問1
問題次の問いのパラグラフ(段落)には、まとまりをよくするために取り除いた方がよい文が1つある。取り除く文として最も適当なものを、下線部1～4のうちから1つ選べ。
問1
When flying across the United States, you may see giant arrows made of concrete on the ground. Although nowadays these arrows are basically places of curiosity, in the past, pilot absolutely needed them when flying from one side of the country to the other. (1)The arrows were seen as being so successful that some people even suggested floating arrows on the Atlantic Ocean. (2)Pilots used the arrows as guides on the flights between New York and San Francisco. (3)Every 16 kilometers, pilots would pass a 21-meter-long arrow that was painted bright yellow. (4)A rotating light in the middle and one light at each end made the arrow visible at night. Since the 1940s, other navigation methods have been introduced and the arrows are generally not used today. Pilots flying through mountainous areas in Montana, however, do still rely on some of them.
【解説】
(1) The arrows were seen as being so successful that some people even suggested floating arrows on the Atlantic Ocean.
「矢印は大成功していると見られたので、大西洋に矢印を浮かべることを提案する人もいました」
(2) Pilots used the arrows as guides on the flights between New York and San Francisco.
「パイロットは、矢印をニューヨークとサンフランシスコ間のフライトの案内として使用しました」
(3) Every 16 kilometers, pilots would pass a 21-meter-long arrow that was painted bright yellow.
「明るい黄色に塗られた21メートルの矢印を、16キロメートルごとにパイロットは通過しました」
(4) A rotating light in the middle and one light at each end made the arrow visible at night.
「真ん中の回転ライトと両端の1つのライトにより、夜間に矢印が表示されました」
(2)(3)(4)は矢印についての説明で、(1)は矢印にまつわるエピソードです。一つだけ外れていますので、(1)が不要と考えることができるかと思います。
とはいえ、別に(2)(3)(4)のうちのどれかがなくても、話の流れは止まらない気がします。ただそうすると、その消したものと一緒に(1)を消した方がすっきりしますので、やはり消すべきは(1)になりそうです。
【正解】1
問2
問題次の問いのパラグラフ(段落)には、まとまりをよくするために取り除いた方がよい文が1つある。取り除く文として最も適当なものを、下線部1～4のうちから1つ選べ。
問2
Living in the city and living in the country require different skills. This is true for humans, of course, but also for birds. In one study, scientists took 53 birds from urban and rural areas of Barbados, one of the Caribbean islands, conducted a variety of tests, released them back into their natural surroundings, and reported their findings. (1)The birds from urban areas were better at problem-solving tasks than the ones from rural environments. (2)The researchers prepared several experiments to check the differences between the groups of birds. (3)The urban birds had more capacity to resist disease than the rural ones. (4)The researchers had expected that in comparison to the rural birds, the urban birds would be smarter but weaker. Being both smart and strong was thought to be unlikely. However, it seems that urban birds have it all.
【解説】
(1) The birds from urban areas were better at problem-solving tasks than the ones from rural environments.
「都市部からの鳥は、農村環境からの鳥よりも問題解決のタスクに優れていました」
(2) The researchers prepared several experiments to check the differences between the groups of birds.
「研究者たちは鳥のグループ間の違いを確認するためにいくつかの実験を準備しました」
ここまで読んだときに、違和感を感じると思います。(1)は実験の結果なのに、(2)は実験の準備の話になっています。あるとしても順序が逆ですね。
ということで、(1)か(2)のどちらかを消すことになると思われます。
(1)の前の文に、こうあります。
In one study, scientists took 53 birds from urban and rural areas of Barbados, one of the Caribbean islands, conducted a variety of tests, released them back into their natural surroundings, and reported their findings.
「ある研究では、科学者たちはカリブ海の島の1つであるバルバドスの都市部と農村部から53羽の鳥を取り、さまざまなテストを実施して自然環境に戻し、その結果を報告しました」
ということで、この後はその報告の内容になるはずですから、(2)を消すことになります。
念のため続きを見てみましょう。
(3) The urban birds had more capacity to resist disease than the rural ones.
「都市の鳥は農村の鳥よりも病気に抵抗する能力が高かった」
(4) The researchers had expected that in comparison to the rural birds, the urban birds would be smarter but weaker.
「研究者たちは田舎の鳥と比較して、都市の鳥はより賢いがより弱いだろうと予想していました」
Being both smart and strong was thought to be unlikely. However, it seems that urban birds have it all.
「賢くて強いということはありえないと考えられていました。 しかし、都市の鳥はそれをすべて持っているようです」
「賢い」の内容が(1)で、「強い」の内容が(3)ですので、やはり(1)は消すことができません。
(4)はなくてもよい気がしますが、比較すると(2)はあると話の流れがおかしくなるレベルなので、やはり消すべきは(2)です。
【正解】2
問3
問3
Formal dinners in England during the Tudor era (1485-1603) were called feasts. They were magnificent, and everything was done carefully in order to show one’s wealth and place in society. (1)Whatever happened at the feasts reflected social class, even the order in which people walked into the room. (2)There was a top table and the highest ranking guest would sit on the right of the king or queen. (3)Gold and silver dishes were also laid out to emphasize how rich the family was. (4)The way feats were held during the Tudor era has been richly presented in various films. The guests were not allowed to start eating before the ruler and had to stop eating once he or she had finished. When you could and couldn’t eat followed strict and complicated rules, like all aspects of the feast.
【解説】
(1) Whatever happened at the feasts reflected social class, even the order in which people walked into the room.
「feasts で起こったことは、人々が部屋に入る順番でさえ、社会階級を反映していました」
(2) There was a top table and the highest ranking guest would sit on the right of the king or queen.
「トップのテーブルがあり、最高位のゲストはキングまたはクイーンの右側に座っていました」
(3) Gold and silver dishes were also laid out to emphasize how rich the family was.
「その家族の豊かさを強調するため、金と銀の皿もレイアウトされました」
(4) The way feats were held during the Tudor era has been richly presented in various films.
「チューダー時代の feats のやり方は、さまざまな映画に十分に上映されてきました」
(1)(2)(3)は feats についての説明で、(4)は feats が映画に取り上げられたという話です。話題が(4)で転換したと考えると、特に取り除くものがなさそうに感じます。
その次の文も確認してみましょう。
The guests were not allowed to start eating before the ruler and had to stop eating once he or she had finished.
「客は君主の前で食事を始めることは許されず、彼または彼女が終わったら食事をやめなければなりませんでした」
まだ feats についての説明が続いていますね。ということで feats 自体の内容に関係しない(4)が不必要な文です。
【正解】4
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