一般有以下兩種閱讀順序(P=Passage，Q=Question)：
(1)
P-Q-P：即先看文章，后看問題，再通過閱讀文章來解答問題。這是考生常用的按部就班的閱讀方式。其特點(diǎn)是有利于考生把握文章的主旨和作者的態(tài)度。但采用這種閱讀方式的考生往往閱讀速度較慢，因此難以在閱讀時(shí)積極主動(dòng)地預(yù)測(cè)文章內(nèi)容。
(2)
Q-P-Q：即先將問題看一遍，然后帶著問題去閱讀文章，最后答題。其特點(diǎn)是針對(duì)性強(qiáng)，節(jié)省答題時(shí)間，比較適用于解答事實(shí)性和細(xì)節(jié)性的問題，但是解答主旨性和推斷性問題的效果不明顯。
P-Q-P方式或Q-P-Q方式的采用因人而異，無優(yōu)劣之分。當(dāng)然，題型不同，解題的方法也應(yīng)有所不同。
常用的解題技巧有以下幾種：
1. 正選法與排除法
正選法即根據(jù)所讀材料內(nèi)容從正面選擇答案。如果在有些情況下從正面選擇答案有困難，考生則可以考慮選用排除法，即排除四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中的三個(gè)錯(cuò)誤選項(xiàng)，那么剩下的選項(xiàng)即為正確答案。排除法是解答閱讀理解題的常用方法，對(duì)于那些不合情理或荒謬的選項(xiàng)、與短文內(nèi)容相反的選項(xiàng)、與短文內(nèi)容不相關(guān)的選項(xiàng)、雖在短文中出現(xiàn)但答非所問的選項(xiàng)，以及不是問題的主要因素的選項(xiàng)等，都可以采用排除法。
考生可以遵循如下"三級(jí)思考"的方法排除干擾項(xiàng)：
(1) 如果干擾項(xiàng)明顯與文章相矛盾，即為"誤"，可以直接排除。
(2) 如果干擾項(xiàng)與文章內(nèi)容不矛盾，但在原文中沒有依據(jù)，這種脫離原文的"虛"的選項(xiàng)也可以排除。
(3)有些干擾項(xiàng)似乎很有道理，文中也能找到相關(guān)的依據(jù)，但它并不能完全滿足題目的要求，未能以文章的主題、作者的思維模式為出發(fā)點(diǎn)，未能充分體現(xiàn)嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)性和的合理性，這種雖沒錯(cuò)但不是答案的"偏"選項(xiàng)也可以排除。
只要考生經(jīng)過"是否矛盾? (誤否) --是否有依據(jù)? (虛否?) --是否以偏概全
(偏否?)"的逐級(jí)思考過程來分析和甄別每一個(gè)選項(xiàng)，那么解題的正確率就會(huì)得以提高。正確的答案應(yīng)該是與原文意義一致的選項(xiàng)，或是經(jīng)過"三級(jí)思考"仍不能排除的選項(xiàng)。請(qǐng)看2006年廣東卷第64題：
Which of the following is true about the working class?
A. They are often employed as skilled and semi-skilled workers.
B. They are often offered jobs with high incomes.
C. They are often considered lazy and dishonest.
D. They are often exploited by the public.
此題為事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題，可以采用排除法。由文章第一段第一、二句 "Members of the working class have blue-collar jobs. They are construction workers, truck drivers, mechanics, steel workers, electricians, and the like." 可知，藍(lán)領(lǐng)階層的薪水不高這個(gè)事實(shí)，據(jù)此先排除B項(xiàng);由第一段最后一句"They consider themselves to be respectable and hard working and they look down upon members of the 'lower' class, whom they often consider to be lazy, dishonest, and too ready to exploit public assistance."可知，藍(lán)領(lǐng)階層是受人尊敬的、勤勞的群體，他們看不起那些懶惰、欺詐別人、依靠別人捐款生活的階層，故排除C、D兩項(xiàng)，正確答案為A項(xiàng)。
2. 定位法與跳讀法
定位法即根據(jù)題干和選項(xiàng)所提供的信息直接從原文中找到相應(yīng)的句子(即定位)，然后進(jìn)行比較和分析(尤其要注意一些同義轉(zhuǎn)換)，從而找出正確答案。跳讀法即根據(jù)題干和選項(xiàng)所提供的信息跳讀原文，并找到相關(guān)的句子(有時(shí)可能是幾個(gè)句子)或段落，然后進(jìn)行分析和推理等，從而找出正確答案。請(qǐng)看2006年湖南卷第71題：
When she was still in her early 30s, publishing essays in such important
magazines as Partisan Review, she appeared as the symbol of American cultural
life, trying hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art.
With great effort and serious judgment, Sontag walked at the latest edges of
world culture.
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 means Sontag _____________.
A. was a symbol of American cultural life
B. developed world literature，film and art
C. published many essays about world culture
D. kept pace with the newest development of world culture
解答本題可以用定位法。與題干意思相近的句子是上一句"she appeared as the symbol of American cultural life，trying hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art"。許多考生誤選了A項(xiàng)，他們忽略了原文中出現(xiàn)的"appeared as"，意為"似乎，好像"，增加了句意的不確定性。故D項(xiàng)為答案。
3. 畫圖與列表法
畫圖法就是以時(shí)間、地點(diǎn)、事件或因果等為線索，找出關(guān)鍵詞語，勾畫出一幅完整、清晰的關(guān)于文章主題和細(xì)節(jié)的圖示的方法。請(qǐng)看2006年浙江卷第48題：
How is the text organized?
A. In order of time. B. In order of frequency.
C. In order of preference. D. In order of importance.
在解答此題時(shí)考生只要列一個(gè)表 (見下表)，按短文敘事的順序展開故事發(fā)展的過程，正確答案就會(huì)一目了然。
Paragraph 1 Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3 Paragraph 4
look into the mirror have breakfast prepare children's trip to space drive the car to work
另外，有些文章的信息點(diǎn)可能較為分散，涉及的內(nèi)容比較多，此時(shí)考生若能恰當(dāng)運(yùn)用列
表的方法也會(huì)將難題化解。請(qǐng)看2006年安徽卷第61題：
What Elizabeth Taylor and Velvet Brown had in common was that they were both________.
A. popular all their fives B. famous actresses
C. successful when very young D. rich and kind-hearted
根據(jù)文章內(nèi)容，考生可以列出以下四個(gè)相同的信息點(diǎn)(見下表)：
Information 1 When she started in National Velvet--the story of Velvet
Brown, a young girl who wins first place in a famous home race. (短文首句)
Information 2 Her acting in National Velvet is still considered the best by
a child actress. (第一段末句)
Information 3 After her success as a child star, Taylor had no trouble
moving into adult roles and won twice for Best Actress. (第二段)
Information 4 Like Velvet Brown in National Velvet, she has been lucky: she
has beauty, fame and wealth. (末段第二句)
Conclusion They were both successful when very young.
通過此表，考生可以清楚地得出本題的答案為C項(xiàng)。
4. 概括法與推理法
概括法指根據(jù)所讀材料概括文章主題、要點(diǎn)、標(biāo)題和中心思想等;而推理法則指根據(jù)所讀材料的字面意思，通過語篇的邏輯關(guān)系以及各個(gè)細(xì)節(jié)的信息和暗示，推敲作者的態(tài)度，理解文章的寓意，悟出作者的言外之意和弦外之音�？忌谶\(yùn)用推理法時(shí)首先要吃透文章的字面意思，從字里行間捕捉有用的提示和線索;然后再對(duì)文字的表面信息進(jìn)行挖掘和加工，由表及里，由淺人深，從具體到抽象，從特殊到一般，通過分析、綜合和判斷等思維活動(dòng)對(duì)文章進(jìn)行深層處理以及合乎邏輯的推理。此時(shí)切忌就事論事、以偏概全，也不能主觀臆想、隨意揣測(cè)，更不能以自己的觀點(diǎn)代替作者的觀點(diǎn)。請(qǐng)看2006年浙江卷第55題：
According to White, why were the women surveyed more likely to use old
computers?
A. Most office workers use old computers.
B. They do some of their work with computers.
C. Dealing with new equipment can cause anxiety.
D. They are easier to be satisfied with new technology.
文章最后兩段提到，接受調(diào)查的三個(gè)國家的婦女更有可能使用舊電腦，而英國比法國和德國使用up-to-date computers的人更多，最后一段分析了其中的原因"continually having to deal with new technology can also be a source of worrythe frequent change of equipment is also, or could be，a main cause of dissatisfaction"。由此可以推斷，不斷更新的技術(shù)也會(huì)使人產(chǎn)生焦慮，導(dǎo)致負(fù)面情緒的產(chǎn)生，所以被調(diào)查的婦女更喜歡使用舊電腦。
5. 常識(shí)法與背景法
常識(shí)法是考生利用已有的常識(shí)進(jìn)行識(shí)別和判斷的方法。背景法與常識(shí)法相似，指考生充分運(yùn)用所讀材料的信息答題。請(qǐng)看2006年安徽卷第69題：
To cover a small piece of burning wood with a basin in order to stop the
fire is all example of____________.
A. separating the fire B. reducing the heat
C. removing the fuel D. cutting off the oxygen
本題為一道常識(shí)題，考生根據(jù)自己學(xué)過的化學(xué)知識(shí)可知，燃燒要具備三要素：可燃物、氧氣和溫度，這有助于理解第二段首句"Since fuel, oxygen
and heat must be present in order for fire to exist, one or more of these things must be removed or reduced to extinguish a fire"的意思;另外，通過第三段內(nèi)容"Another method of extinguishing fire is by cutting off the oxygen. This is usually done by covering the fire with sand, steam or some other things."可以推斷出：用cover的方法來滅火屬于cutting off the oxygen的范疇。
