一、細節題
大綱對考生掌握的閱讀能力的第二條要求是：瞭解闡述主旨的事實和細節。也就是說我們在閱讀一篇文章時，除了抓住文章的主旨和大意外，還必須弄清文中的一些重要事實或細節，因為它們是作者得出結論或闡明論點的依據。瞭解這些事實或細節有助於領會並確定文章的主題思想。
細節類題目在職稱英語等級考試的閱讀理解題中佔的比例最大，涉及的內容也很廣，因此，我們在複習應考時，應注意在該類題目上多下功夫。細節題常出why， when， where， what， who等疑問詞引導的句子提問。解答細節題的關鍵在於從問題中找出問題的關鍵詞，即能表達問題所涉及內容的中心詞，然後迅速在短文中用查讀的方法找出關鍵詞在短文中的位置，以及包含所需資訊的句子或短語，最後根據這些句子或短語做出正確的選擇。
細節類題目常見提問形式有：
What causes……?
Why does the author mention……?
How many……?
where in the passage does the author describe……?
What time does the writer think is ……?
The author mentions that……?
The writer states……?
等等
對於這種題型，考生可以首先從問題中找到關鍵詞，然後以此為線索，運用查讀的方法到文章中尋找這一細節，找到後再把這一部分內容仔細閱讀一遍，從而保證對這一細節的正確理解，最後確定正確答案。
Let Them Watch It
One hot night last July， when our new baby wouldn‘t or couldn’t sleep， I tried everything I could think of ： a warm bottle， songs， and gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him. Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me， I brought a portable TV into his room， figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours until dawn. To my surprise， as soon as the TV lit up， the baby quieted right down， his little eyes， focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep， I then tiptoed out of the room， leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi‘s fortyfifth birthday. My wife and I heard no more of the baby that night， and the next morning when I went into his room， I found him still watching TV himself.
I found in my baby‘s behaviour a metaphor for the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine， but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him， he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don’t read， that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby， however， I have reached a conclusion; let them watch it. If television is that much more attractive to children than books， why should we fight it? Let them watch it all they want!
這是99年試題中的一篇短文。短文講的是一個炎熱的夏天，孩子就是不願意睡覺，作者想盡了各種辦法，又是拿奶瓶，又是唱歌，又是搖晃，就是不管用。實在沒有辦法，把一個手提電視給他拿了過去，孩子立刻就不鬧了。我們看第36題：
36. The author brought a TV set into his son‘s room to
A)make his son stop crying.
B) spend the night watching TV.
C) leave it to his son.
D) make his son fall asleep as soon as possible.
題目問的是作者把電視拿到他兒子屋裡去的目的是什麼。這道題就屬於細節性題目。在回答這類題目時，就要到文中找有關資訊。請看第一段第三句： Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me……watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours until dawn.作者把電視機拿到他兒子的房間裡本不是給他兒子看的，而是準備讓自己看深夜電影來打發長夜難熬的時光。所以，選項B為最佳答案。其他三個選項都不是他把電視機拿到兒子房間裡去的初衷。下面我們看推理題。
二、推理題
一篇文章往往包含兩方面的`內容：即字面內容和內在內容。所謂內在的內容，是指由於種種原因，文章的作者並不直說出其意，而是把要表達的意思隱藏在字裡行間。推理題就是要求考生依據文章所提供的事實，透過表面的文章資訊去推測文章深層的含義。推理能力包括歸納、演繹、分析，綜合、引申等。閱讀理解題中最讓考生頭痛的應屬推理題。這類題既有以區域性內容為基礎的簡單推理，也有以某一段落，甚至整篇文章為基礎判斷作者(或文中某人物)態度、觀點、意圖、語氣、身份及文章文體等的複雜推理。
推理題往往以下列形式出現：
It can be inferred from the passage that……
In this passage the author implies that……
We can conclude from the passage that……
The author‘s attitude toward……is……
The author may probably agree with / be in favour of / support /……
One could conclude from the passage that……
The paragraph following this passage most probably would discuss……
請看上面這篇短文的第37題：
37. The baby‘s reaction to the TV was
A)unexpected.
B) exciting.
C) awful.
D) calm.
該題的下確答案為A.作者在文章中提到，他一開啟電視，孩子馬上就安靜下來，再也不鬧了，眼睛直盯在電視上。作者在這裡用了 “To my surprise”， 顯然孩子對電視的反應，是作者沒有預料到的，因此A為正確答案。exciting是“令人興奮的”，“awful” 是“可怕的”， 也就是極其不好的反應， calm是“平靜的”，電視一開，那孩子就平靜下來了，但這並不是說他的反應是平靜的。下面我們再看第38題：
38. From the passage we know that the author is
A) a doctor.
B) an editor.
C) a writer.
D) a teacher.
該題也屬於推時題。上面我們說過，推理有兩類，一類是簡單推理，另一類是複雜推理。簡單推理是以表面文字資訊為前提，以具體事實為依據進行推理，做出判斷。這種推理方式比較直接，無須考慮其他前提或尋找其他依據，只須在文章的已知資訊與表層結構的基礎上進行推理。本題就屬於簡單推理題，要求考生推斷作者的職業。根據文章最後一段第五局話的資訊，我們會很容易地推斷出作者是一位教師。這句話的原文是： We find that our students don‘t read， that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. 它的意思是：我們發現我們的學生不讀書，瞧不起讀書，而且還罵我們這些教他們讀書的人。由些看來，這裡的我們就是指的當老師的這些人。
再看第40題：
40. What do you think is the author‘s attitude toweard TV as expressed in the last two sentences?
A) Angry.
B) Serious.
C) Ironical.
D) Joking.
該題要求考生根據短文最後兩句來判斷作者的態度。通讀上面短文的最後一段，我們注意到作者在談到孩子對待學習的態度時用了這些詞句： he merely spit upon them， he did not feel comfortable. We find that our students don‘t read， that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. 意思是：我和夫人曾拿給孩子書，但他根本不看，還往書上吐唾沫。每次我們讀書給他聽，他就顯得濘身不自在。學校裡的情況也是如此。我們的學生不願讀書，而且嘲笑我們這些教書的。他們就喜歡看電視。尤其注意作者在最後用了兩個感嘆句子(“Let them watch it! ” If television is that much more attractive to children than books， why should we fight it? Let them watch it all they want! 然而，通過與我們孩子的接觸，我得出這樣的結論：“想看就看，任其自便吧!”既然電視比書本更吸引孩子，我們何必苦苦反對呢?想看就讓他們看個夠好了。)這裡作者顯然是在說反話。所以答案為C.
三、詞彙題
職稱英語等級考試對考生的閱讀理解能力提出的第三條要求是：根據上下文判斷某些詞彙和短語的意義。測試這種能力的題目通常稱為詞彙題。需要注意的是，這些詞彙或短語有可能是考生熟悉的，也有可能是考生不熟悉的。