The topic discussed here is the investigation of the causes of the disappearance of the sea otter, which is a small mammal that lives in waters along the western coast of North America from California to Alaska. The woman in the lecture argues that the cause of their disappearance is the presence of the predators, especially areas, and not pollution as the reading says.
| Body １ パッセージ理由1への反論
Firstly, she argues that one of the proofs of their being attacked by the predators is the fact that no one can find any dead sea otters. If the cause was the pollution, many dead sea otters would be found along the shores. In addition, a predator will immediately eat its prey so this is why no dead sea otters were found.
| Body 2 パッセージ理由2への反論 Body
Secondly, the woman in the lecture argues there is another explanation than pollution why smaller sea mammals are all disappearing.She says that, since the whales tend to disappear because of the humans hunting them, the areas had to adapt their food habits to the sea conditions and as a result they have started eating the smaller sea animals available among them sea otters being included.
| Body ３ パッセージ理由3への反論 Body
Thirdly, she argues that the areas cannot access the shallow locations. This is why there are some areas where the sea otters are numerous. It’s not because of uneven concentrations of pollutants.
The lecturer discusses the points made in the text but reaches a different conclusion in each case. For one thing, she states that yes, people are reading less literature then they were in earlier times but this does not equal an immediate decline of culture. On the contrary, in her opinion our culture is simply evolving and changing. Although literature is one of the most obvious elements of culture, there are also lots of other forms of artistic expression in our ever-changing culture, e.g. music. And those elements are not less valuable and less creative than literature and they appeal to more modern concerns than literature.
Also the lecturer disputes the text that says we are going to lose interesting writers of literature. She says that today literature is not interesting enough for the reader! In the lecturers opinion this is mainly due to the fact that modern literature is often written with the intention of being difficult to understand, which does not make it very attractive for the modern reader.
And finally just because people are not reading literature anymore this does not mean they are not reading at all and losing their imagination and empathy; instead there are many other valuable types of books which people are reading, e.g. science textbooks and political analysis. These books can stimulate readers and provide satisfaction and learning.
The lecturer points out that there are other forms of writing that are of high quality and just as intellectually stimulating as literature.
ポイント（反論）2
The lecturer argues that people spend time on culturally valuable activities such as listening to good music or watching good movies. The definition of culture is changing.
ポイント（反論）3
The lecturer argues that maybe there is less readership of literature because the writers of literature nowadays are making their books/ works too hard to understand.
スクリプト
It is often said that people are reading less literature today than they used to. What should we make of this?
Well, first, a book doesn’t have to be literature to be intellectually stimulating. Science writing, history, political analysis, and so forth aren’t literature, perhaps, but they’re often of high quality. And these kinds of books can be just as creative and well-written as a novel or a play-they can stimulate the imagination. So don’t assume that someone who isn’t reading literature isn’t reading a good book.
But let’s say that people aren’t just spending less time with literature, they’re also spending less time with books in general. Does that mean that the culture is in decline? No. There’s plenty of culturally valuable material that isn’t written: music and movies, for example. Are people wasting their time when they listen to a brilliant song or watch a good movie? Do these non-literary activities lower cultural standards? Of course not. Culture has changed. In today’s culture there are many forms of expression available other than novels and poems, and some of these creative forms speak more directly to contemporary concerns than literature does.
Finally, it’s probably true that there’s less support for literature today than in earlier generations. But don’t be too quick to blame the readers. Sometimes it’s the author’s fault. Let’s be honest: a lot of modern literature is intended to be difficult to understand. There’s not much reason to suppose that earlier generations of readers would have read a lot of today’s literature either.
Directions: Give yourself 3 minutes to read the passage
A recent study reveals that people, especially young people, are reading far less literature-novels, plays, and poems-than they used to. This is troubling because the trend has unfortunate effects for the reading public, for culture in general, and for the future of literature itself.While there has been a decline in book reading generally, the decline has been especially sharp for literature. This is unfortunate because nothing else provides the intellectual stimulation that literature does. Literature encourages us to exercise our imaginations, empathize with others, and expand our understanding of language. So by reading less literature, the reading public is missing out on important benefits. Unfortunately, missing out on the benefits of literature is not the only problem. What are people reading instead? Consider the prevalence of self-help books on lists of best sellers. These are usually superficial, poorly written, and intellectually undemanding. Additionally, instead of sitting down with a challenging novel, many persons are now more likely to turn on the television, watch a music video, or read a Web page. Clearly, diverting time previously spent in reading literature to trivial forms of entertainment has lowered the level of culture in general. The trend of reading less literature is all the more regrettable because it is taking place during a period when good literature is being written. There are many talented writers today, but they lack an audience. This fact is bound to lead publishers to invest less in literature and so support fewer serious writers. Thus, the writing as well as the reading of literature is likely to decline because of the poor standards of today’s readers.
パッセージのポイント
ポイント１
The passage argues that reading less literature means that readers are missing out on ways to stimulate their imagination and help with their mental development.
ポイント２
The passage argues that many of the kinds of reading that people currently spend time on instead of literature are just trivial entertainment and lead to lower cultural standards.
ポイント３
The passage says that another bad effect of the decline in reading literature is that talented writers of literature are not being supported.
The whole family gathered / around a warm stove. / lay down / and went to sleep.// Once a day / everyone got up / to eat a piece of hard bread.// Then they went back to sleep. // The members of the family took turns/ keeping the fire burning. //This was not “hibernating” / like what bears do in the winter.// But it was a sensible decision / by the members of the family.// Just stay in bed / for as long as possible. / and do not work.// To these French farmers / “working more to earn more”/ did not seem like a good idea. // Instead of working throughout the year,/ the people of one village on the Rhone River/ made enough money for one year / relaxing, hunting and sleeping. //Few people needed money / until the 20th century. //
読解力をつける4つの秘訣！
スラッシュ・リーディングの他にも速読を鍛える方法がありますので、併せて習得してください。
1. 読書に集中できる環境作り
まず、第一に、「読む」ことに集中してください。
TVやスマホ、iPadなどを周りに置かないでください。
そして、あなたがリラックスできて
パッセージを読むのに適した明るさの下で読むようにしましょう。
記事や本に書かれている情報を吸収しやすい脳にするためには、
脳をリラックス状態にさせ、さらに十分な酸素を送ることも大切です。
2. 読む目的を明確にする
2番目に、読む目的についてよく考えてください。
記事/本/雑誌/コラムなどの表紙を見れば、読み物の主題や
何について書かれているかはわかります。
そこで、あなたが、そこから何を学びたいのか、知りたいのかを明確にしましょう。
例えば、記事のタイトルが ”The Remedies of Migraine-片頭痛療法 ” だとします。
The whole family gathered / around a warm stove. / lay down / and went to sleep.// Once a day / everyone got up / to eat a piece of hard bread.// Then they went back to sleep. // The members of the family took turns/ keeping the fire burning. //This was not “hibernating” / like what bears do in the winter.// But it was a sensible decision / by the members of the family.// Just stay in bed / for as long as possible. / and do not work.// To these French farmers / “working more to earn more”/ did not seem like a good idea. // Instead of working throughout the year,/ the people of one village on the Rhone River/ made enough money for one year / relaxing, hunting and sleeping. //Few people needed money / until the 20th century. //
読解力をつける4つの秘訣！
それでは、読解力をパワーアップするための方法をガイダンスしていきましょう。
1. 読書に集中できる環境作り
まず、第一に、「読む」ことに集中してください。
TVやスマホ、iPadなどを周りに置かないでください。
そして、あなたがリラックスできて
パッセージを読むのに適した明るさの下で読むようにしましょう。
記事や本に書かれている情報を吸収しやすい脳にするためには、
脳をリラックス状態にさせ、さらに十分な酸素を送ることも大切です。
2. 読む目的を明確にする
2番目に、読む目的についてよく考えてください。
記事/本/雑誌/コラムなどの表紙を見れば、読み物の主題や
何について書かれているかはわかります。
そこで、あなたが、そこから何を学びたいのか、知りたいのかを明確にしましょう。
例えば、記事のタイトルが ”The Remedies of Migraine-片頭痛療法 ” だとします。
Some people like to watch films. Others like to attend concerts. Which activity do you prefer to do? Give specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
STEP 1 |Organizing 解答の組み立て|Ask yourself the following questions and organize your ideas.
1 Do you prefer to watch films or attend concerts?
2 Why do you enjoy doing this activity?
3 What features of films or concerts are so attractive to you?
1 My preferred activity ____________________________________
2-1 First reason ___________________________________________
1.As for me, I prefer watching films to attending concerts.
2- 1. First of all, watching films is a very relaxing activity.
3- 1. They usually last around two hours, so, during that time, I can forget about what is going on in my life and get lost in the movie, especially if it is an action movie, which I love.
2-2. Secondly, I think of films as artwork, so I try to appreciate them as works of art when watching them.
3-2. When they come together successfully, like in Citizen Kane, for example, I realize I am watching something more than a movie.
解答例 B
1 I would say I prefer attending concerts rather than watching films.
2-1. One of the main reasons is that there are so many different genres of music I like.
3-1. In the past few months, I have attended concerts performed by musicians in three different genres, thereby enabling me to hear some of my favorite songs performed live.
2-2. Another reason why I like attending concerts is that the music is much better when I hear it performed live.
3-2. My family went to a classical music concert recently.Attending the concert in person was so much better than listening to the same music on a CD.
STEP 2 |Response 解答文作成| Make your response using the above information.
As for me, I prefer _______ One of the main reasons is ________________
STEP 3 |Speaking 解答| Now say your response out loud, and record your time. While you are speaking, do not look at the written response
Response time: 45 seconds Your speaking time: ___ seconds
STEP 4 | Compare 比較 | Listen to a sample response, and compare it with yours.
解答例 A films
As for me, I prefer watching films to attending concerts. First of all, watching films is a very relaxing activity. They usually last around two hours, so, during that time, I can forget about what’s going on in my life and get lost in the movie, especially if it’s an action movie, which I love. For example, no matter how many times I watch movies like Spiderman and Pirates of the Caribbean, I get lost in the stories and forget about the outside world. Secondly, I think of films as artwork, so I try to appreciate them as works of art when watching them. For example, the acting, camerawork, lighting, and many other aspects of a film are all important. When they come together successfully, like in Citizen Kane, for example, I realize I’m watching something more than a movie. This makes me appreciate watching the film even more.
解答例 B concerts
I’d rather travel in a group than alone. To begin with, traveling in a group is safer than traveling alone. If I were alone, I might have some problems, yet no one could help me, especially in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language. If I’m with a tour group, the leader almost always speaks the local language. In addition, traveling with a group can give you and your travel partners man shared experiences and lots of good memories from the trip. Since it’s more interesting to travel with others, you can get memories from your trip that will last a lifetime. That is why I prefer traveling with a group of people.
Some people take trips by themselves. Others take trips with groups of people. Which kind of trip do you prefer and why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your preference.
STEP 1 |Before you start(1)|Listen to the dialogue. Then, answer the questions to get some ideas about the subject.
スクリプト
W: What are you going to do for your spring break vacation, Henry?
M: I haven’t made any plans yet.
W: There’s a group from our dorm going skiing in Vermont.
M: Sounds good. Who’s going?
W: Let’s see, I think ten people. David, Alan, Joe, Steve,Tom …
M: Tom? No way. I’m not going anywhere with him.
W: Why not?
M: He’s cheap and never wants to spend his money. Besides, he can never make up his mind about anything. Anyway, in a group that size, there’s bound to be a problem.
W: Maybe you’re right. So what are you going to do?
He doesn’t want to go because of Tom’s character and because the group is too big.
Yes, he enjoys skiing because he said it sounded like a good idea.
STEP 2 |Before you start(2) | Now listen to the lecture. Then, answer the questions to get some ideas about the subject.
スクリプト
Tourism is big business all over the world. The package trip with a tour group is the most popular way to travel for the elderly, with almost 85% of tour group travelers being 50 years and older. Many hotels give discounts of up to 20% for large groups. On the other hand, for young travelers, backpacking remains popular, especially in Europe. Some travel alone while others go with friends, but young travelers almost never join tour groups. In a recent survey, the main reasons for not joining tour groups were the cost and desire to have a flexible schedule. However, young travelers, especially women, are advised to travel with others to avoid dangers.
1 Which two groups of people does the lecturer compare?
STEP 5 | Compare 比較 | Listen to a sample response, and compare it with yours.
解答例 A by myself
Of the two options, I would choose to travel alone than in a group. Firstly, by traveling alone, I can decide where to go and what to do. I don’t have to agree to do something just to make others happy. Also, I can be more flexible and change my mind. My trip can be more exciting and interesting than it would be if I had to follow a tour group’s set schedule. Secondly, I may not get along with the other people I’m traveling with. Everyone has different personalities. Some are lazy or cheap, and others can never make up their minds. If we have an argument, it could ruin the trip or even our friendship. So, I prefer to travel alone.
解答例 B with groups
I’d rather travel in a group than alone. To begin with, traveling in a group is safer than traveling alone. If I were alone, I might have some problems, yet no one could help me, especially in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language. If I’m with a tour group, the leader almost always speaks the local language. In addition, traveling with a group can give you and your travel partners man shared experiences and lots of good memories from the trip. Since it’s more interesting to travel with others, you can get memories from your trip that will last a lifetime. That is why I prefer traveling with a group of people.
❶ They help me stay focused on what I am studying.
❷ They help me gain a wider perspective on the subject.
STEP 3 |Response 解答| Make your response using the above information.
Example : I like studying in groups better than studying alone. First, when I am in a group, everyone can correct one another when we make mistakes. Second, we can explain the things that we do well to others. So, if I am good at something but some other members are not, I can explain it to them to help them understand.
Your Response _________________________________________________
STEP 4 | Compare 比較 | Listen to a sample response, and compare it with yours.
To tell the truth, I really prefer studying in groups. As a matter of fact, I often have trouble focusing when I study alone. But, when I study in a group, I can focus much better. And another thing is that if you study in a group, you can hear more opinions about the subject at hand. So the group helps me gain a wider perspective on the issue I am studying.
