Question

What strategies would you use if you found a word you did not know in your text?

Answer 1

#1 -- Use a good dictionary!
https://www.onelook.com
Once you enter a word here, you'll get immediate results at the right and a list of that word as it appears in a variety of dictionaries down the left side.

#2 -- Be aware of the context -- the words in the same sentence and paragraph. Then, if the word you look up has several meanings, you'll be able to choose the right one for the context.