在雅思阅读的授课当中，常会听到学生焦急而又无奈地说：“老师，我已读懂了题目，可为何还是难以准确定位题目在文中的具体位置呢。”当然，多数学生已掌握通过题目所给出的关键词如：人名、地点、时间、数字、生词以及大写字母等到文中寻找答案。然而却忽略了在作者布局谋篇，展开论述的过程中最倚重的“联络官”——关系词(也称信号词)，通过它可以有效地定位主旨并且搜寻到细节信息从而迅速锁定答案, 同时，它也适用于雅思阅读的任意一个题型当中。
常见于阅读中的关系词包括：表示“因果”的关系词、“转折”关系词、“比较”关系词以及“并列”关系词等。
1. “因果”的关系词 (as a result, result in, result from, lead to, because of, due to, contribute to, owning to, hence, since, accordingly, consequently, therefore, in that, etc.)
2. “转折”关系词 (despite, in spite of, but, although, though, while, yet, otherwise, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, etc.)
3. “比较”关系词 ( more, than, less, the least, the most, prefer, equally, likewise, similarly, in comparison, as…as, etc.)
4.“并列”关系词 ( first, second…finally, and, or, as well as, one… the other, not…nor…, etc.)
A) 用于判断题型中，例：
a) T: Most forms of environmental pollution are associated with industrialization.
Q: Industrialization has led to pollution problems.
此题中题目与原文都含有因果关系，且因果相同，仅是同义词组替换罢了。
b) T: Los Angeles has some of the world’s cleanest cars—far better than those of Europe—but the total number of miles those cars drive continues to grow.
Q: Residents of Los Angeles are now tending to reduce the yearly distances they travel by car.
此题原文转折词but所连接后面的内容continues to grow与问题中的考点tending to reduce形成语义矛盾。
C) T: The traditional images of the “male breadwinner” and “female housewife and mother” may be breaking down among females but this process is occurring more slowly among males.
Q: Men accept changing perceptions of traditional gender roles more slowly than women do.
此题是一道明显的有关双方比较的题(more than 结构)此外，该句还存在明显同义词及词组的替换如：perceptions对应images, traditional gender roles 对应“male breadwinner” and “female housewife and mother”，man对应male, woman对应female.题干中的比较点及比较结果与原文判断一致。B) 用于标题对应题型中，例：
List of headings
I.Rivers and seas cause damage
II.Water, the provider of food
III.The scarcity of water
IV.What is water?
V.How to solve flooding
VI.Humans’ relationship with water
