雅思阅读考试的文章以大众题材为主, 内容涉及经济、教育、科技、医学、环境、能源、地质、海洋、动物等方面问题，而不涉及专业性很强的文章，以免给不同专业的考生造成优势或劣势;甚至有些知识都是我们日常生活中所了解的，因此在雅思阅读考试中，考生在拿到题目时可以首先考虑利用常识能否直接找出答案，而不是匆忙找定位词到文章中定位。下面我们结合题目具体说明常识在做题中的作用。

例一(剑六P71 The Search for the Anti-aging Pill)

Questions 33-37

Classify the following descriptions as relating to

A. caloric-restricted monkeys

B. control monkeys

C. neither caloric-restricted monkeys nor control monkeys

33. Monkeys were less likely to become diabetic.

34. Monkeys experienced more chronic disease.

35. Monkeys have been shown to experience a longer than average life span.

36. Monkeys enjoyed a reduced chance of heart disease.

37. Monkeys produced greater quantities of insulin.

解题：

首先读选项，我们会发现A 选项是卡路里即热量摄入受限制的猴子，而B选项，我们可以猜出它为热量摄入不受限制的猴子，当然若考生不确定可以到文章中定位找control monkeys，原文为“control animals that eat normally”,因此可以确定B选项为正常饮食即热量摄入不受限制的猴子。

接下来读题目，33题为“猴子成为糖尿病患者的几率减少”，根据常识我们都知道现在健康专家提倡人们减少卡路里即热量的摄入，因此我们可以断定此题答案为A; 而34题为“猴子经历更多的慢性疾病”，根据同样的常识我又可以断定此题答案为B;36题为“猴子得心脏病的几率减少”，我们也可以得出答案为A。

35题和37题可能根据常识无法确定答案，这种情况下考生就需要利用定位词到文章中定位找答案了。

例二(剑五P89 Flawed Beauty: the problem with toughened glass)

Questions 18-23

Complete the summary with the list of words A-P below.

Toughened glass

Toughened glass is favored by architects because it is much stronger than ordinary glass, and the fragments are not as 18________ when it breaks. However, it has one disadvantage: it can shatter 19________. This fault is a result of the manufacturing process. Ordinary glass is first heated, then cooled very 20________. The outer layer 21________ before the inner layer, and the tension between the two layers……These are unstable, and can expand suddenly, particularly if the weather is 22________. If this happens, the pane of glass may break. The frequency with which such problems occur is 23________ by glass experts…….