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.
STEP 1 | Reading | Read the following passage about a campus situation.
University Tutoring System
The new university tutoring system begins on August 22. Students will no longer have face-to-face tutoring sessions. Instead, an online tutoring system will be implemented. The computer-based r tutoring system will allow students to receive tutoring help twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, instead of only during regular school hours, Students will benefit from expanded access to tutors. Also, the computer-based system will relieve students of stress from the crowded tutoring centers. Students will no longer need to be present on campus for tutoring. They will be able to access the computer-based system from any computer with an Internet connection.
STEP 2 | Comprehending 読解力テスト | Answer the following questions to make sure you understand the reading
1 What is the notice about?
2 What is the first reason for the new tutoring system?
3 According to the notice, how will it benefit the students?
4 What is another reason for the new tutoring system?
5 According to the notice, how will it benefit the students?
1 Issue ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
2 First reason ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
3 Details ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
4 Second reason ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
5 Details ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
Comprehending 解答例
1 . The notice is about how the university will change from
face -to-face tutoring to a computer-based tutoring
system.
2. One reason for the changes is that only offering
tutoring services during regular school hours is not
enough for the students.
3. Students will have access to tutoring twenty-four
hours a day, seven days a week.
4. Another advantage for the change in the tutoring
system is that it will eliminate crowded, stressful
tutoring centers.
5. Students will be able to access the tutoring network
from any computer with the Internet connection.
▮ Listen
STEP 3 | Listening & Note Taking | Listen to a conversation on the same topic, and take notes.
スクリプト
M: This new tutoring system will be great.
W: I’m not so sure about that.
M: Really? What do you mean?
W: First of all, a lot of students don’t even know how to
type very fast. Some cannot even type at all. This will
make the tutoring sessions really slow.
M: Right. Ty ping skills will be really important.
W: Sure they will. When students are tutored face to
face, they don’t have to worry about typing though.
They can just focus all of their energy on what they’r
learning. I think that’s more efficient.
M: You may be right.
W: There’s something else, too. Students must have
a good computer at home in order to access the
computer-based system. Many students will have to
upgrade their current computer or even buy a new
one. I know a lot of students who don’t even have a
computer at home. It will be very expensive for a lot
of students to get access to tutoring now_
M: That’s a good point.
W: I think it might be better to stick with the old system.
Q The woman expresses her opinion of the new computer-based tutoring system. State her opinion and explain the reasons she gives for holding that opinion.
STEP 4 | Organizing 解答の組み立て | Ask yourself the following questions and organize your ideas.
1 What is the woman’s opinion of the new tutoring system?
2 What does the woman say about students’ typing skills?
3 Why is this important to the new tutoring system?
4 What does the woman say about computers?
5 Why does she think it will be difficult for some students to buy new computer?
STEP 6 | Compare 比較 | Listen to a sample response, and compare it with yours.
Sample Response 模範解答
The notice describes a new university tutoring system.The woman is against the university’s decision to replace face-to-face tutoring with a computer-based tutoring system. First, she believes that students will require excellent typing skills in order to take advantage of the new tutoring system. However, she states that many students lack the ability to type well enough, so the new tutoring system will be much slower than the face-to-face system. To her, the inability to type well will hinder the learning process for some students. Second of all, she believes many students will have to upgrade their computers or even buy new ones. According to the woman, this will be very expensive for many students. She believes the former face-to-face method of tutoring is better for students than the new computer-based tutoring system.
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。
STEP 1 | Reading | Read the following passage about a campus situation.
Additional Writing Course
Attention, science students. Starting next semester, the school will be offering two writing classes: Basic Writing for Science and Intermediate Writing for Science. These classes have been made in response to the recent complaints about the writing abilities of science students. Students who want to take either of these two classes should meet Professor Johnson first and get an application form.
STEP 2 | Note Taking | Take notes on the reading
① Topic: New writing courses for science students
② Reason: To increase science students’ writing abilities
STEP 3 |Organizing 解答の組み立て | Answer the following question using the above information.
Q : What is the school going to do?
A : The school will offer two writing classes to help improve its science students’ writing.
▮ Listen
STEP 4 | Listening & Note Taking | Listen to a conversation on the same topic, and take notes.
メモ取り
Woman Opinion Likes the classes
Reason ： The classes will teach him how to write and be more
persuasive,and they may help him get into graduate school.
Man Opinion: Dislikes the classes
Reason: These classes are a waste of time since she can already write.
スクリプト
M : Did you hear about the new writing class? I think this is a waste of time considering that all of us can already write. Why do we need to learn writing? We will become scientists,not writers!
W : Oh, do you think so? Well, I disagree with you. I think these new classes are great. I always hated English classes, so I never developed any writing skills. You know, these classes will not just be about writing but will also teach us how to be more persuasive. Hopefully, taking these classes can help me get into graduate school.
▮ Speak
STEP 5 | Response 解答| Make your response using the above information
Q The man expresses his opinion about the new classes the school will offer. State his opinion and explain the reasons he gives for having that opinion.
Your Response
The man thinks the new classes are great. Because he hated English class, he doesn’t have any skills. So he wants to take the class in order to go to graduate school.
STEP 6 | Compare 比較 | Listen to a sample response, and compare it with yours.
the man likes the classes because he wants to improve his writing skills to get into graduate school. He always hated English classes, so his skills have not improved.
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.
