age of happiness：英検準１級

Listening Test

 Q1

1. They prefer being with people their own age.
2. They have less brain-cell damage than expected.
3. They think young people are happier.
4. They are less affected by negative images.

Q2

1. Why older people have memory problems.
2. Why changes in the brain start at a certain age.
3. Why certain health issues are not being researched.
4. Why young people have more physical energy.

語彙のチェック

light-hearted：のんきな・愉快な

disturbing：不快な

Brain scans of the older volunteers：年配のボランティアの脳のスキャン

The region of the brain：脳の領域

was less stimulated：刺激されにくい

memory issues：記憶の問題

a lack of physical energy：肉体的エネルギーの欠如

chemical changes in their brain：脳の化学変化

解説：なぜ間違えたのか？

Q1.What did Arthur Stone’s study show about older people?本文には、The region of the brain that controls emotions was less stimulated by the negative images, but the same region responded significantly to the pleasing ones.とあります。なので、正解は…4. They are less affected by negative images.

.

Q2. What does Stone hope to find out?に対し本文には、The changes affecting people’s happiness tend to occur quite suddenly around age 50, and Stone plans to investigate the reasons for this.とあります。なので正解は…2. Why changes in the brain start at a certain age.

SCRIPT

An Age of Happiness

In 2010, American researcher Arthur Stone studied the connection between happiness and aging. He found that older people tend to be happier than younger people. In Stone’s study, volunteers were shown photographs; some were light-hearted and pleasing while others were disturbing and unpleasant. Brain scans of the older volunteers showed some interesting results. The region of the brain that controls emotions was less stimulated by the negative images, but the same region responded significantly to the pleasing ones. The younger volunteers, however, were strongly affected by both types of images.

Generally, older people tend to have more health problems and are frustrated by memory issues and a lack of physical energy. However, Stone believes chemical changes in their brain allow them to ignore some negative things in their lives. The changes affecting people’s happiness tend to occur quite suddenly around age 50, and Stone plans to investigate the reasons for this.

全訳

2010年、アメリカの研究者アーサー・ストーンは幸福と年齢の関係を研究しました。彼は、年配の人々は若い人々よりも幸福である傾向があることを見出しました。ストーンの研究では、ボランティアが写真を見せられました。一部は楽しく心地よいものであり、他のものは不快で不愉快なものでした。年配のボランティアの脳のスキャンでは興味深い結果が示されました。負の画像に反応する脳の領域は刺激されにくく、しかし同じ領域は楽しい画像にはかなり反応しました。一方、若いボランティアは両方のタイプの画像に強く影響を受けました。

一般的に、年配の人々は健康上の問題を抱え、記憶の問題や身体的エネルギーの欠如に悩まされます。しかし、ストーンは彼らの脳の化学変化が彼らにいくつかのネガティブなことを無視することを可能にすると信じています。幸福に影響を与える変化は、おおよそ50歳前後に急激に起こる傾向があり、ストーンはこれらの理由を調査する予定です。

解答

Q1　４　Q2　２