信号词就好比是高速公路上的标识牌，见到了它们，你就知道目的地距离自己的位置还有 多远的距离，需要直走，还是拐弯。从而采取精读或是跳读扫读等不一样的方法和阅题技巧。下面我们就分析一下雅思阅读中信号词对考点指示的微妙作用。
在介绍信号词之前，我们先对它们进行一下分类，雅思阅读中的信号词能分为几类呢?把剑桥3-7阅读出现的与考点相关的信号词分为两大类：一个是传统的信号词;另一个就是 非传统的信号词。为什么要这样分呢?传统的信号词有是我们平时在学校课堂上、写作课上，老师都强调的几大类，表顺接和递进，表对比和转折，表相似，表时间 先后关系，表排列次序，表因果关系，表举例和说明关系。而非传统的信号词则是我们在平时阅读中常常忽视的细节，但是根据剑桥的出题思路和模式，我发现还有一类的信号词是常常和考点有密切的联系。(这就是因为学生能够充足的掌握雅思阅读做题技巧，所以才能窥探其中的奥秘)
首先我们来看一看在剑桥3-7中，传统的信号词与考点的联系。(注：C-剑桥，P-页 码, T-题目)
(一)传统信号词
一、顺接和递进
例词：also, furthermore, moreover, what is more, in addition…
考点：And Western scientists are starting to draw on this wisdom…(C6, P28, T31找标题)
解 析：And在这句话开头，有一定的递进含义, this wisdom则是指代了前面一句话出现的their wealth of traditional knowledge(因纽特人传统的知识)，所以这两句话有紧密的联系，同学们在读题的时候要通过发现信号词，然后发散地看它的前后句，最后把考点考察的 意思补充完整。
二、对比和转折
例词：however, but, although, nevertheless, on the other hand, by comparison…
考点：However, we believe that credit must be extended in association with other types of support that help participants develop critical life skills as well as productive businesses.(C4, P66, T13主旨选择题)
题目中出现了conclude的字 眼，总结段落一般是在文章的最后，然而带有转折信号词however这句话，显然就是文章的考点所在。
三、相似
例 词：similarly, in other words, that is, put another way…
考点：In other words, we became aware of the obvious fact that there were‘limits to growth’.(C4, P97, T32分类题)
解析：In other words是解释，换一种说法，通常会以更加简单易懂，清晰的话语陈述出难点，常常难点是考点出没的地方。
四、时间先后
例 词：firstly, second, next, then, now, later, since, eventually, finally…
考 点：Three factors are involved in this change. First is an awareness of the severity of the problem. Second, a number of resources to help tackle bullying have become available in Britain…Third, there is evidence that these materials work, and that schools can achieve something.(C6, P94, T30选标题)
解析：段落结构很清楚，主要是因为有表达顺序的信号词First、 second、third，让我们认识这段是在讲，侍强凌弱这种现象已经开始改变，主要是从三个方面入手：意识、资源、监督。这种发展让学校有了更多的方 法和有效途径解决存在的问题。这里的First、second、third提示我们三个方面，同时也是一个发展的过程。
五、排列 次序
例词：another, the second, the most, the best…
考 点：Most important of all, the traditional measures of‘risk’, such as parents’ age and education, or whether they were a single parent, bore little or no relationship to the measures of achievement and language development.(C5, P63, T12判断题)
解析：most important of all强调了最重要的事情，也就是文中比较重要的结论要出炉了。Single parents是题目中的关键词，同样在这一句里出现了，我们可以利用对信号词的敏感度，快速抓住文章的考点，进行局部精读。(如何提高雅思阅读?学生要通过练习把握文章的重中核心是关键。)
六、强调作用
例词：in fact, in essence, in particular, emphasize…
考 点：This, in essence, is the problem of modern sociobiology- to discover the degree to which hard-wired genetic programming dictates…(C5, P21, T18信息包含题)
解析：信息包含题考察细节是在那个段落出现，在做此类题目时，要注意信号词与考点的密切相关性，从而迅速找准 答案。这里出现了in essence(实质上),起了一定的强调作用，迅速扫读后，发现同时出现了题目关键词sociobiology,破折号后面的介词to是表目的与题目中 的the general aim of一致对应。
七、因果关系
例词：as, because, since, lead to, as a result, result in, consequently, therefore, thus, the caused of…
考点：The fourth question concerned the causes of the destruction of rainforests. Perhaps encouragingly, more than half of the pupils(59%) identified that it is human activities, which are destroying rainforests…(C4, P19,T11简答题)
解析：这道简答题的文本题就是问the reason for the loss of rainforests，所以我们可以同通过原因信号词，判断考点的方位。
八、 举例子和说明
例词：for example, for instance, that is to say, i.e., such as, including…
考点： Other substances were then introduced: including fillers, such as woodflour, asbestos or cotton…(C5, P39, T5流程图)
解析：我们看到such as后面是举例子，such as后面的例子可以作为定位词，woodflour, asbestos, cotton就是fillers的其中一种。Fillers在这里就是一个概括性的词语，常常是考点。
(二)非传统信号词
一、 表达客观结论findings
例词：indicate that, suggest that, find out, conclude that, point out, report that, demonstrate that…
考 点：But Byers points out that the benefits of increased exercise disappear rapidly after training stops, so any improvement in endurance resulting from juvenile play would be lost by adulthood.(C4, P50, T38配对题)
解 析：配对题目是典型的人名和成果的配对，我们到文章中定位人名就比较好找到答案，可是人名出现的地方就一定是考点么?不见得。但是一旦表达客观结论的信号 词与人名同时出现时，就是考点出没的地方了。
二、表达主观观点statements, opinions
例 词：say, believe, argue that, maintain that, claim…
考点：The UCSF researchers maintain that the simplest and most cost-effective action is to establish smoke-free work places, schools and public places.(C3, P20, T27分类题)
解析：这道分类题考察区分a finding和an opinion。表达个人观点(an opinion)带有一定的主观性，所用的信号词显然与客观事实发现(a finding)的有所区别。
三、特殊符号
例 词:‘word’,——, word…
考点：In very significant cases of role change, e.g. from a soldier in the ranks to officer, from bachelor to married man, the change of role has to have a very obvious sign, hence rituals.(C3, P48, T37完成句子)
解析：文中斜体的部分其实就是考察的考点，不知道这个词语的意思没有关 系，只要能判断，需要填写的单词是斜体部分，照抄过来就可以轻松拿分。
通过我们上面陈列的两大类信号词：传统的与非传统的，我相 信可以给备战的烤鸭们一点宝贵的做题技巧，信号词与考点是一对好朋友，所以常常信号词出现的地方，考点都会在它的附近埋伏着，要留心哦!同时，要掌握每一 类信号词对文章段落的结构起的作用和意义，这样有利于我们对段落主旨、上下句关系快速的判断，帮助解题。
总而言之，上述的内容其实都是学生经过长期的做题积累和雅思阅读做题技巧的熟练应用而总结出来的。所以，如何提高雅思阅读?关键还是在于学生本人对雅思考试的态度。技巧的掌握是通过学习方法的找寻和使用凝结而成的。
