1According to the dictionary, the word “diversity” means “variation” or “difference”. 2Today, the word is frequently used to describe variation in the kinds of people found in companies. 3Rather than see variation as a negative point, most companies consider diversity to be positive and will deliberatelyemploy people of different races, religions, and cultures. 4They do this because these employees may speak the same languages, share the same experiences, and hold the same opinions as people from similar background in societies where companies operate. 5Staff diversity may therefore suggest a company is trying to reflect the interests and values of its customers. 6Issues related to genderdiversity are among the most significant challenges that companies face. 7This is particularly so in Japan where the lack of women in the workplace in general, and in management positions in particular, has led successive governments to call for companies to correct the imbalance between men and women. 8To encourage greater gender diversity, in the past few years most large Japanese companies have begun to set targets to increase the number of women they employ at different levels within their organizations.
1Traditionally, school children are taught that there are two main types of elephants: the African and the Asian. 2However, African elephants can actually be classifiedinto bush elephants and forest elephants. 3African elephants prefer to be near water, but they can also live in forests, deserts, and savannahs. 4Male bush elephants are the world’s largest land animals, while the forest elephants are about half as big. 5Because of their size, other animals tendtokeeptheirdistancefrom elephants, while predators such as lions and hyenas usually target only the young. 6Even though they are generallysafe from being attacked by other animals, African elephants are increasingly being driven from their traditionalareas because people want to develop the land for farming. 7Perhaps the biggest threat to the survival of African elephants comes from illegal ivory traders who pay hunters to kill these magnificent animals for their tusks.
1Developments in computer technology presentopportunities for changing how teachers teach and students learn.2For example, the Internet provides students with access to far more information than any textbook could ever offer. 3New software applications can allow students to learn through playing games, making videos, and creating multimedia projects. 4Furthermore, the use of tablet computers or smartphones can encourage students to cooperate on such projects from the comfort of their own classroom. 5However, there is no guarantee that advances in technology will improve learning. 6For example, research done on introducing the Internet to public schools in California indicated there was no improvement in learning. 7Similarly, research conducted throughout North Carolina actually showed a slight decrease in students’ math and reading scores. 8Why has the full potential of computers in education not been realized? 9Education specialists say that computer technology can improve learning only if students already know the basics of a subject, and if teachers are trained in the use of computers and understand how to integrate them into lessons. 10If these two things can be done, then the use of computers in the classroom can achieve its full potential.
1Few people know the word dondurma, but many people may know it as Turkish ice cream.2Dondurma is unsusual because although it looks and tastes like ice cream, it can be stretched and chewed like bubble gum. 3In the same way as regular ice cream, it is made of milk and sugar, but unlike normal ice cream, it containssalep, a special flour made from a wild flower found in Turkey, and mastic, a sticky, gum-like material. 4These two materials also give dondurma another unique feature: it does not melt easily. 5In Turkey, dondurma is commonlyserved in ice cream cones and is sold from both street carts and store fronts. 6Outside of Turkey, dondurma is sold in stores in more than 100 countries. 7However, the increasing popularity of dondurma has led to a shortage in the supply of salep flour.8In response to this, other ingredients are being used in place of salep, ensuring that people all over the world can continue to enjoy this unusual dessert.
[56] A study was recently conducted (A)that involved 699 drivers who owned cell phones and (B)had been in traffic accidents. Researchers got (C)permit to examine each driver’s cell phone to see if it (D)was being used at the time of their accident.
56 [解答] (C)誤permit to→正permission to (訳)携帯電話を所有していて、交通事故を起こしたことのある699人のドライバーを対象にした研究が最近なされた。研究者たちは、事故の時に携帯電話が使われていたかどうかを調べるために各々のドライバーの携帯電話を調べる許可を得た。 本問では、動詞gotにpermitという動詞が続いている下線(C)permit toが誤りです。「~する許可を得る」という表現は、名詞permissionを用いて get permission to doです。 [語句] study(名)研究 / conduct(他)(実験・調査など)を行う / involve(他)(人)を[議論/事件などに]巻き込む
[57] (A)Although pain in his foot, Tony (B)continued playing football. It wasn’t (C)until after the match that he discovered he had (D)broken two toes.
57 [解答] (A)誤Although→正Despite[In spite of] (訳)足の痛みにかかわらず、トニーはフットボールをし続けた。彼が両足のつま先を骨折していたのを知ったのは、試合の後になってからだった。 本問は文法/語法問題ゼミの第2講『前置詞vs接続詞vs副詞』を理解している方ならば即答できたことでしょう。 Althoughは接続詞なので節と節をつなぐはたらきをします。よって、AlthoughのあとにはS(主語)・V(述語)をともなった節が続くはずですが、本問ではpain in his foot(足の痛み)という名詞句になっています。よって、名詞をつなぐはたらきの前置詞despite[もしくはin spite of]に置き換えれば正しい表現となります。
下線部(C)では前置詞untilのあとに前置詞afterが続いていますが、これは二重前置詞といって、後の前置詞が導く句が前の前置詞の目的語となっています。[例] fromunder the table「テーブルの下から」
[58] When we (A)got to the restaurant, Midori (B)complained that she (C)was waiting for us for 30 minutes. However, it turns out she had arrived too early (D)by mistake.
58 [解答] (C)誤was waiting→正had been waiting (訳)われわれがレストランに着いたとき、ミドリは30分間われわれを待っていたのよ、と不平を言った。しかし、彼女が誤ってあまりに早く到着していたことが判明した。 過去進行形は、過去の「ある時」にしている最中であった動作を表すので、文脈上「過去のある時」が明らかになっている必要があります。
本問ではfor 30 minutes(30分間)と動作の行われた時間に幅があるため「私たちがレストランに着くまで30分間待ち続けた」という意味になるよう過去完了進行形にすれば文意に沿った表現となります。
[語句] get to A「A(場所)に到着する」turn out that節「~であることがわかる」by mistake「誤って、間違って」
[59] A recent survey (A)has shown that 60% of women (B)are determined to keep (C)working even if they (D)get marriage.
59 [解答] (D)誤get marriage→正get married (訳)最近の調査では、女性の60パーセントが、たとえ彼女らが結婚しても働き続ける決心であることがわかった。 「結婚」に関する表現は受験英語の頻出事項です。動詞marryは他動詞でmarry A to Bで「AをBと結婚させる」という語法になります。
これを受動態化したものがA is married to B「AはBと結婚している」で、be動詞の代わりにgetを用いて『動作』を強調した表現がA gets married to B「AはBと結婚する」という表現です。
本問では本来、marriedとなるべきところがmarriage「結婚」という名詞になっているので下線(D)が誤りです。
[語句] determine A to do「A(人)に~することを決心させる」⇒A isdetermined to do「Aは~しようと決心している」
[60] A: I’ve been (A)calling you all day. Why (B)didn’t you answer?
B: I’m so sorry. I (C)left my phone here, at home. I (D)should put it in my bag this morning!
60 [解答] (D)誤should→正should have (訳)A「一日中あなたに電話をしていました。なぜ出なかったのですか?」 B「ごめんなさい。電話をここ、自宅に置いたままだったんです。今朝、バッグに入れておくべきでした!」 助動詞shouldは「~すべき」という意味ですから、I(D)should put it in my bag this morning!は「私は今朝、それ(電話)をバッグに入れておくべきです!」という意味になって文脈に合いません。
「バッグに入れておくべきだったのに!(実際はそうしなかった)」という意味にするにはshould haveとします。
[語句] should have done「~すべきだったのに/~したはずだ」