雅思阅读因篇幅比较长，时间比较紧，一直是考生们难以攻克的难题。英语基础薄弱的同学，因为看不懂而郁闷；英语基础不错的同学，因为做不完而苦恼。实际上雅思考试作为语言能力测试的一种，考察的既有语言基本功，也有考生的应试能力。所以同学们在备考雅思考试阅读的时候，既要注意提升自己的语言实力，也要注意应试技巧的培养。
首先，需要向大家明确 “定位词”是在大方向上帮我们确定目标句所在位置的词。
此类关键词通常不容易被替换，俗称“简单粗暴”词；便于考生们在答题时形成位置感，避免因迷失方向而紧张或耗时。但需要注意，定位词的作用只是定位，而非解题。所以它们的基本特点是容易被找到，同时又不能满篇都是。下面我们讲解一下定位词中的两种。
1、一级关键词 （长相特殊的词汇）
在雅思阅读文章中这类定位词是显而易见的，且几乎不会被替换；考生们可以轻松地在文中定位到大致位置，提升信心。请看以下例题：? Forest problems of Mediterranean countries are to be discussed at the next meeting of experts.? Problems in Nordic countries were excluded because they are outside the European Economic Community.
题目中有大写的Mediterranean countries，及Nordic countries都是定位的很佳词选。看段落Forests are one of the main elements of our natural heritage. The decline of Europe’s forests over the last decade and a half has led to an increasing awareness and understanding of the serious imbalances which threaten them. European countries are becoming increasingly concerned by major threats to European forests, threats which know no frontiers other than those of geography or climate: air pollution, soil deterioration, the increasing number of forest fires and sometimes even the mismanagement of our woodland and forest heritage. There has been a growing awareness of the need for countries to get together to co-ordinate their policies.

In December 1990, Strasbourg hosted the first Ministerial Conference on the protection of Europes forests. The conference brought together 31 countries from both Western and Eastern Europe. The topics discussed included the co-ordinated study of the destruction of forests, as well as how to combat forest fires and the extension of European research programs on the forest ecosystem. The preparatory work for the conference had been undertaken at two meetings of experts. Their initial task was to decide which of the many forest problems of concern to Europe involved the largest number of countries and might be the subject of joint action. Those confined to particular geographical areas, such as countries bordering the Mediterranean or the Nordic countries therefore had to be discarded. However, this does not mean that in future they will be ignored.会利用捷径的可以迅速找出位于段位尾的目标句并且解答，而不善于利用技巧的同学却要花费大量时间去找。
2．2级关键词（名词/名词性短语）
此类定位词被称作“藏龙卧虎”，也就是说它们在文中非常善于“”自己。通常题目中若没有数字、人名或大写时，我们往往会将普通名词作为“替补队员”去文中找位置，因为相比形容词或动词，名词被替换的概率较低；然而，考生们要谨防名词在总称与分类上的相互替换。请看以下题目：
California has replaced a range of firefighting tools此判新题中，tool（工具）是一个总称，考生们会利用这个词到文中定位；然而，文中并没有这个原词存在。State promises to provide more up-to-date engines, planes, and helicopters to fight fires have been fulfilled通过文章内容不难发现，题目中tools被转换成了其分类形式：engines（引擎），planes（飞机）和 helicopters（直升机）。烤鸭们请一定注意，快速定位到目标句是答对题目的重要前提，所以迅速灵活确定题目的定位词是非常重要的技能。还需要大家充分练习。