ゆっくり読まれる英文を聞きながら、スラッシュのついている区切りごとに、意味をとっていく練習をしてみましょう。
問題：スラッシュリーディングの練習
When is a person old? There are many individuals / who still seem ‘young’ / at seventy or more, / while others appear ‘old’ / in their fifties. From another point of view, / sumo wrestlers, / for instance, / are ‘old’ in their thirties, / whereas artists’ best years / may come in their sixties or even later. But in general, / people are old / when society considers them to be old, / that is, / when they retire from work / at around the age of sixty or sixty-five.
Nowadays, / however, / the demand for new work skills / is making more and more individuals old / before their time. Although older workers tend to be dependable, / and have much to offer / from their many years of experience, / they are put at a disadvantage / by rapid developments in technology. Older people usually find it more difficult / to acquire the new skills / required by technological changes, / and they do not enjoy the same educational opportunities / as young workers.
When they finally leave work and retire, / people face further problems. The majority receive little or no assistance / in adjusting to their new situation / in the community. Moreover, / since society at present / appears to have no clear picture / of what place its older members should occupy, / it is unable to offer them enough opportunities / to have satisfying social roles / after they retire.
In the past, / the old used to be looked upon / as experts / in solving various problems of life. Today, / however, / they are no longer regarded as such / and are seldom expected / to play significant roles / in social, economic and community affairs. With the number of older people / in the population / rapidly increasing, / we need greatly to increase / and improve the opportunities / provided for them / so that they can participate in society / with dignity and respect.
問1 People are normally regarded as old when ( ).
1. they are in their fifties
2. they are judged to be old by society
3. they consider themselves too old to work
4. they reach the age of seventy
問２Changes in technology can ( ).
1. enable older workers to make better use of their experience
2. give older people opportunities for new jobs
3. make it easier for older workers to acquire new skills
4. make older people’s knowledge and skills out of date
問３After finally retiring, most people ( ).
1. are given new social roles by society
2. do not need assistance in making the necessary adjustments
3. have few disadvantages in their new situation
4. have to work out their social roles largely for themselves
問４According to the fourth paragraph, the position of old people in society today largely depends on ( ).
1. how many problems they are able to solve
2. the age at which they finally retire from their work
3. the rapid increase in the number of retired people in the community
4. what opportunities they are given by society
語彙のチェック
Individuals：個人
While：一方
Appear：～のようにみえる
From another point of view：別の観点から
Whereas：一方
in their sixties：６０代に
in general：一般的に
that is：すわなち
tend to be dependable：信頼性が高くなりがち
have much to offer from their many years of experience：経験から提供できることが多い
be put at a disadvantage：不利な立場に置かれる
by rapid developments in technology：技術の急速な進歩によって
acquire the new skills：新しい技術を習得する
enjoy educational opportunities：教育の機会を享受する
in adjusting to their new situation： 新しい状況に適応するための
Moreover：さらにその上
society at present：現代の社会
have no clear picture of明確なイメージを持っていない
occupy：（場所など）を占める
offer them enough opportunities：彼らに十分な機会を与える
the old：老人
be looked upon as A:Aとみなされている= be regarded as
no longer：もはや～ない
seldom：めったに～ない
play significant roles：重要な役割を果たす
social, economic and community affairs：社会的、経済的、コミュニティの事柄
With the number of older people in the population rapidly increasing,：
人口に占める年配の人々の数が急速に増加している現状を踏まえ、
we need greatly to increase and improve the opportunities provided for them
提供される機会を大幅に増やし、改善する必要があります。
so that they can participate in society with dignity and respect.
彼らが尊厳と敬意を持って社会に参加できるように
解説：なぜまちがえたのか？
Q1People are normally regarded as old when ( ). に対し、本文では、people are old when society considers them to be oldとあるので、正解は… 2 they are judged to be old by society
Q2Changes in technology can ( ).に対し、本文では、the demand for new work skills is making more and more individuals old before their time.
正解は…4 make older people’s knowledge and skills out of date
Q3After finally retiring, most people ( ).に対し、本文では、it is unable to offer them enough opportunities to have satisfying social roles after they retire. 「引退後、満足のいく社会的役割を果たすための十分な機会を提供することができない。」とあるので、彼らは自分たちで社会的役割をほぼ自力で見つけ出さなければならない。ということになり、 正解は… 4 have to work out their social roles largely for themselves
Q4.According to the fourth paragraph, the position of old people in society today largely depends on ( ). に対して、本文では、かってのように、知識や経験は期待されてないのでwe need greatly to increase and improve the opportunities provided for them so that they can participate in society with dignity and respect.と言っています。なので正解は…4 what opportunities they are given by society
全訳
人はいつ年を取るのでしょうか？70歳を超えてもまだ「若い」ように見える人もいれば、50代で「年を取った」ように見える人もいます。別の視点から見ると、例えば相撲力士は30代で「年を取った」とされますが、芸術家の最盛期は60代やそれ以降に来ることもあります。しかし一般的には、人々が年を取ったと見なされるのは、社会がそう考える時、つまり60歳や65歳くらいで仕事を引退する時です。
しかし、今日では新しい仕事のスキルの需要がますます多くの人々を早くから老け込ませています。年配の労働者は信頼性が高く、多年の経験から多くを提供できる傾向がありますが、急速な技術の発展により不利な立場に置かれています。年配の人々は通常、技術の変化によって求められる新しいスキルを習得するのがより難しく、若い労働者と同じ教育機会を享受することができません。
仕事を辞めて引退する時、彼らはさらに問題に直面します。大多数の人々は、コミュニティでの新しい状況に適応するための支援をほとんど、または全く受けていません。さらに、現在の社会は年配のメンバーがどのような立場にいるべきかについて明確なイメージを持っていないようなので、引退後に満足のいく社会的役割を持つための十分な機会を提供することができていません。
昔は、年配の人々は人生の様々な問題を解決する専門家と見なされていました。しかし今日では、彼らはそのようには見なされず、社会的、経済的、コミュニティの事柄において重要な役割を果たすことはめったに期待されていません。人口に占める年配の人々の数が急速に増加している現状を踏まえ、彼らが尊厳と敬意を持って社会に参加できるように提供される機会を大幅に増やし、改善する必要があります。
解答
Q１…２ Q２…４ Q３…４ Q４…４
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