問1
問題次の英文を読み、下の問いの ( ) に入れるのに最も適当なものを、下の1～4の内から一つ選べ。
“Christine, come and help me in the garden. I want to plant all of the seeds today.” My father was calling to me. “I’m busy,” I said. My father loves his garden, but at that time I didn’t understand why working in the dirt excited him so much.
By the end of April, his plants had come up in neat rows, and he put wooden stakes marked with the name of the vegetable on each row. Unfortunately, in early May, my father was seriously injured in an accident. He was in the hospital for about two months and during that time he often asked me about his garden. Even after he came home, he had to stay in bed for a while. My mother had several business trips so she couldn’t take care of the garden. I didn’t want my father to worry, so without being asked, I said that I would take care of his garden until he recovered. I assumed that the little plants would continue to grow as long as they had water, and luckily it rained fairly often so I didn’t think much about the garden.
問1
Christine originally said she would do the gardening because she ( ).
1. knew it was important to her father
2. wanted to improve her gardening skills
3. was asked by her father to do it
4. was interested in growing vegetables
【解説】
「( ) なので、クリスティンは元々園芸をするつもりだった」
本文にこうあります。
I didn’t want my father to worry, so without being asked, I said that I would take care of his garden until he recovered.
「父に心配をかけたくなかったので、頼まれることなく、父が回復するまで庭の世話をすると言った」
「理由」の場所は、because の後ろ、so の前です。ということで、( ) に入るのは「父に心配をかけたくなかった」という内容が入りそうです。
では、父の心配とは何なのでしょうか。本文にこうあります。
He was in the hospital for about two months and during that time he often asked me about his garden.
「彼は約2か月入院し、その間しばしば庭についてたずねられました」
庭が心配なんですね。それを踏まえて選択肢を確認しましょう。
1. knew it was important to her father
「それ (園芸) が父にとって大事だと知っていた」
ということで、この選択肢が正解となります。
とはいえ、ピンポイントでこれが正解というのは難しいかもしれません。ここは保留にして、消去法で他の選択肢を消していくのが実践的ですね。
2. wanted to improve her gardening skills
「園芸の技術を向上させたかった」
そんなこと言っていません。
3. was asked by her father to do it
「それ (園芸) を父に頼まれた」
先ほど確認した本文に「without being asked / 頼まれることなしに」とあります。この選択肢は違います。
4. was interested in growing vegetables
「野菜が育つことに興味があった」
本文にこうあります。
I said. My father loves his garden, but at that time I didn’t understand why working in the dirt excited him so much.
「父は彼の庭を愛していますが、なぜ土の中で働くことで彼がそんなにわくわくしたのか、その当時私は理解ができませんでした」
全く興味を持っていませんね。ということでこの選択肢は違います。
【正解】1
問2
問題次の英文を読み、下の問いの ( ) に入れるのに最も適当なものを、下の1～4の内から一つ選べ。
By the end of April, his plants had come up in neat rows, and he put wooden stakes marked with the name of the vegetable on each row. Unfortunately, in early May, my father was seriously injured in an accident. He was in the hospital for about two months and during that time he often asked me about his garden. Even after he came home, he had to stay in bed for a while. My mother had several business trips so she couldn’t take care of the garden. I didn’t want my father to worry, so without being asked, I said that I would take care of his garden until he recovered. I assumed that the little plants would continue to grow as long as they had water, and luckily it rained fairly often so I didn’t think much about the garden.
One Saturday morning in July, my father said to me, “Christine, I think that the vegetables should be about ready to be picked. Let’s have a salad today!” I took a bowl and went out to the garden. I looked at the leaf lettuce and was upset to see that many of the leaves had been half eaten. There were hundreds of bugs all over them! I tried to get them off, but there were just too many. I looked at the carrots next, but they didn’t look healthy. I pulled up a carrot, but it was tiny and looked like something had taken small bites from it.
問2
Which of the following was a problem in the garden?
1. Animals often dug in the garden.
2. Insects ate the lettuce and carrots.
3. The plants were given too much water.
4. The vegetables were marked incorrectly.
【解説】
「庭での問題は次のうちどれですか」
1. Animals often dug in the garden.
「動物がしばしば庭で穴を掘った」
動物はでできていないですね。この選択肢は違います。
2. Insects ate the lettuce and carrots.
「昆虫がレタスとニンジンを食べました」
本文にこうあります。
I looked at the leaf lettuce and was upset to see that many of the leaves had been half eaten.
「葉っぱのレタスを見ると、葉っぱが半分食べられているのに気が動転しました」
何があったのでしょうか。
There were hundreds of bugs all over them!
「それらの至る所に何百もの虫がいました！」
さらにこうあります。
I pulled up a carrot, but it was tiny and looked like something had taken small bites from it.
「私はニンジンを引き上げましたが、それは小さく、何かが少し噛んだように見えました」
ということで、この選択肢が正解です。
3. The plants were given too much water.
「植物はあまりにも多くの水を与えられました」
水に関しては、第二段落にこうありました。
I assumed that the little plants would continue to grow as long as they had water, and luckily it rained fairly often so I didn’t think much about the garden.
「小さな植物は水さえあれば成長し続けると思いましたが、幸いにもかなり雨が降ったため、庭についてはあまり考えていませんでした」
たくさん雨が降りましたが、luckily とありますので、多すぎたということではなさそうです。
4. The vegetables were marked incorrectly.
「野菜は間違って記されました」
mark に関しては、第二段落にこうありました。
he put wooden stakes marked with the name of the vegetable on each row
「彼は野菜の名前が記された木の棒を各列に置いた」
これが間違っていたという話はありません。ということで、この選択肢は違います。
【正解】2
問3
問題次の英文を読み、下の問いの ( ) に入れるのに最も適当なものを、下の1～4の内から一つ選べ。
By the end of April, his plants had come up in neat rows, and he put wooden stakes marked with the name of the vegetable on each row. Unfortunately, in early May, my father was seriously injured in an accident. He was in the hospital for about two months and during that time he often asked me about his garden. Even after he came home, he had to stay in bed for a while. My mother had several business trips so she couldn’t take care of the garden. I didn’t want my father to worry, so without being asked, I said that I would take care of his garden until he recovered. I assumed that the little plants would continue to grow as long as they had water, and luckily it rained fairly often so I didn’t think much about the garden.
One Saturday morning in July, my father said to me, “Christine, I think that the vegetables should be about ready to be picked. Let’s have a salad today!” I took a bowl and went out to the garden. I looked at the leaf lettuce and was upset to see that many of the leaves had been half eaten. There were hundreds of bugs all over them! I tried to get them off, but there were just too many. I looked at the carrots next, but they didn’t look healthy. I pulled up a carrot, but it was tiny and looked like something had taken small bites from it.
I panicked for a moment, but then thought of a good idea. I got my wallet, quietly went out the door, and rode my bicycle to the nearest store to buy some vegetables. I went back home and cut them up to make a salad for my father.
When I gave it to him, he said, “Oh, Christine, what a beautiful salad! I can’t believe the carrots are this big already. The lettuce is so crisp and delicious. You must be taking very good care of my garden.” My father looked happy, but I felt a little bit guilty.
問3
Christine could secretly make the salad from store-bought vegetables because ( ).
1. her father couldn’t see the garden’s progress
2. her father was in the hospital at that time
3. her mother helped her to buy the vegetables
4. her mother helped her to make a spray
【解説】
「クリスティーンは店で買った野菜から秘密にサラダを作ることができました。なぜなら ( ) からです」
3. her mother helped her to buy the vegetables
「彼女の母親は彼女が野菜を買うのを手伝った」
この時母親は仕事で出かけていましたね。ということで、この選択肢は違います。
4. her mother helped her to make a spray
「彼女の母親は彼女がスプレーを作るのを手伝った」
この話は第六段落で出てきますが、サラダを秘密に作ることとは関係ありません。ということで、この選択肢は違います。
2. her father was in the hospital at that time
「彼女の父親は当時入院していた」
第二段落にこうあります。
Even after he came home, he had to stay in bed for a while.
「彼は家に帰った後も、しばらくベッドにいなければなりませんでした」
ということで、退院していますね。この選択肢は違います。
1. her father couldn’t see the garden’s progress
「彼女の父親は庭の進展を見ることができなかった」
先ほど確認したように、退院した後もベッドにいなければならなかったということは、庭の様子を見ることができなかったと考えられます。
父親は庭の様子を見ることができなかったので、クリスティーンが店で買った野菜を使ってサラダを作っても、それが庭でとれたものなのか、店で買ったものなのかの判断がつきません。だから、ばれなかったということです。
ということで、この選択肢が正解です。
【正解】1
問4
問題次の英文を読み、下の問いの ( ) に入れるのに最も適当なものを、下の1～4の内から一つ選べ。
I went back to the kitchen and was cleaning up when my mother came home from her most recent business trip. She saw the bag from the supermarket. I was embarrassed when she looked at me. So, I confessed, “Dad wanted a salad, but the garden was a disaster. I didn’t want to disappoint him so I went to the store.” She laughed but promised to make time to help me in the garden, and we worked hard for the next few weeks. We made a mixture of water with chopped-up fresh hot peppers and then sprayed it on the vegetables. I thought this was a great idea because the spray is not harmful to humans or animals, or even the bugs. They simply don’t like the spicy water. The bug-free vegetables grew quickly, and finally I was able to pick some.
問4
Which of the following is closest to the meaning of the underlined word bug-free?
1. All bugs have been killed.
2. Bugs can do what they like.
3. No bugs can be found.
4. The bugs don’t cost any money.
【解説】
「下線部の語 bug-free の意味に最も近いものは次のうちどれですか」
bug-free の直前の文を確認してみましょう。
1. All bugs have been killed.
「すべての虫が殺された」
本文にこうあります。
I thought this was a great idea because the spray is not harmful to humans or animals, or even the bugs.
「スプレーは人間や動物、あるいは虫にも害がないので、これは素晴らしいアイデアだと思いました」
害がないということは、殺されてはいません。この選択肢は違います。
2. Bugs can do what they like.
「虫が好きなようにできる」
free を「自由」と考えてしまうと、これを選ぶことになるのですね。この選択肢は違います。
3. No bugs can be found.
「虫が見つけられない」
本文にこうあります。
They simply don’t like the spicy water.
「それらは単にスパイシーな水が好きではない」
spicy water が嫌いだから、野菜に虫がつかないということですね。この選択肢が正解です。
サントリーにオールフリーという、ノンアルコールビールがあります。これは、アルコールだけでなく、カロリー、糖質、プリン体もゼロ、なのだそうです。つまり bug-free の free は「ゼロ」の意味になります。
4. The bugs don’t cost any money.
「虫はお金がかからない」
free を「無料」と考えてしまうと、これを選ぶことになるのですね。この選択肢は違います。
【正解】3
問5
I carefully made a salad and took it to my father. He looked at it with a hint of a smile. “Christine, the carrots are smaller in this salad, but they taste better.” I realized that he had known all along about my shopping trip. I smiled back at him.
Now, I better understand how putting a lot of effort into caring for something can help you appreciate the results more, however small they may be. Perhaps this was one of the reasons for my father’s love of gardening.
In a few days he’ll be back in the garden. I’ll be right beside him helping him in any way I can.
問5
What did Christine learn through her experience of gardening?
1. Always prepare for a rainy day.
2. Don’t be disappointed by bugs.
3. Hard work can be rewarding.
4. Working alone produces results.
【解説】
「クリスティンは彼女の園芸の経験を通して何を学びましたか」
1. Always prepare for a rainy day.
「常に雨の日の準備をする」
雨が降っているからといって、安心している描写はありましたが、それと虫が大量発生したことは直接関係はありませんよね。この選択肢は違います。
2. Don’t be disappointed by bugs.
「虫にがっかりしない」
いや、虫がついていたらがっかりしますよね。そうならないように色々工夫したわけですから、この選択肢は違います。
3. Hard work can be rewarding.
「一生懸命働くと報いがある」
本文にこうあります。
Now, I better understand how putting a lot of effort into caring for something can help you appreciate the results more, however small they may be.
「今ではどんなに小さくても、何かを世話することに多くの努力をすることが、より多くの結果を認めるのにどれほど役に立つかを、私はより理解しています」
ややこしい内容ですが、要するに「頑張ったらいいことがある」ということですよね。この選択肢が正解です。
4. Working alone produces results.
「1人で働くと結果が得られる」
途中、母親と一緒にやっていましたし、最後は父親と一緒にやっていましたね。「1人で働くと」という部分が違います。
【正解】3
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