閱讀的特點就是找尋細節，答案盡在原文中，只要通過題干中的關鍵詞定位到文中具體的區域，就能攻克各大細節題。然而，大量的同義轉述，以及答案深層次潛伏的閱讀文章造成了考生們即使弄清題干意思，確認關鍵詞，也無法順利地定位到答案所在的相應細節。其實，文章中存在的一些信號詞也是解答題目的關鍵。‘signal words’，就像是大海航行中的忽明忽暗的信號指示燈，指引著船只前行。同樣，閱讀文章時，對這些具有指示意義的信號詞要多加敏感，因為很有可能答案就在附近。
  特殊信號詞
  特殊的信號詞，就是那些很容易識別的詞，如大寫字母開頭的人名，地名，專有名詞，以及特殊印刷體和黑體，這些詞在英語文章中顯得尤為突出，往往也是題干中關鍵詞的原詞定位。
  例如'the US Congress voted NASA$10 million per year for ten years to conduct a thorough search for the extra-terrestrial life'這句話，出現了US Congress,NASA專有名詞信號詞，極有可能成為定位的訊息。的確，判斷題型中有一題‘the NASA project attracted criticism from some members of Congress.'就是根據這兩個信號詞精確地回到原文定位。
  普通信號詞
  雅思閱讀作為一項專業的語言水平測試，當然不能只依靠容易識別的特殊信號詞，文章中的普通信號詞對于解題可謂是功不可沒。
  1）表原因的信號詞
  例如reason,cause,since,in that,as,because,thanks to,owing to,解釋說明某一事物或事件，往往會蘊含重要信息。如'since the lifetime of a planet like ours is several billion years,we can expect that…'該句是之后簡答題'what is the life expectancy of Earth'的答案信息來源，如果考生只定位Earth,那就很有可能失分，因為原句對Earth做了同義替換的表述，而since這個信號詞則提示了答案所在的地方。
  2）表結論的信號詞
  例如thus,therefore,so,hence,consequently,as a result,這些詞往往是對前面所論述的總結歸納，例如'Tortoises therefore represent a remarkable double return’，該句出現在整篇文章的末段首句，很明顯是對前文的總結概括，高度濃縮了信息。最后的主旨選擇題，就是對該句的改寫：‘they have made the transition from sea to land more than once’。
  3）表轉折的信號詞
  例如however,but,by comparison,nonetheless,nevertheless，這些詞往往表示文章觀點或方向的重大轉變，重點應該關注信號詞后面的內容。如‘this definition implies that iconoclasts are different from other people,but more precisely,it is their brains that are different in three distinct ways’，前半句指出iconoclasts異于常人，用but轉折詞，強調指出區別的關鍵地方。這也是選擇題‘iconoclasts are distinctive because…'的出題方向。
  4）表讓步的信號詞
  例如although,though,while,whereas,whilst等連接的句子，后半句才是引出的話題和強調內容。如'He accurately predicted that Venus would cross the face of the Sun in both 1761 and 1769--though he didn't survive to see either’，前半句講述他精確預測金星跨越太陽的兩次時間，后半句用though引出讓步內容，他沒有看到任何一次。判斷題中‘Halley observed one transit of the planet Venus’主要就是以原文定位句的后半句為判斷依據。
  5）表舉例的信號詞
  例如for example,for instance,that is to say,such as,include,后面引出具體事物的詳細例子，同時原文中破折號和冒號也有異曲同工之妙，對前面的內容補充說明。如‘in other worlds,the life form we are looking for may well have two green heads and seven fingers,but it will nevertheless resemble us in that it should communicate with its fellows,be interested in the Universe,live on a planet orbiting a star like our Sun,and perhaps most restrictively,have a chemistry,like us,based on carbon and water.'整句話都在解釋說明該段的第二個假設'we are looking for a life form that is pretty well like us’，所舉的例子也是判斷題‘SETI scientists are trying to find a life form that resembles humans in many ways'的判斷依據。
  6）表順序的信號詞
  例如first,second,finally,eventually,later,then,next等，體現出文章內容的邏輯性與發展性。如'In discussing whether we are alone,most SETI scientists adopt two ground rules.First,…Second…’，使用first和second這兩個序數詞，清晰邏輯地講述了兩個重要的假設。這兩個信號詞，也是這篇文章heading題型段落大意的重點提示。
  7）表比較級和最高級的信號詞
  例如more,most,-est,best,better,exclusively,extremely,superior,preferable，表示事物之間的比較，也是文章要強調的地方。如‘one part is a targeted search using the world's largest radio telescopes,the American-operated telescope’，該句的the world's largest radio telescopes對應了題目中the world's most powerful radio telescopes，答案信息就在這里。