「話のさわり」は“出だし”じゃない。本来は“いちばん大事なところ”、選んだ人は36.1％

Q1. What is the passage mainly about?

1. AHow to sing a song well
2. BWhat the word "sawari" really means
3. CWhy people like short songs
4. DHow to start a story

「さわり」の辞書の意味と、多くの人の受け取り方の違いの話なので B。

Q2. How many people chose "the first part" in the survey?

1. A36.1 percent
2. B53.3 percent
3. C17 percent
4. D45.8 percent

53.3 percent of people said it meant "the first part." とあるので B。

Q3. In dictionaries, the "sawari" of a song is ...

1. Aits first few seconds
2. Bits last line
3. Cits best part
4. Dits title

"sawari" means the best part of a song とあるので C。

Q1. Where did the word "sawari" first come from?

1. AA type of music used in Japanese puppet theater
2. BA sport played in the Edo period
3. CA word for the start of a story
4. DAn English word for "touch"

It started as a term in gidayu, the music that tells the story in Japanese puppet theater. とあるので A。

Q2. Why did the word come to mean the most beautiful part?

1. ABecause it was always played at the start
2. BBecause the borrowed parts were meant to stand out
3. CBecause only old people used it
4. DBecause a survey changed its meaning

These borrowed parts were meant to stand out, so the word came to mean the most beautiful part とあるので B。

Q3. What can be inferred from the last two sentences?

1. ANobody over 70 took part in the survey.
2. BOlder people were more likely than average to choose the traditional meaning.
3. CPeople over 70 did not understand the question.
4. DMost young people chose "the main point."

全体では36.1％だった「要点」が、70歳以上では45.8％でいちばん多かったので、高齢の人は平均より本来の意味を選びやすかったと推測できる。B。

Q1. What is the main point of the passage?

1. AMost Japanese songs have a long intro.
2. B"Sawari" is often taken to mean the opening, though it traditionally means the best part or main point.
3. CThe shamisen is the most popular instrument in Japan.
4. DSurveys by mail are more accurate than interviews.

多くの人が「出だし」と受け取るが、本来は聞きどころや要点だという話なので B。

Q2. Why does the writer say a change of method does not explain the rise?

1. ABecause the surveys were all done by mail
2. BBecause only one survey was carried out
3. CBecause all three surveys used face-to-face interviews
4. DBecause the questions were different each time

all three surveys used face-to-face interviews, so a change of method does not explain it とあるので C。

Q3. What does the last sentence suggest about the word "sawari"?

1. AIt has nothing to do with touching.
2. BIt is used only for stories.
3. CIt can also describe a sound made when something touches.
4. DIt was invented for modern pop music.

one string touches the neck on purpose to make a buzzing sound とあり、触れることで出る音の名前でもあるので C。