文と文の接続関係の把握により、全体の内容が理解しやすくなります。今回は、様々な接続パターンをマスターし、英検２級の題材に挑戦しましょう。
1.「文と文の接続パターン」の基礎
【1】「二項対立」の表現
SV…. In contrast, SV…
SV…(否定文)…. On the contrary, SV…
SV…., but at the same time…
SV…., but actually, SV…
<例文>
Digital payment is very convenient. On the other hand, it is vulnerable to security attack.
デジタルでの支払いは、とても便利です。その一方で、セキュリティ攻撃に弱い。
【2】「言い換え」の表現
SV…. In other words, SV…
<例文>
All the modernization in today’s world is due to the developments in technology in the different fields. In other words, without technology, our lives would not have become simpler and easier.
今日の世界の近代化はすべて、異なる分野における技術の発展によるものです。言い換えれば、テクノロジーがなければ、私たちの生活はもっと簡潔かつ容易ではなかったでしょう。
【3】「抽象 ⇒ 具体」の表現
SV…. Regarding …, SV…
SV…. In fact, SV…
SV…. In the case of …, SV…
<例文>
- Japanese people tend to work too hard. When it comes to studying, a lot of high school students study very hard for the university entrance examinations. Regarding work, many people do a great deal of it.
日本人は頑張りすぎる。勉強に関して言えば、多くの中高生が受験のためにハードな学習をしている。仕事に関して言えば、大量の業務をこなす人が多い。
- Sumo wrestlers have a short life expectancy. In fact, the average life span of Japanese men is now about 81 years, while that of the past yokozuna wrestlers is 62 years.
力士は短命である。実際に、現在、日本人男性の平均寿命はおよそ81歳であるが、歴代横綱の平均寿命は62歳である。
- There are many parts of the world where safe water is not available. In the case of a Zambian village, where there isn’t any well, women and children leave home before sunrise every day to get water from a well a few kilometers away. They have to go back and forth many times a day.
世界には、安全な水が手に入らない地域がたくさんあります。ザンビアのある村に関して言えば、村に井戸がないため、女性や子供たちが毎日、日の出前に家を出て、数キロ先にある井戸に水を汲みにいきます。一日に何度も往復しなければならないのです。
【4】因果関係
■「原因 → 結果」の表現
SV… That’s why SV…
SV… As a result, SV…
<例文>
The company stopped developing new products. That’s why it went bankrupt.
その会社は新商品の開発をやめてしまった。そういうわけで、倒産した。
■「結果 → 原因」の表現
SV… This is because SV…
SV… The reason is that SV…
<例文>
Many scientists are predicting serious environmental problems in various parts of the planet in the near future. The main reason is global warming. Global warming will have a major impact on agriculture, oceans, ecosystems and other areas of life.
多くの科学者たちが、近い将来、地球の各地で深刻な環境問題が発生すると予測しています。その主な原因は地球温暖化です。地球温暖化は農業、海洋、生態系などあらゆる方面に大きな影響を与えるのです。
2 . 英検2級の題材に挑戦
【1】
In the town of Burnham-On-Sea in England, police officer Asley Jones noticed that there were a number of lonely people. He wanted to find a way to make it easier for these people to ( 21 ). After thinking about the problem, he came up with the idea of turning some of the benches in local parks into “chat benches.” He put a sign <on each chat bench> which says that if someone sits on the bench, that person does not mind having a conversation with a stranger.
(21) 1. understand technology
2. find new homes
3. start talking to others
4. begin doing exercise
Only a few days after he set up the chat benches, Jones was happy to discover that his idea was working. People who had never met before were sitting on the benches and talking to each other. The benches are making a big difference, especially to ( 22 ). Many of them live on their own and find it difficult to travel to visit family or friends. ( 23 ), some seniors do not have the chance to have a conversation for days or even weeks.
(22) 1. the lives of elderly people
2. the local school students
3. people with pets
4. young parents in the town
(23) 1. On the other hand
2. In fact
3. In other words
4. As a result
【2】
Milk production is big business. In North America, for example, one person consumes on average over 150 kilograms of milk every year. <To supply the huge amount needed,> big farms use machines (that automatically feed cows and take their milk). <Because fewer people are needed,> the cost of producing milk is lower. On such farms, though, it is easy for diseases to spread from one animal to another. This can lead to many cows dying on one farm. As a result, cows are often kept separately from a young age.
Scientists in Canada researched the effects of keeping young cows in this way. They compared such cows with ones that had been kept with another cow. The researchers showed a red plastic container, which the cows had never seen before, several times to each cow. The cows that had been kept in pairs were interested in the container at first but soon ignored it. ( 24 ), the cows that had been kept alone continued to react as if it was the first time they had seen the container. The researchers concluded that cows kept alone are more sensitive to new things.
(24) 1. Later on
2. At last
3. In other words
4. On the other hand