この講座では、「英検2級」合格を目指す皆さんを対象に、試験で出題された問題を紹介し、その解き方について分かりやすく解説していきます。
大問3 長文の語句空所補充問題
「大問3 長文の語句空所補充問題」について学習します。
問題を解いたら、次ページの解答・解説を読み、きちんと理解するようにしましょう。
大問3は空所が4つある300語~350語の長文が2題、2ページに出題されます。選択肢は4つで各1点。(リスニングも含めた試験問題全体の約11%)。この問題の良いところは、順を追って内容を把握できれば、連続して正解できることです。なお、正しい品詞を入れるといった文法知識が問われることはありません。
Questions ~問題~
次の英文を読み、その文意にそって(1)から(4)までの( )に入れるのに最も適切なものを1, 2, 3, 4の中から一つ選びなさい。
[※ 2015年度 第1回問題より]
Plastic from Air
One major cause of global warming is the release of carbon dioxide by companies and individuals into the air. Because of this, researchers around the world are trying to find new ways to reduce the amount being ( 1 ). Some ideas include using fossil fuels more efficiently or finding new sources of energy. Another solution has been to find ways to trap and store carbon dioxide. It is also possible, however, to make the carbon in carbon dioxide into materials.
One example of a company that has begun to make materials from carbon dioxide is Newlight Technologies, which was formed by two friends, Mark Herrema and Kenton Kimmel. They found a way to separate the carbon from carbon dioxide. They then used the carbon to create a kind of plastic. This plastic has various advantages. First of all, the process of making it removes carbon from the atmosphere. ( 2 ), unlike traditional plastics, it quickly breaks up and is absorbed into the environment after it is thrown away. Also, it is cheaper than regular plastics, which are made from oil. This could make it popular with manufacturers. In fact, the new plastic is already being used in various ways, and demand for it is increasing. Because of this, the owners are now ( 3 ) the business.
Other companies are using carbon dioxide to make other sorts of materials. One company creates a soft material which is made stronger by carbon dioxide from the air. It can be used in buildings, shoes, and other goods. Another company has found a way to create a kind of stone by combining carbon dioxide with other substances. This could be used in buildings or in roads. All of these materials have the advantage that they are cheap and, in turn, attractive to manufacturers. Because of this, they seem likely to become some of the most ( 4 ) ways of dealing with carbon dioxide.
(1)
- destroyed
- purchased
- produced
- buried
(2)
- Nevertheless
- Therefore
- Occasionally
- Moreover
(3)
- explaining
- closing
- expanding
- selling
(4)
- successful
- costly
- difficult
- educational
学習アドバイス
長文の内容を理解するためには、各段落がそれぞれ何について述べているのかを考えながら読んでいくと、全体の構成がよくわかってきます。そして解答する際には、空欄の前後を注意深く読みましょう。逆の内容なのか、例をあげているのか、前に述べたことに情報をつけたしているのかなどを読みとるようにするとよいですね。
長文を読む力を伸ばしていくために、各段落の内容を簡潔にまとめる練習をすると効果的です。また、幅広い分野のトピックに慣れるため、英検の過去問題に取り組んだり、週刊の英字新聞などを読む習慣をつけましょう。