2019/01/31

2019 センター英語(第2問 A)

【備忘録】

◆ 文法・語法 問題

問1 Casey was getting worried because the bus going to the airport was clearly [  8  ] schedule.
 
① after   ② behide   ③ late   ④ slow
 
問2  If you are in a hurry, you should call Double Quick Taxi because they usually come in [  9  ] time.
 
① any   ② few   ③ no   ④ some
 
問3  After [  10  ] dropping the expensive glass vase, James decided not to touch any other objects in the store.
 
almost   ② at most   ③ most   ④ mostly
 
問4  We should make the changes to the document quickly as we are [  11  ] out of time.
 
① going   ② running   ③ spending   ④ wasting
 
問5  It was impossible to [  12  ] everyone's demands about the new project.
 
① carry   ② somplete   ③ hold   ④ meet
 
問6  Write a list of everything you need for the camping trip.  [  13  ], you might forget to buy some things.
 
① As a result  ② In addition  ③ Otherwise  ④ Therefore
 
問7  Text messaging has become a common [  14  ] of communication between individuals.
 
① mean   ② meaning   ③ means   ④ meant
 
問8  I was (  A  ) when I watched the completely (  B  ) ending of the movie.
 
① A:shocked    B:surprised
② A:shocked    B:surprising
③ A:shocking    B:surprised
④ A:shocking    B:surprising
 
問9  (  A  ) is no (  B  ) the increase in traffic on this highway during holidays.
 
① A:It    B:aavoid
② A:It    B:avoiding 
③ A:There    B:avoid
④ A:There    B:avoiding 
 
問10  The police officer asked the witness (  A  ) the situation as (  B  ) as possible.
 
① A:describing    B:accurate
② A:describing    B:accurately 
③ A:to describe    B:accurate
④ A:to describe    B:accurately
 

2019/01/30

2019 センター英語(第2問 B)

【備忘録】

◆ 整序英作文 問題

問1

YukioDid you hear that a new entrance ID system will be introduced next month?
Lucas:  Really?  Do we need it?  I [wonder how much it will cost] to replace the current system.

問2

David:  What's the plan for your trip to England?
SakiI'll spend the first few days in London and then be in Cambridge [for the rest of my stay].

問3

Junko:  The party | we went to last night was very noisy.  My throat is still sore from speaking loudly the whole time.
Ronald:  Yeah.  It can sometimes [be difficult to make yourself heard] in such a crowded place.
     

2019/01/29

2019 センター英語(第2問 C)

【備忘録】

◆ 対話文中の英文完成 問題

問1

Museum guide:  The number of visitors has dropped this month.
Museum guard:  It's probably because of the construction on the second floor.
Museum guide:  Yes, the "Treasures of Egypt" exhibit there always attracted so many people.
Museum guard:  So, [  24  ] the most popular area is closed.

(A) I can't help
(B) it can't be helped

(A) that there are fewer people
(B) that there are more people

(A) during
(B) while


問2

Masa:  I heard that last night's baseball game was the longest this season.  You were there, weren't you?
Alice:  That's right.  It was so exciting watching it live at the stadium.
Masa:  It must have been late when it finished.  How did you get home?
Alice:  Yes, it was really late.  [  25  ]  It was crowded, but riding with hundreds of other fans was fun.

(A) I was barely able to
(B) I was seldom able to

(A) catch
(B) miss

(A) a taxi.
(B) the last train.


問3

Tetsuya:  I haven't seen John today.
Brent:  I heard that he's sick and will be absent from work for a few days.
Tetsuya:  That's too badIsn't he in charge of the meeting later today?
Brent:  Yes.  [  26  ]  Without him, we can't talk about those issues.

(A) I'm afraid
(B) I'm afraid of

(A) the meeting will have to be held
(B) the meeting will have to be put off

(A) until next week.
(B) until this evening

2019/01/28

2019 センター英語(第3問 A)

【備忘録】

◆ 不要な文の選択

問1

     When flying across the United States, you may see giant arrows made of concrete on the ground.  Although noadays these arrows are basically places of curiousity, in the past, pilots absolutely needed them when flying from one side of the country to the other.  ①The arrows were seen as being so successful that some people even suggested floating arrows on the Atlantic Ocean.  ②Pilots used the arows as guides on the flights between New York and San Francisco.  ③Every 16 kilometers, pilots would pass a 21-meter-long arrow that was painted bright yellow.  ④A 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 moountainous areas in Montana, however, do still rely on some of them.


 

2019/01/26

2019 センター英語(第3問 A)

【備忘録】

◆ 不要な文の選択

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.  ①The birds from urban areas were better at problem-solving tasks than the ones from rural environments.  ②The researchers prepared several experiments to check the differences between the groups of birds.  ③The urban birds had more capacity to resist disease than the rural ones.  ④The researchers had expected that in comparison to the rural birds, the urbn 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.


 

2019/01/25

2019 センター英語(第3問 A )

【備忘録】

◆ 不要な文の選択

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.  ①Whatever happened at the feasts reflected social class, even the order in which people walked into the room.  ②There was a top table and the highest ranking guest would sit on the right of the king or the queen.  ③Gold and silver dishes were also laid out to emphasize how rich the family was.  ④The way feasts 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 finishedWhen you could and couldn't eat followed strict and complicated rules, like all aspects of the feast.

 

2019/01/24

2019 センター英語(第3問 B)

【備忘録】

◆ 意見内容の要約 問題

Sean:  Thanks for coming in on a Saturday, everyone.  It wasn't easy to find a time for us all to sit down and talkAs you know, Ms. Guillot is retiring this year.  It is our responsibility to arrange a gift for her on behalf of all current and former students.  We don't have much time before her party, so I'd really like to reach a final decision today.  Did you come up with any ideas?

Alex:  Not exactly, but I've heard that many teachers get bored after retirement.  I don't think we should get her something like a painting, because it would just sit on the wall.  If we buy her something that she can make the most of on a daily basis, then she will feel the appreciation all her students have for her more often.
 
Sean:  Thanks, Alex.  So, you think giving her something [  30  ] would be appropriate, right?
 
① she can use quite regularly
to make her house look nice
to share at the retirement party
④ we students made ourselves
 
Alex:  Yes, I think that would be best.
 
Thomas:  I don't think Ms. Guillot will be bored in her retirement.  We all know that she is very active.  She often participates in sporting events and loves spending time outside.  I heard that on Saturdays and Sundays, she runs in the mornings and plays tennis in the evening.  She hardly ever stays indoors and never misses her daily walk even if it is raining.
 
Anne:  And, she loves doing work in her garden, too.  I've seen some pictures of her house.  She has a beautiful garden and a massive deck.  She has a great variety of flowers and vegetables.  She often spends time relaxing on her deck just enjoying the view of her garden.
 
Sean:  Thomas and Anne, it seems that you both think we should consider Ms. Guillot's [  31  ] when we buy her present.
 
① art works
② garden
③ leisure time
④ weekends
 
Anne: That's rightBut it's a little hard to come up with an actual item, isn't it?
 
Mimi:  Why don't we get her something she can use for entertaining people?  Ms. Guillot loves cooking and I heard she has small parties at her house every couple of weeks.  Hmm..., I don't think we need to get her anything to use in the kitchen, as she seems to have plenty of that kind of stuff already.  And usually, people who like cooking have their own preferences when it comes to things like that.

Sally:  I agree.  She's told us about her parties.  She often mentions that whenever she has them, everyone has to go inside to eat if they want to sit down.  Perhaps something that she can use when entertaining her guests would be most appropriate.

Anne:  I think that's a great pointOnce she has retired, I'm sure she'll be having more of those parties.  Who knows?  Maybe she'll even invite us!

Sean:  That would be nice, wouldn't it, Anne?  Well, thank you for all your ideas.  Considering what we have discussed, I think a present such as [  32  ] will be best as it seems to match what everyone has said about Ms. Guillot.

① a large bunch of flowers
② a statue for her garden
③ some outdoor furniture
④ some sets for cooking

 

2019/01/23

2019 センター英語(第4問 A)

【備忘録】

◆ 説明文の読解問題


     Art may reflect the ways people lived.  Researchers have discussed how art portrays clothing and social settings.  One study was conducted to determine if this idea could be extended to paintings featuring family meals.  The results of this study might help illustrate why certain kinds of foods were painted.
 
     The researchers examined 140 paintings of family meals painted from the years 1500 to 2000.  These came from five countries: the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.  The researchers examined each painting for the presence of 91 foods, with absence coded as 0 and presence coded as 1.  For example, when one or more onions appeared in a painting, the researchers coded it as 1.  Then they calculated the percentage of the paintings from these countries that included each food.
 
     Table 1 shows the percentage of paintings with selected foods.  The researchers discussed several findings.  First, some paintings from these countries included foods | the researchers had expected.  Shellfish were most common in the Netherlands' (Dutch) paintings, which was anticipated as nearly half of its border touches the sea.  Second, some paintings did not include foods | the researchers had expected.  Shellfish and fish each appeared in less than 12 % of the paintings from the United Stages, France, and Italy although large portions of these countries border oceans or seas.  Chicken, a common food, seldom appeared in the paintings.  Third, some paintings included foods | the researchers had not expected.  For example, among German paintings, 20% of them included shellfish although only 6% of the country touches the sea.  Also, lemons were most common in paintings from the Netherlands, even though they do not grow there naturally.
 
Table 1
The Frequency of Selected Foods shown in Piantings by Percentage
 
     Compairing  these results with previous research, the researchers concluded that food art does not necessarily portray actual life.  The researchers offered some explanations for this.  One explanation is that artists painted some foods to express their interest in the larger world.  Another is that painters wanted to show their technique by painting more challenging foods.  For example, the complexity of a lemon's surface and interior might explain its popularity, especially among Dutch artists.  As other interpretations are possible, it is necessary to examine the paintings from different perspectives.  These are the period in which the paintigns were completed and the cultural associations of foods.  Both issues will be taken up in the following sections.
 
(Brian Wansink 他(2016) Food Art Does Not Reflect Reality: A Quantitative Contesnt Analysis of Meals in Popular Paintings の一部を参考に作成)
 
 
問1 For the category "Apples" in this research, a painting with two whole apples and one apple cut in half would be labeled as [  33  ].
 
① 0  ② 1  ③ 2  ④ 3
 
問2 According to Table 1, the paintings from [  34  ].
 
① France included apples at a lower percentage than the German ones
② France included cheese at a higher percentage than the Dutch ones
③ Italy included bread at a lower percentage than the american ones
④ Italy included onions at a higher percentage than the German ones
 
問3 According to the passage and Table 1, [  35  ].
 
① chicken frequently appeared in the American paintings because people there often ate chicken
② fish appeared in less than one tenth of the Italian paintings though much of Italy lies next to seas
③ lemons appeared in more than half of the Dutch paintings as they are native to the Netherlands
④ shellfish appeared in half of the paintings from each of the five coutnries because they touch seas
 
問4 According to the passage, foods in these paintings can 36  ].
 
demonstrate the painters' knowledge of history
display the painters' desire to stay in their countries
indicate the painters' artistic skills and abilities
reflect the painters' love of their local foods
 
 

2019/01/22

2019 センター英語(第4問 B)

【備忘録】

◆ 説明文の読解問題

B

Castles in Grandlefork

Crestvale Castle
This ruined 13th-century castle, built to defend the northern border of Grandlefolk, is currently being studied by researchers.  During the open season, except on sundays, guides explain what the research is revealing about local history.

Holmsted Castle
Holmsted Castle, built in the 12th century to protect the southern border area, fell into ruin in the 16th century.  At the entrance, signboards explain its history.  This castle's open spaces are suitable for performances.

King's Castle
Dating back to the 11th century, King's Castle is one of the grandest in the country.  Its large collecdtion of paintings and furniture provide a look at the area's past.  Guides are available every day.

Rosebush Castle
Though called a castle, this perfectly preserved 15th-century building was constructed purely as a family home.  From Mondays to Fridays, guides tell the story of the family's history and explain their collection of modern sculptures.  Some of its rooms are available for public events.

The table is omitted.
 
 
問1 What is common characteristic of all four castles?
 
① Amount of damage
② Displays of pictures andweapons
③ Histories of more than 500 years
④ Purposes of construction
 
問2 Three guitar club members from Grandlefolk University want to give a concert one afternoon in April.  Which castle are they most likely to choose?
 
① Crestvale Castle
② Holmsted Castle
③ King's Castle
④ Rosebush Castle
 
問3 Teachers at one school want to take their students to Grandlefolk one Saturday in May.  The purpose is to expand the students' knowledge of the area's history by visiting castles and listening to explanations from the castle staff.  Which two castles are the teachers most likely to select?
 
① Crestvale Castle and Holmsted Castle
② Crestvale Castle and King's Castle
③ Rosebush Castle and Holmsted Castle
④ Rosebush Castle and King's Castle
 
問4 A mother, father, and their two children, ages 4 and 8, will visit one of the castles in Grandlefolk for one day in September and want to see fine arts.  How much will it cost?
 
① €14  ② €17  ③ €20  ④ €25
 
 

2019/01/21

2019 センター英語(第5問)

【備忘録】

◆ 物語の読解問題    

     "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.
 
   One Saturday morning in July, my father said to me, "Christine, I think that the vegetables should be about ready to be pickedLet'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 eatenThere 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.
 
     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.
 
     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. (650 words)


 

2019/01/20

2019 センター英語(第6問)

【備忘録】

◆ 評論文の読解問題

(1)      From quiet paths by a stream in a forest to busy roads running through a city, people have created various forms of routes in different places.  These now exist all around us, and their use is imperative for societies.  These routes have enabled people to move, transport things, and send information from one place to another quickly and safely.  Throughout history, they have been important in our daily lives.
 
(2)     Early routes were often formed naturally on land.  They gradually developed over long periods of time while people traveled them on foot or horseback.  A significant turning point in their history arrived when the first wheeled carts appeared in ancient times.  Once this happened, people recognized the importance of well-maintained routes.  Therefore, towns, cities, and entire countries improved them in order to prosper.  As a result, life became more convenient, communities grew, economies evolved, and cultures expanded.  The importance of land routes increased further, especially after the appearance of automobiles.
 
(3)     People have established routes on water, too.  Rivers and canals have served as effective routes for people to move around and carry things.  For instance, in the old Japanese city of Edo, water routes were used for the transportation of agricultural products, seafood, and wood, which supported the city's life and economy.  People have also opened routes across the sea.  The seaways, which developed based on winds, waves, water depths, and coastline geography, were critical for the navigation of ships, particularly in the days when they moved mainly by wind power.  Using these sea routes, people could travel great distances and go to places | they had not previously been able to reach.  A number of important sea routes emerged, leading to the exchange of natural resources, products, and ideas.  This, in turn, helped cities and towns thrive.
 
(4)     Poeple have gone on to open routes in the sky as well.  Since the invention of the airplane, these routes have made it possible for people to travel long distances easily.  They found the best routes by considering conditions such as winds and air currents.  Eventually, people became able to travel safely and confortably high in the sky, and going vast distances only took a small amount of time.  In fact, people used to need more than one month to travel to Europe from Japan by ship, whereas today they can travel between them in a single day by airplane.  Owing to the establishment of these sky routes, a great number of people now travel around the world for sightseeing, visiting friends, and doing business.
 
(5)     Today, we have a new type of route, the Internet, which specializes in the electronic exchange of information.  By using this worldwide route, people can easily obtain information that once was available mainly from books and face-to-face communication.  They can also instantly send messages to large numbers of people all at once.  According to one study, more than 3.5 billion people, which is about half of the global population, have access to this electronic route today.  As technology advances, more and more people will take advantage of this route to gather information and communicate.
 
(6)     As long as there have been people, there have been routes to connect them.  These have contributed not only to the movement of people, things, and information, but also to the development of our communities, economies, and cultures.  Routes have played significant roles in the development and prosperity of humankind.  Currently unknown routes will surely take us even further in the future.
 
         

2019/01/18

武者震い

いよいよ明日から,大学入試センター試験が始まる。

志願者数は,全国で57万6,829人(現役生46万4,950人,既卒者10万6,682人)。

埼玉県出身者は,3万1,9021人(現役生2万5,750人,既卒者6,152人)である。

現高校3年生の10人に4.4人が受験する。


一昨日,一人の塾生からこんな言葉を聞いた。

「先生,今度の英検,2級を受験するんですが,もう早く受けたくてしょうがないのですよ。今までは試験と聞くと頭がいたかったんですが,こんなに試験を待ち遠しい気持ちになるなんて,初めてのことです。」

これはまさに,「武者震い」である。大辞林によると, 戦いや重大事に臨んだときなどに,心が奮い立ち,からだが小刻みに震えることとある。

私も例えばマラソン大会の直前などには,一種の高揚感に包まれ,苦しいだろうな,走り切れるかな,などという弱気な思いや雑念は一切頭をよぎらない。

周りはみな,君の同志である。

試験前はあめちゃんでもなめながら,心の中で「うぉー」と叫んでみてほしい。声に出すと別室に連れていかれるので,あくまでも心の中でね。

すると「始め」の合図とともに,気持ちがすぅーと落ち着いて,問題に集中できることになる。試験前にあまりに冷静さを保とうとすると,問題用紙を開いたとたんに心臓がばくばくしてしまいかねない。

試験前に心の中で「うぉー」です。周りはみな,君の同志です。

健闘を祈ります。


2019/01/17

速音読チャレンジ

1分以内で読めますか?
 


浦和英語塾では,昨年の夏から,レッスン冒頭の1分間を使って,「速音読」チャレンジに取り組んでいます。

テキストは齊藤孝先生の『楽しみながら1分で脳を鍛える 速音読』(致知出版社,1.404円)という本です。

漱石,賢治,太宰,ニーチェ,ドストエフスキー,シェイクスピア,寿限無,うゐろう売りなど,名作の書き出しやクライマックスが収録されています。

脳を鍛えて教養を高めると謳っているテキスト55本を,1本ずつそれぞれ1分以内で音読しよう!というチャレンジです。

小学生全学年を対象とした,同じく斎藤孝先生の『国語の力がグングン伸びる1分間速音読ドリル』とほぼ同内容ですから,できないとちょっと恥ずかしい。

もちろん1回で読なくても,繰り返し読んでいれば必ず1分以内で読めるようになります。この過程を塾生の皆さんはエンジョイしているようです。



できる人は,
できるまでやったからできる人。

できない人は,
(もう少しのところで)やり切れなかったから
いつまでもできない人。

紙一重だが,雲泥の差。



【速音読で期待できること】

1.頭の回転が速くなる
2.記憶力が高まる
3.テキパキ話せるようになる
4.コミュニケーション能力が上がる
5.気分が爽快になる
6.集中力が高まる


【塾生の感想】

・課題のスピードリーディングも得意になった。
・達成感が半端ない!
・過程を楽しむこと の意味がわかった。
・努力は当たり前,できるまでやることに意味がある。
・日本語の表現の豊かさに驚いた。
・読んだ分だけ,速く上手に深く読める。
・英語も同じ調子でがんばる。
・はじめは時間を気にせず,人に伝えるようにしっかり読むことがコツ。



2019/01/10

年の初めに自分自身に問うてみたい,自分の感受性くらい。


自分の感受性くらい

ぱさぱさに乾いてゆく心を
ひとのせいにするな
みずから水やりを怠っておいて

気難しくなってきたのを
友人のせいにはするな
しなやかさを失ったのはどちらなのか

苛立つのを
近親のせいにはするな
なにもかも下手だったのはわたくし

初心消えかかるのを
暮らしのせいにはするな
そもそもが ひよわな志にすぎなかった

駄目なことの一切を
時代のせいにはするな
わずかに光る尊厳の放棄

自分の感受性くらい
自分で守れ
ばかものよ


茨木のり子著 『自分の感受性くらい』(花神社)より

2019/01/02

君の周りにある常緑樹は何か

恥ずかしながら,今日はじめて常緑樹の大切な存在に気がついた。これまでは,四季の移ろいを告げる落葉樹に目を向けてしまいがちだったのだが。。
 

 
 

2019/01/01

だるま山高原

 
HAPPY
NEW YEAR
2019
 
I wish you a year filled with peace,
good health and happiness.