(一)推理题常见的提问形式
常以infer，imply，suggest，conclude，learn，intend，mean，describe，purpose等词提问。或提问中含有表示推测的情态动词，如can，could，might，would等和其他表示可能性的动词，如probably，most likely等。
(二)推理题的解题思路
如何做好推理判断题?笔者以为，考生做题时一定要从整体上把握语篇内容，在语篇的表面意义与隐含意义、已知信息与未知信息间架起桥梁，透过字里行间，去体会作者的弦外之音。
首先，要求考生在阅读时，要抓住文章的主题和细节，分析文章结构，根据上下文内在联系，挖掘文章的深层含义。在进行推理时，考生一定要仔细阅读短文，千万不可脱离原文而仅凭个人的看法，主观臆断。
其次，对于暗含在文章中的人物的行为动机、事件的因果关系及作者未言明的倾向、意图、态度、观点等要进行合乎逻辑的判断、推理、分析，进一步增强理解能力，抓住材料实质性的东西。
再次，在解答推理性问题时，应清楚所要解答的问题是针对某个细节进行推断，还是针对主题 思想 、作者的意图进行推断。
针对细节的推断可运用scanning方法，迅速在阅读材料中确定推理依据的位置或范围，然后再进行推理判断。
针对主题 思想 作推断时，其解题的主要依据是文章的主题 思想 ，然后再分析句子之间的逻辑关系，区分观点与例证(opinion and fact)、原因与结果(cause and effect)、主观点与次观点(main idea and supporting idea)。
(三)推理题的解题方法
1. 抓住特定信息进行逆向或正向推理
做此类试题要善于抓住某一段话中的关键信息，即某些关键词或短语去分析、推理、判断，利用逆向思维或正面推理，从而推断出这句话所隐含的深层含义。
例 2003安徽春季D篇
69. The text suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you _____.
A. suffer from poor health
B. feel tired and nervous
C. dream more often
D. breathe quickly
解析 解题时抓住第一段After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the day. The rest that you get while sleeping makes it possible for your body to prepare itself for the next day. 中Sleep is necessary for good health.去理解。利用逆向思维，我们很容易推断出这一结论：一个人睡眠不足会对他的健康有害(suffer from poor health), 所以答案为A。
2. 整合全文(段)信息进行推断
做推理题时，有时需要在弄懂全文意思的基础上，整合与题目相关的有用信息，综合起来去推理判断，确定最佳结论。
例NMET1998 D篇
65. Which of the following is the immediate cause of the sinking of the Bismarck?
A. The British air strikes.
B. The damage done by the Hood.
C. Gunfire from the British warships.
D. Luetjens decision to run for France.
解析 德国军舰Bismarck号素有不沉舰的美称，然而最后还是葬身海底。造成这种下沉的直接原因是什么?短文中未直接陈述。这就需要我们利用短文中的信息综合起来去推断。
德军舰第一次与英军舰交火后，But in the fight，the Bismarck was slightly damaged.可见，英军舰Hood号给德军舰Bismarck号造成的损坏不足以使它下沉。故B不对。第一次交火后，德军舰Bismarck号上的指挥官Luetjens命令军舰驶向法国进行维修(Her commander decided to run for repairs to France，which had at that time been taken by the Germans.)，这更不是使它下沉的直接原因。D也不对。5月26日，英国空军发现 Bismarck并向Bismarck开火(Trying to slow the Bismarck down so that their ships could catch up with her，the British fired at her from the air.The Bismarck was hit.)，Bismarck被击中。正如文中所讲，英国空军主要是想拦截Bismarck号，使它减速，以便后面的英舰赶上。这表明英空军对 Bismarck开火也不足以使Bismarck下沉，A也不对。On the morning of May 27，the last battle was fought.Four British ships fired on the Bismarck，and she was finally sunk. 5月27日四艘英国战舰赶到并一齐向Bismarck开火(Four British ships fired on the Bismarck)，最后使她下沉(She was finally sunk)。这就是直接原因，故正确选项为C。
3. 利用语境的褒贬性进行信息推断
几乎每篇文章的语境都有一定褒贬性，这种褒贬性反映了主人公的特定心理和情绪状态及作者的写作意图，因此利用好文章的语境褒贬性就能在把握主旨文意的基础上对文章进行准确的逻辑判断。认真阅读原文并找出反映语境褒贬性及变化的标志性 词汇或句子，对我们掌握文章主旨文意，了解主人公的心理特点及发展变化，从而正确地进行逻辑推断很有好处。
例 NMET2000年阅读理解B篇
59. The writers purpose in writing this story is ________.
A. to tell an interesting experience
B. to show the easiest way out of difficulty
C. to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman
D. to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books
从原文中 As I was not experienced in cooking , I thought if a dozen was good , two dozen would be better , so I doubled everything .I had been defeated , I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldnt have to face Doug laughing at my work , I dont know who was more embarrassed(尴尬)by the whole thing Doug or me. 可看出文章叙述了一位新婚主妇按烹调书做发面失败的尴尬经历。 但是全文充满了一种讽刺幽默的笔调, 文章最后一句带俏皮感，说明主人公心情并不沉重，而是感到有点好笑，所以答案应选A。作者写作目的是自述一次有趣的经历。选项B肯定为错误答案，因为它与本文首句(The easy way out isnt always easiest)不合; D反映作者写作目的是解释从书本上学烹饪的困难，也不对，因为作者并未详细介绍主人公从书本上学烹饪是如何力不从心的; 主人公并不会天天面对这种烦恼，选项C为错误答案。虽然全文语境含贬义，但文章的言外之意需要读者对作者写作意图做深层挖掘,若不然就会被误导而作出错误判断。
4. 根据文章的结论推断作者的态度
作者态度、倾向是指作者对陈述的观点是赞同、反对还是犹豫不定，对记叙或描写的人、物或事件等是赞颂、同情、冷漠还是厌恶、憎恨。作者的这种思想 倾向和感情色彩往往隐含在文章的字里行间，或流露于修饰的词语之中。因此，在推断过程中，应特别注意文中作者的措辞，尤其是表达感情色彩的形容词。
例 Why isnt your newspaper reporting any good news?All I read about is murder， bribery(行贿)，and death.Frankly，Im sick of all this bad news.
This authors attitude towards the newspaper reporting is to ______ .
A. complain B. apologize
C. amuse D. inform
解析 作者一是向读者说明这份报纸上只登载坏新闻，如凶杀、行贿受贿和死亡等;二是在字里行间流露出自己的抱怨情绪 (对坏新闻厌恶透了)，故应选A。
5. 根据上下文的逻辑得出结论
逻辑结论是指严格根据文章中所陈述的事实、论点、例证等一系列论据材料进行推理，从而得出合乎逻辑的结论，而不是根据自己的经验、态度、观点或爱好去理解文章的内涵。做这类题时，应把握作者的写作思路，预测下文可能发展的内容。文章可按事件发展的经过描写，也可按因果关系, 对比关系来描写。
例 We are in the computer age.We often see computers at work.They are especially useful in automatic control，data processing(数据处理)and solving complicated problems.And they are finding their way into the home.The part played by computers is becoming even more important with each passing day.
More and cleverer computers will continue to appear.They will run faster，have more functions and work much more skillfully.They will take over more tasks from us，helping to change the face of our world.Some people even think that sooner or later computers will replace us.
However...
Which of the following statements will best continue the third paragraph?
A. Computers will soon stop developing.
B. Many people like computers very much.
C. Computers are as clever as man.
D. I do not think computers will replace us completely.
解析 本文采用了对比关系法来描写，前面描写了计算机的长处，但作者用However一词预示着将引出相反的观点，故答案为D。
6. 结合已有的知识进行推断
知识推断是根据文章中所阐述的细节，运用自己 掌握的基础知识进行分析、推敲，从而得出符合文章原义的结论的一种推断方法。知识推断题一般都是针对细节。解答此类题，不仅需要我们有一定的社会基础知识，而且还需要对细节以及有关背景知识有一个充分的理解。
例 NMET1996 A篇
53. After reading the story what can we infer about the hospital?
A. It is a childrens hospital.
B. It has strict rules about visiting hours.
C. The conditions there arent very good.
D. The nurses and doctors there dont work hard.
解析 本文讲述了一位母亲采用拖地计谋混进病房探视女儿的故事。由常识可知医院内拖地并非医生 护士的工作，选项D不对。C项与文中的Its a fine hospital意思相矛盾。A项依据不充分，女儿未必都是儿童。正确答案是B。文中I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. 则暗示此规章在探视时间上是严格规定的，而且在实际生活中我们都知道医院探视病人是有严格的制度的。