英語民間試験(TOEFL・英検・TEAP・IELTS・TOEIC)の問題集です。プロ家庭教師が民間試験を分析して、出題形式・解答形式・必要単語・出題分野・出題傾向を解説しています。
【対応民間試験】：TOEFL・英検・TEAP・IELTS・TOEIC
【対応CEFRレベル】：B２
【対応４技能】：リスニング(Listening)
英語民間試験(TOEFL・英検・TEAP・IELTS・TOEIC)の勉強方法として、プロ家庭教師に４技能カリキュラムと採点添削を依頼できます。
予約手配(Reservation)
【ウェブサイトの修理 technical support for websites】
YY：Hi, Susan, what’s up? Didn’t you get my e-mail?
XX：Sorry, Dan. I’ve had trouble connecting to the Internet.
YY：Have you contacted your Internet service provider?
XX：I called, but they were no help. They said my laptop may have a virus. I think I’ll ask a computer technician to come out.
YY：Sounds pricey. Come over to my house later and we can browse some technical support websites. Maybe we can sort this out ourselves.
XX：Well, it’s worth a try. Thanks.
Question：What did the woman decide to do?
1 Contact her Internet service provider again.
2 Purchase some antivirus software.
3 Hire a technician to fix her problem.
4 Research the problem online with Dan.
【家事の確認 taking care of households】
XX：Remember, I’ll be away from Tuesday to Thursday, honey. Are you sure you’ll be OK?
YY：Yeah, it’s all under control. I need to pick up the dry cleaning on Tuesday and take Billy to basketball practice on Wednesday night, right?
XX：Right. His summer training-camp fees are due then, too. The money’s on the counter.
YY：OK. Thanks.
XX：We have plenty of frozen dinners. And there’s lots of pasta.
YY：Stop worrying! I’m sure we won’t starve.
Question：Why is the woman anxious?
1 Her husband may have difficulty without her.
2 Her husband forgot to pay for the training camp.
3 Billy usually misbehaves while she is away.
4 Billy does not like her husband’s cooking.
【外出の誘い How about going outside】
XX：Do you want to go hiking up the mountain today?
YY：It’s pretty cold, and it snowed yesterday. I don’t think it’s such a good idea.
XX：You’re not going to let a bit of snow stop you, are you?
YY：I’m just worried about ice on the trails. One slip and you could break your leg.
XX：We’ll be fine. You worry too much.
YY：OK, I guess we can give it a try.
Question：Why is the man hesitant to go hiking?
1 Snow has been forecast for today.
2 He does not like cold weather.
3 The trails might be dangerous.
4 His leg is still sore.
【食事の誘い Invitation】
XX：Hey, Tarou, do you want to come over for dinner tonight?
YY：I’d love to, Nancy, but I have my drama group rehearsal.
XX：Drama group? I had no idea you could act!
YY：I’ve got the lead in the community theater’s latest play.
XX：No kidding! You must be pretty good.
YY：Well, I’m no star, but I guess I was good enough to get the part.
XX：I’d love to come and see it.
YY：Why don’t you come on opening night? And bring your friends!
Question：Why can’t Tarou come to dinner?
1 He has to meet his friends.
2 He has to practice for a play.
3 He is helping Nancy rehearse.
4 He is going to watch a play.
【時間の伝言 Let they know our schedule】
YY：Hello, this is Steve. Is Ichiro there?
XX：He’s just stepped out. Can I take a message?
YY：If you don’t mind. He’s planning to go to the chess club meeting on Saturday, isn’t he?
XX：Yes, he’s looking forward to it.
YY：Could you tell him we’ve had to push it back an hour? It’s still at the same location, though.
XX：OK. And he knows where that is?
YY：He should. It’s at the city library. We’ll meet at twelve thirty.
XX：I’ll let him know.
Question：What does Steve want the woman to do?
1 Tell Ichiro he will not be at the meeting.
2 Tell Ichiro to contact him about the meeting.
3 Tell Ichiro the meeting time has changed.
4 Tell Ichiro to find a new meeting place.
【健康相談 Health concerns】
XX：Honey, I think I know why Akira has trouble getting to sleep.
YY：Really?
XX：Yeah. I read an article in today’s paper. Health experts say that the amount of time a child is inactive during the day influences how long it takes them to fall asleep at bedtime.
YY：Hmm . . . I suppose Akira does spend a lot of time playing computer games.
XX：Exactly. He played for four hours straight yesterday! We should have a talk with him.
YY：You’re right. That is a bit excessive.
Question：What does the couple decide to do?
1 Discuss the issue with Akira.
2 Take away Akira’s computer games.
3 Take Akira to see a doctor.
4 Make Akira go to bed earlier.
【事故調査 Incident Investigation】
YY：I heard you were laid up in the hospital for a while. What happened?
XX：I had an accident about a month ago. Some guy ran a red light and rammed into the side of my car. I broke a rib and sprained my neck.
YY：That’s terrible! You’re lucky you weren’t more seriously injured. Were you wearing your seatbelt?
XX：Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even be around now having this conversation with you.
Question：What does the woman imply?
1 She does not have much time to chat now.
2 The traffic signals were not working properly.
3 She might not have survived without her seatbelt.
4 The other driver was injured worse than she was.
【法令遵守 Compliance】
YY：Hey, Cindy. Did you hear the manager got angry today?
XX：No. What about?
YY：It seems that some clerks were gossiping about Janice who works in the loans department.
XX：Well, that doesn’t sound too bad.
YY：Unfortunately, they did it in front of customers, and the manager heard them.
XX：Oh, I see. What did he say about that?
YY：He said if they did it again, he’d report them to the regional director.
Question：What was the problem?
1 The regional director made an unexpected visit.
2 Janice did not get a promotion.
3 A customer was rude to the manager.
4 Some clerks acted unprofessionally.
【販売促進 Marketing】
YY：Hey, Marilyn, did you get a lottery ticket this month?
XX：No, José. I don’t like to waste my money on the lottery.
YY：But buying a ticket occasionally is OK, you know.
XX：I’m not so sure. I try to spend my money more wisely. You got your ticket, I’m guessing?
YY：Not yet. I’m waiting for the right day. Some are luckier than others, you know!
XX：I doubt that.
YY：Come on, Marilyn. It’s just a bit of fun, that’s all.
Question：What do we learn from the conversation?
1 Marilyn thinks lotteries are a waste of money.
2 The lottery has caused José financial trouble.
3 Marilyn wants José to buy her a lottery ticket.
4 José does not intend to buy a lottery ticket.
【休日観光 Holiday plan】
YY：Guess what, honey? I had lunch with Jiro today. He says we can use his beach house next weekend.
XX：Great! Hey, maybe your sister and her kids could come along. They love the ocean! There’s enough space for eight, right?
YY：Actually, I wasn’t planning to invite anyone else, just you, me, and the kids.
XX：It seems a shame to waste all that space, though.
YY：Maybe, but it’s been so long since we went away as a family.
XX：Yeah, you’re right.
Question：What will the couple probably do?
1 Invite their friends to the beach house.
2 Meet the man’s sister at the beach house.
3 Invite Jiro to stay with them at the beach house.
4 Take only their kids to the beach house.
【休暇日数 Vacation Days】
A recent study has revealed that American workers are taking less time off from work than at any point in the past four decades. In fact, more than half the workers surveyed said they are not using all their paid vacation days. The study found that lack of support was the main reason. Most workers felt discouraged from taking vacations by their supervisors. And some workers were concerned that if they took time off, they would appear less reliable and less valuable to the company.
Not taking vacations has various downsides. For example, if workers do not take time to refresh themselves, they often end up taking more time to complete work tasks. Some experts believe that giving workers time off can make workers more productive. These experts suggest that companies should encourage their workers to take more vacation time.
Question：What is one reason American workers are taking fewer vacation days?
1 They have too many tasks to complete.
2 They do not want to spend money on travel.
3 They feel discouraged from doing so.
4 They do not get paid for them.
Question：What do some experts believe?
1 Government regulations need to be changed.
2 Taking time off can improve employee productivity.
3 Employees want to save money for other things.
4 Employees think too much about work during vacations.
【心臓の歴史 The History of the Heart】
Today, everyone knows the heart is an organ that pumps blood through the body. This has not always been the case, however. Ancient Egyptians, for example, thought the human soul was located in the heart. The Egyptians believed the heart would be weighed by a goddess at the entrance to paradise to decide whether the dead person’s soul could enter.
The symbol of the heart also has an interesting history. It was first used 5,000 years ago in the Middle East, but historians do not know what it meant. However, early Christians used it as a symbol of life after death, and in some countries, it became a symbol of courage. In the twelfth century, it began to appear in paintings of love scenes. At that time, the human heart itself was also becoming associated with feelings of love and the symbol became linked to that.
Question：What is one thing ancient Egyptians believed?
1 Their gods did not have hearts.
2 The heart was where the soul was found.
3 Paradise was shaped like a heart.
4 The heart was an organ of little value.
Question：What is one thing we learn about the heart symbol?
1 It was created in the twelfth century.
2 It used to be a symbol of good luck.
3 Its use was banned in the Middle East.
4 Its meaning has changed over time.
【郵便制度改革 Reforming the Postal Service】
Before 1840, the British postal service was complicated. The cost of a letter delivery depended on the distance it was sent and the number of pages. Also, it was the receiver, not the sender, who paid. This system required numerous clerks to process letters and collect money. However, a man named Rowland Hill helped introduce a system where the sender paid in advance by buying a stamp. The new system also charged the same price for all letters. Hill’s simpler system removed the need for many of the clerks and helped reduce postal service costs.
After Hill’s system was introduced, there were some interesting side effects. Since the cost was not decided by the number of pages, people began writing longer letters, and they began to use envelopes to put them in. Also, people knew the contents of a letter would remain secret if they used envelopes, so it became more common to include sensitive business documents or personal information.
Questions：What was one thing Rowland Hill managed to do?
1 Improve postal workers’ salaries.
2 Change the methods used to transport mail.
3 Reduce the number of postal clerks needed.
4 Create a system to send letters overseas.
Questions：What happened after Hill’s system was introduced?
1 People wrote more private information in letters.
2 Stamps became more expensive.
3 Envelopes were no longer free of charge.
4 Businesses used letters to advertise their services.
【クラウドファンディング Crowd funding】
These days, people often use online crowdfunding to raise money for certain projects, such as developing video games. With crowdfunding, these people can collect small amounts of money from many people, which means they do not need to rely on banks to fund their projects. Now, some people are also using online crowdfunding to attract investment to start a business or company.
However, online crowdfunding can be a source of problems. It is not strictly regulated, so it is difficult for investors to check how well a company is doing or how the company is using the money it is given. In some cases, dishonest individuals have even used online crowdfunding to pay their apartment rent or other unrelated expenses. Governments are considering tougher regulations to protect investors from criminals. In the meantime, governments are warning investors to research new companies very carefully before investing in them.
Question：What is one thing we learn about online crowdfunding?
1 Internet security for it has been improved.
2 People do not need to use banks for funding.
3 Crowdfunding websites are cooperating with banks.
4 Investors have made big profits from it.
Question： What are governments advising investors to do?
1 Cancel their contracts with new companies.
2 Report illegal company websites to the government.
3 Demand progress reports from the companies.
4 Research companies before giving them money.
文化芸術
【宿題の是非 Pros and Cons of Homework】
In the early 1900s, many parents in the US did not want schools to assign homework because they needed their children to help them with farmwork or housework. Moreover, experts warned that homework was unhealthy for children because it took away their time to play. However, later in the twentieth century, education was increasingly seen as important for children’s success, so schools began assigning more homework.
Now, some researchers are questioning whether homework is beneficial or not. Recent studies have shown that too much of it may lower children’s test scores. Other research has linked increased homework to decreased physical health. Because of this, some people want to ban homework. Most researchers, however, believe that it is best to simply limit the amount of homework given. This way, children can benefit from extra studying without risking their health.
Question：What was true about homework in the early 1900s?
1 It was promoted by experts.
2 It was used instead of tests.
3 It was often too difficult.
4 It was often considered harmful.
Question：What have recent studies shown about homework?
1 Large amounts of it can lower academic achievement.
2 It is not linked to physical health.
3 Children are spending less time on it than before.
4 Doing it helps children communicate with each other.
質問と回答