demise”的意思是“消失”或“灭绝”。所以正确答案应该是 "disappearance" 或 "extinction"。