物語文問題の内容一致問題ですが、選択肢の数も多いです。もちろん一つ一つ確認していかなくてはなりませんが、手順を誤るとなんども同じ選択肢を確認するなど、効率が悪くなってしまいます。それを防ぐための方法として◯×△の三つの記号で、選択肢を仕分けていく方法があります。実際の問題を使いながら確認していきましょう。
◯×△式解答法
It was the first day of camp. About an hour after everyone had arrived, I noticed a small boy sitting alone under a tree. He was thin, pale and obviously uneasy. Only fifty feet away, all the other campers were playing, joking and enjoying getting to know each other, but he seemed to want to be anywhere other than where he was. He had a lost look, a look of deep loneliness. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable approaching him, but our senior staff members had instructed us to watch for campers who might feel left out, campers just like this boy. I knew it was my responsibility to talk with him even though I felt it would not be easy.
I walked up to him and said, “Hi, my name is Kevin, and I’m one of the assistants.” In a small, shaky voice he shyly answered, “Hi, I’m Tommy.”
“Welcome to camp, Tommy. How’s it going?”
“Okay, I guess,” he said quietly, not looking at me.
“Do you want to join the activities and meet some new kids, or do you want to just sit here under this tree?” I asked with a smile. He replied unwillingly, “I’m fine here. This camp is not really my thing.” It was clear that camp life was new to him, and I somehow knew it would not be right to push him to join the other campers. Instead, I sat down and talked with him for a while, and then took him to his cabin. I hoped he would make some friends there.
After lunch the next day (次の日の昼食後), I led the two hundred campers in songs. I looked over the enthusiastic crowd and noticed Tommy, sitting alone, staring at the floor. I realized he was going to require some very special care. That night at our staff meeting, I told everyone about him, and asked them to pay attention to him and spend time with him whenever possible. Tommy became our special project. We always helped him participate in the camp activities, and slowly he opened up.
Time passed quickly, and Tommy became more active every day. In no time camp was over. As the campers celebrated at a farewell party, I suddenly saw what would be one of the most vivid memories of my life. The boy who had once sat alone under the tree was now dancing. Towards the end of the party, he was dancing as if he owned the dance floor, and talking with people he had not even been able to look at a few weeks earlier. The changes in Tommy were dramatic. All of the camp staff saw him as the camp’s greatest success.
About five years later (5年ほどが過ぎて), I got a letter from Tommy. I had not seen him since the night he was all over the dance floor, so it was a complete surprise to get a letter from him. And what the letter said was even more of a surprise.
In the letter, Tommy said, “I appreciate your help very much. On the first day of camp, you came up to me while I was sitting alone. After that, you always gave me special attention and encouraged me to join activities when I hesitated. As a result, I gradually got to know the other campers, and I even became ‘the king of the dance floor’ on the last night. Because of your help that summer, my life changed. I gained so much confidence that I went back to school as a new person. My grades improved. I became very active and made new friends. Today, I got a letter that said I have been given a scholarship for college next year. I am proud to have gotten it, but I know that if you had not helped me, I would not have. I just wanted to thank you for helping me become a different person.”
I have kept that letter; it is special to me. I read it sometimes to remind myself that we never know how much our actions may affect someone.本文の内容と合っているものを、次の1～8のうちから3つ選べ。1. Kevin did not enjoy his summer job at camp because he did not like uneasy campers.
2. At the beginning of camp life, Tommy looked as if he wished he were somewhere else.
3. Campers who did not join the activities were given special attention by the assistants.
4. Most of the children at the camp enjoyed participating in singing after lunch.
5. Kevin asked the other campers to help Tommy because he did not want to.
6. The camps staff found that Tommy was a failure on the final day of camp.
7. If Kevin had failed to help him, Tommy would not have remained lonely at the camp.
8. Tommy learned to make friends with others by hiding his true feelings.
本文を3つに区切り、その都度内容一致にあたることで、本文の内容を頭に残したまま問題を解くようにするのはいいけど、本当にうまくいくのかなぁ。
では「◯×△式解答法」をを使いながら解いてみましょう。まずは普通に「After lunch the next day,」の前のところまで読んで、内容一致に挑戦してみましょう。
内容と合っているなら選択肢の右に◯を、内容と合っていないなら選択肢の右に×を、判断できないなら選択肢の右に△を書いておきましょう。
1～6段落までの内容ですね。
× 1. Kevin did not enjoy his summer job at camp because he did not like uneasy campers.
◯ 2. At the beginning of camp life, Tommy looked as if he wished he were somewhere else.
◯ 3. Campers who did not join the activities were given special attention by the assistants.
△ 4. Most of the children at the camp enjoyed participating in singing after lunch.
△ 5. Kevin asked the other campers to help Tommy because he did not want to.
△ 6. The camps staff found that Tommy was a failure on the final day of camp.
△ 7. If Kevin had failed to help him, Tommy would not have remained lonely at the camp.
△ 8. Tommy learned to make friends with others by hiding his true feelings.
選択肢 3. はそれっぽいことが書いていたような気がするけど、少し自信がないなぁ。
では次に続きから「About five years later」の前のところまで読んで、内容一致に挑戦してみましょう。さっきと同じように◯×△をさらに右に書いていきましょう。
ちなみにすでに◯と×がつけられている選択肢1～3は、もう放っておいていいよ。
7と8段落の内容ですね。
─× 1. Kevin did not enjoy his summer job at camp because he did not like uneasy campers.
─◯ 2. At the beginning of camp life, Tommy looked as if he wished he were somewhere else.
─◯ 3. Campers who did not join the activities were given special attention by the assistants.
◯△ 4. Most of the children at the camp enjoyed participating in singing after lunch.
×△ 5. Kevin asked the other campers to help Tommy because he did not want to.
×△ 6. The camps staff found that Tommy was a failure on the final day of camp.
△△ 7. If Kevin had failed to help him, Tommy would not have remained lonely at the camp.
△△ 8. Tommy learned to make friends with others by hiding his true feelings.
選択肢 4. も少し自信ないなぁ・・・一応◯が3つ見つかったけど、少し心配だ。
では本文の最後の残りの部分を読んで、内容一致に挑戦しよう。
9～11段落の内容ですね。
──× 1. Kevin did not enjoy his summer job at camp because he did not like uneasy campers.
──◯ 2. At the beginning of camp life, Tommy looked as if he wished he were somewhere else.
──◯ 3. Campers who did not join the activities were given special attention by the assistants.
─◯△ 4. Most of the children at the camp enjoyed participating in singing after lunch.
─×△ 5. Kevin asked the other campers to help Tommy because he did not want to.
─×△ 6. The camps staff found that Tommy was a failure on the final day of camp.
×△△ 7. If Kevin had failed to help him, Tommy would not have remained lonely at the camp.
×△△ 8. Tommy learned to make friends with others by hiding his true feelings.
ふぅー。できました。7. と 8. が×と分かったので、自信がなかった 3. と 4. は◯でよいということですね。
でも解くのにかなり時間がかかったなぁ。選択肢 7. と 8. なんかは3回も読み直さなくちゃいけないし、2度手間、3度手間だよね。本文を区切って内容一致問題を解くのは、実はあまり使えないんじゃないのですか?
まだ◯×△式解答法の極意を伝授してないよ。ポイントは△の印です。なにか気づいたことはない?
△の印? うーんと・・・下の方に固まってる感じがするかなぁ・・・
そうです。実は内容一致の選択肢の内容は、本文と同じ順番になっています。つまり、△の下は当然△になるのです。
ということは最初1～6段落を読んで内容一致を解くとき、目を通すのは選択肢 4. までで、選択肢 5. 以降は目を通す必要がなかったんですね。
だから本当は
──× 1. Kevin did not enjoy his summer job at camp because he did not like uneasy campers.
──◯ 2. At the beginning of camp life, Tommy looked as if he wished he were somewhere else.
──◯ 3. Campers who did not join the activities were given special attention by the assistants.
─◯△ 4. Most of the children at the camp enjoyed participating in singing after lunch.
─× 5. Kevin asked the other campers to help Tommy because he did not want to.
─× 6. The camps staff found that Tommy was a failure on the final day of camp.
×△ 7. If Kevin had failed to help him, Tommy would not have remained lonely at the camp.
× 8. Tommy learned to make friends with others by hiding his true feelings.
というふうになっているのが正しいのです。
選択肢 4. と 7. だけ2回目を通すことになるけれど、それ以外は1回ですね。なるほど、これなら選択肢に何回も目を通さなくてもいいですね。
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