長文読解過去問 \(\boldsymbol{5}\)
長い物語文は、\(\small{①}\) 段落ごとに要旨を把握する、\(\small{②}\) 物語の流れを整理する、\(\small{③}\) キーワードに注目する などに注意しながら読み、作者の伝えたいことが何であるかを理解します。\(04’\) 東京都（改）
A young woman named Susan was interested in antiques. When she had a chance, she liked to go to antique shops. One day, she went to an antique shop in her city. She found about fifty miniature china hats on a table in the shop. The miniatures had many colors, and some were decorated with small flowers.
"This is a wonderful collection of miniatures", Susan said to the salesclerk standing at the table. "They look old and are really beautiful." "Yes, they are," he answered. "I bought them from an old woman living on a farm. She sold everything she had and moved to the city. She got her first miniature hat when she was twenty years old.
(1) And [ to / things / popular / miniature / hats / were / collect ] a long time ago. They are very valuable, too. Even today, a lot of people love them very much and it's easy to sell them." Susan believed each miniature hat had its own special story. She said to herself, "Maybe the woman got a miniature on her birthday. Maybe she got one from her grandchildren at Christmas. I can't understand why she didn't give these valuable miniatures to her children or grandchildren." Susan was tired because she carried a large bag all day. She wanted to take a rest for a few minutes. She looked out of the window and saw a bench across the street. A small old woman sat there. She had thin cheeks and her hair was all white. Susan went out of the shop, sat down beside her, and put her bag between the woman and her. Susan asked her, "Are you interested in antiques ?" The woman looked at her. \((a)\) Then tears came to her eyes. "Well, yes," the old woman answered. "I love antiques. I collected a lot of miniature hats when I was young. But now I don't have any of them. Do you see the salesclerk over there ? He bought my collection." Susan moved closer to the woman and said in a small voice, "Tell me what happened." "Well …, it's a long story," the woman said. "I was living with my husband on a farm. We had no children, but I was very happy with my husband and my pretty miniature hats. Last winter my husband became very sick and was in the hospital. We needed money for his medicine. Finally, the doctor said he could do nothing for my husband. So I brought my husband home, and took good care of him until he died. I didn't have enough money and didn't want anyone to help me. So I decided to sell the farm to pay the hospital and moved to the city. I sold the things in our house and my miniatures, too." Susan nodded and remembered her own grandmother. Susan thought, "Grandmother also sold her house and moved to a smaller one after Grandfather died. She doesn't have much money, but she is now very happy with her cute cat." The old woman continued. "I found a small apartment near here. I am too old to drive now. But I can walk to the shops on this street. On my way home, I look at my miniature hats," she said in a weak voice. "Sometimes I just come and sit here. Then, I remember my happy life with my husband." Susan smiled at her and asked, "Which miniature hat was the most important to you ?" "Well, it was a white hat with red roses. It was my first one," she said with a smile. "When we got married, my husband gave it to me. It was not the most valuable miniature in the collection. But I still remember that day very well." Susan suddenly got up and said, "Would you please watch my bag for a few minutes ?" The woman just nodded. (3) Susan went into the shop and talked with the salesclerk for a short time. Then he smiled at Susan and wrapped something in paper. Susan came back to the bench, and gave it to the woman. Then she said, "When I was talking with you, I remembered my grandmother. I love her so much. I really want to thank you. (4) And this is for you." The woman was a little surprised and said, "I don't know what to say." "Don't say anything. Please open it," Susan said. The woman opened the paper. It was the white hat with red roses. It was the miniature she loved the most in her life.
\((b)\) Tears ran down her thin cheeks.
(1) And [ to / things / popular / miniature / hats / were / collect ] a long time ago. They are very valuable, too. Even today, a lot of people love them very much and it's easy to sell them." Susan believed each miniature hat had its own special story. She said to herself, "Maybe the woman got a miniature on her birthday. Maybe she got one from her grandchildren at Christmas. I can't understand why she didn't give these valuable miniatures to her children or grandchildren." Susan was tired because she carried a large bag all day. She wanted to take a rest for a few minutes. She looked out of the window and saw a bench across the street. A small old woman sat there. She had thin cheeks and her hair was all white. Susan went out of the shop, sat down beside her, and put her bag between the woman and her. Susan asked her, "Are you interested in antiques ?" The woman looked at her. \((a)\) Then tears came to her eyes. "Well, yes," the old woman answered. "I love antiques. I collected a lot of miniature hats when I was young. But now I don't have any of them. Do you see the salesclerk over there ? He bought my collection." Susan moved closer to the woman and said in a small voice, "Tell me what happened." "Well …, it's a long story," the woman said. "I was living with my husband on a farm. We had no children, but I was very happy with my husband and my pretty miniature hats. Last winter my husband became very sick and was in the hospital. We needed money for his medicine. Finally, the doctor said he could do nothing for my husband. So I brought my husband home, and took good care of him until he died. I didn't have enough money and didn't want anyone to help me. So I decided to sell the farm to pay the hospital and moved to the city. I sold the things in our house and my miniatures, too." Susan nodded and remembered her own grandmother. Susan thought, "Grandmother also sold her house and moved to a smaller one after Grandfather died. She doesn't have much money, but she is now very happy with her cute cat." The old woman continued. "I found a small apartment near here. I am too old to drive now. But I can walk to the shops on this street. On my way home, I look at my miniature hats," she said in a weak voice. "Sometimes I just come and sit here. Then, I remember my happy life with my husband." Susan smiled at her and asked, "Which miniature hat was the most important to you ?" "Well, it was a white hat with red roses. It was my first one," she said with a smile. "When we got married, my husband gave it to me. It was not the most valuable miniature in the collection. But I still remember that day very well." Susan suddenly got up and said, "Would you please watch my bag for a few minutes ?" The woman just nodded. (3) Susan went into the shop and talked with the salesclerk for a short time. Then he smiled at Susan and wrapped something in paper. Susan came back to the bench, and gave it to the woman. Then she said, "When I was talking with you, I remembered my grandmother. I love her so much. I really want to thank you. (4) And this is for you." The woman was a little surprised and said, "I don't know what to say." "Don't say anything. Please open it," Susan said. The woman opened the paper. It was the white hat with red roses. It was the miniature she loved the most in her life.
\((b)\) Tears ran down her thin cheeks.
| *antique : 骨董品（こっとうひん）[の] |
| *miniature : ミニチュア [の] |
| *china : 陶磁器（とうじき）[の] |
| *decorate : 飾り付ける |
| *salesclerk : 店員 |
| *own : 自身の |
| *said to herself : ひとり言を言った |
| *thin cheeks : やせたほほ |
| *beside ～： ～の横に |
| *nod : うなずく |
| *apartment :アパート |
| 問 \(1\) | 下線部 \((1)\) の［ ］内の語句を正しく並べかえて、本文の内容に合う文にしなさい。 |
| 問 \(2\) | 下線部 \((a),\;(b)\) の理由として最も適切なものを、それぞれ下から \(1\) つずつ選び、記号で答えなさい。 |
| ア | The old woman's friends helped her when her husband became sick. |
| イ | The old woman became sad because she remembered her husband and miniatures. |
| ウ | The doctor took care of the old woman when he could do nothing for her husband. |
| エ | The salesclerk said he would not buy the old woman's collection of miniatue hats. |
| オ | The old woman was happy when Susan gave the white miniature hat to her. |
| カ | Susan's grandmother died after she moved to a smaller house. |
| 問 \(3\) | 下線部 \((3)\) で、\(Susan\) と \(salesclerk\) との間で交わされた会話を本文の流れに沿って想像し、次の［ \((1)\) ］\(\sim\)［ \((3)\) ］ の中に適切な英語の文を入れなさい。［ ］の中にはそれぞれ \(1\) つの文が入るものとする。 |
| Susan : | Hi ! |
| Salesclerk : | Hi ! [ (1) ] |
| Susan : | [ (2) ] |
| Salesclerk : | This one ? It's really beautiful. |
| Susan : | Yes, it is. [ (3) ] |
| Salesclerk : | It's twenty dollars. Do you like it ? |
| Susan : | Yes, very much. I'll take it. |
| 問 \(4\) | 下線部 \((4)\) の文が表している内容に最も近いものを、次の ア～エ の中から \(1\) つ選びなさい。 |
| ア | This is the thing I wanted you to buy. |
| イ | I just want you to take this bag. |
| ウ | I would like to give this to you. |
| エ | This money will help you. |
| 問 \(5\) | 本文の内容と合う文を、次の ア～カ の中から \(2\) つ選びなさい。 |
| ア | The salesclerk bought all the miniature hats from Susan when she lived on the farm. |
| イ | The white miniature hat with red roses was the most important to the old woman because it was the most valuable. |
| ウ | The old woman didn't have any minature hats when she first met Susan. |
| エ | The old woman Susan met is now very happy and is living with her cute cat. |
| オ | Susan knew that her grandmother wanted to collect antique minature hats. |
| カ | The old woman sold the farm to pay the hospital and moved to the city. |
| 問 \(6\) | 次の質問に英語で答えなさい。 |
| How old was the woman when she first got the white miniature hat with red roses ? |
長い文章ですから、段落ごとの要旨をまとめておきましょう。その上で、全体のストーリーの流れ、登場人物の行動や発言などもチェックします。 問\(2\) のように、「物語文」には、登場人物の心理状態を問う内容のものがよく見られます。ここでは「涙を流す」理由を、前後の文脈から判断します。 問\(3\) のように、与えられた条件に基づいて自由に英文をつくる問題を条件英作文といい、最近ではよく見られる設問形式です。ここでは、\(2\) 人の会話の前後の話の内容を理解することが大切です。