篇章词汇理解主要测试的是考生在实际语境中对单词的理解和把握能力，因此重点考查的词性是名词、动词、形容词和副词等主要实词，一般不会涉及介词、冠词等不具有实际意义的虚词。

考生应该把选项进行归类，，如动词、形容词、副词等包括哪几个选项。然后再根据空格所在句子的结构及上下文时态推测所填词的可能词性和形式，将选择范围限定在某一个或两个词性内，再按照上下文意思来进行确定

样题解析：

El Nino is the name given to the mysterious and often unpredictable change in the climate of the world. This strange 47 happens every five to eight years. It starts in the Pacific Ocean and is thought to be caused by a failure in the trade winds(信风), which affects the ocean currents driven by these winds. As the trade winds lessen in 48, the ocean temperatures rise, causing the Peru current flowing in from the east to warm up by as much as 5 °C.
The warming of the ocean has far-reaching effects. The hot, humid (潮湿的) air over the ocean causes severe 49 thunderstorms. The rainfall is increased across South America, 50 floods to Peru. In the West Pacific, there are droughts affecting Australia and Indonesia. So while some parts of the world prepare for heavy rains and floods, other parts face drought, poor crops and 51.
El Nino usually lasts for about 18 months. The 1981-83 El Nino brought the most 52 weather in modern history. Its effect was worldwide and it left more than 2,000 people dead and caused over eight billion pounds 53 of damage. The 1990 El Nino lasted until June 1995. Scientists 54 this to be the longest El Nino for 2,000 years.
Nowadays, weather experts are able to forecast when an El Nino will 55 , but they are still not 56 sure what leads to it or what affects how strong it will be.

A) estimate B) strength C) deliberately D) notify
E) tropical F) phenomenon G) stable H) attraction
I) completely J) destructive K) starvation L) bringing
M) exhaustion N) worth O) strike

选项归类后可以看出：其中名词有B,F,H,K,M，动词包含A,D,O,L 其中只有L为现在分词形式，其余皆为动词原型；形容词包括E, G, J,N,另外还有C,I 两个副词。可简单做标示。
通读原文，第47题明显应该填入一个名词作为happens的主语，根据句子开首this指代词的提示，填入的名词当为前句梗概的指代，即“厄尔尼诺现象”，此处即为表现象用词，选F。48空位置与介词之后，按照语法介宾短语的搭配要求，从剩下四个名词选项做四选一的选择，根据下文匹配的温度升高，可得此处也为一项指数，只有B）strength得选。49，明显为形容词选项，而经过词性整理，我们可以知道这也只是一个四选一的题。50许为全文语法要求最高的，按照英语语言习惯，一个句号前只能出现一个主句，因而在主句谓语动词已经确立的情况下，floods不可能再为动词而是名词，50的位置也只有非谓语动词和介词两种选择，而选项中完全没有介词，这里的非谓语动词，只有一个，根据语法判断，此处选项。下文还有类似53这样的数字词组搭配（eight billion worth of damage），建立在一定程度的语言熟悉度和语感上。