【解答】英検2級朝活ミニテスト第13回

A

語彙・熟語（大問1形式）

目安 2分30秒

空所に入れるのに最も適切なものを1つ選びなさい。

(1)In this town, more than forty percent of the population is (), so many shops offer home delivery services for older people.

正解は③ elderly「高齢の」。for older people と対応→「高齢の」。他の選択肢：① aggressive「攻撃的な」 ② ideal「理想的な」 ④ abundant「豊富な」

訳：この町では人口の40％以上が高齢者なので、多くの店が高齢者向けに宅配サービスを提供している。

(2)The number of young people in rural areas has () sharply, and some schools have had to close.

正解は④ declined「減少した」。学校が閉校→若者が「減少した」。他の選択肢：① expanded「拡大した」 ② multiplied「増加した」 ③ recovered「回復した」

訳：地方の若者の数は急激に減少し、閉校せざるを得ない学校もある。

(3)Some elderly people do not want to be a () on their children, so they choose to live in care homes.

正解は④ burden「負担、重荷」。be a burden on ～「～の負担になる」。他の選択肢：① pioneer「先駆者」 ② bargain「お買い得品」 ③ credit「信用、功績」

訳：子どもの負担になりたくないので、介護施設で暮らすことを選ぶ高齢者もいる。

(4)As people get older, many of them have to () others for help with shopping and cleaning.

正解は② depend on「～に頼る」。depend on A for B「BのことでAに頼る」。他の選択肢：① take after「～に似ている」 ③ show off「～を見せびらかす」 ④ stand out「目立つ」

訳：年をとるにつれて、多くの人は買い物や掃除の手助けを他人に頼らざるを得なくなる。

(5)My grandfather worked as a doctor in the village for fifty years, and many people there () him.

正解は① look up to「～を尊敬する」。50年間村の医者→「尊敬する」。look down on は反対の意味。他の選択肢：② run over「（車で）～をひく」 ③ look down on「～を見下す」 ④ put out「～を消す」

訳：祖父はその村で50年間医者として働き、村の多くの人が彼を尊敬している。

B

長文読解（大問3形式）

目安 4分

Robots in Care Homes

Japan has one of the oldest populations in the world. More than a quarter of its people are aged sixty-five or older, and the number of elderly people who need daily care is increasing every year. At the same time, the number of young people has declined, and care homes are finding it difficult to hire enough workers. The job is physically hard and the pay is often low, so many workers quit after only a few years.

To deal with this problem, some care homes have started using robots. Some robots are designed to help staff lift residents out of bed, which reduces the burden on workers' backs. Others can talk with residents, lead them in simple exercises, or remind them to take their medicine. A seal-shaped robot called Paro, which moves and makes sounds when it is touched, has been used to calm residents with dementia.

However, robots have not spread as quickly as the government had hoped. Many of them are expensive, and some staff say they take too much time to set up and use. Some people also worry that relying on machines may reduce the amount of human contact that elderly people receive. Experts say that robots should not replace care workers but should instead support them, so that workers can spend more time talking with residents.

(6)Why do many care workers quit after a few years?

正解は③。第1段落最終文に、仕事が肉体的にきつく給料が低いので数年で辞める人が多いとある。④は本文にない。②は人口に占める高齢者の割合の話。①は減少しているのは若者の数。

(7)What does the robot called Paro do?

正解は①。第2段落最終文に、触れると動いたり音を出したりし、認知症の入居者を落ち着かせるのに使われているとある。②④は他のロボットの機能。③は入居者に服薬を促すロボットの話をねじ曲げたもの。

(8)What do experts say about robots in care homes?

正解は②。第3段落最終文 robots should not replace care workers but should instead support them の言い換え。③は本文にない。④は入居者と話す時間を増やすためとあり逆。①は置き換えるべきではないとあり逆。

C

リスニング（Part2 文章形式）

目安 2分

🎧 音声は1回だけ（本番と同じ）。質問も音声で流れます。 ▶ 音声はQRコードからアプリで再生： https://www.haradaeigo.com/scbt/asakatsu/g2-13/

(9)No. 1

正解は④。visit their homes once a week ... help with small tasks の言い換え。

(10)No. 2

正解は②。apply at city hall or by calling the number が根拠。サービスは無料。

📜 スクリプト

🎙 The city of Greenville is starting a new service for residents over seventy-five years old. Volunteers will visit their homes once a week to check on their health and help with small tasks such as changing light bulbs. The service is free. Residents who wish to use it can apply at city hall or by calling the number in this month's city newsletter. The city is also looking for more volunteers.

D

スピーキング（面接No.4形式）

35秒

Do you think older people should continue working after the age of sixty-five?

💡 高齢者の話題では knowledge and experience（知識と経験）が使える強い理由です。

模範解答

Yes. I think many people are still healthy and active at sixty-five. Working helps them stay connected with society. Also, they have a lot of knowledge and experience, so they can teach younger workers.

はい。65歳でもまだ健康で活動的な人は多いと思います。働くことで社会とのつながりを保てます。また、彼らは多くの知識と経験を持っているので、若い働き手に教えることができます。