準1級解答・解説

第33回の解答

テーマ：高齢者雇用　正解は緑、解説・和訳・スクリプト・模範解答つき

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解答一覧

(1) ④(2) ④(3) ②(4) ③(5) ③(6) ②(7) ①(8) ①(9) ②(10) ①

🎧 リスニング音声

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)Experts say that many firms must () their pay systems, which have hardly changed in decades, so that wages reflect the work employees actually do rather than their age.

正解：④ revamp「刷新する・改良する」。hardly changed in decades「何十年もほとんど変わっていない」制度を変えるという文脈なので「刷新する」。誤答：① reprimand「叱責する・懲戒する」　② recuperate「（病気などから）回復する」　③ reminisce「思い出にふける」

訳：専門家は、多くの企業が何十年もほとんど変わっていない給与制度を刷新し、賃金が年齢ではなく従業員が実際に行う仕事を反映するようにしなければならないと言う。

(2)Veteran staff often possess () knowledge of customers and procedures that is difficult to record in manuals, so losing them can seriously harm a company.

正解：④ tacit「暗黙の・言葉にされない」。difficult to record in manuals「マニュアル化しにくい」知識＝暗黙知（tacit knowledge）。誤答：① fleeting「つかの間の」　② hostile「敵対的な」　③ nominal「名ばかりの・わずかな」

訳：ベテラン社員はマニュアルに記録するのが難しい、顧客や手順についての暗黙の知識を持っていることが多く、彼らを失うと会社に深刻な打撃となりうる。

(3)The government raised the pension age to ensure that the system remains (), as the number of retirees is growing much faster than the number of workers paying into it.

正解：② solvent「支払い能力のある」。受給者が増え支払う人が減る＝財政が苦しい→「支払い能力を維持する」ため。誤答：① obsolete「時代遅れの」　③ anonymous「匿名の」　④ redundant「余分な・不要な」

訳：退職者の数が保険料を払う労働者の数よりもはるかに速く増えているため、政府は制度が破綻せず支払い能力を保てるよう年金の支給年齢を引き上げた。

(4)Rather than stopping work all at once, many older employees prefer to let their working hours () gradually over several years.

正解：③ taper off「次第に減少する・先細りになる」。Rather than stopping work all at once「一度にやめるのではなく」と gradually「徐々に」から「次第に減少する」。誤答：① cave in「崩れ落ちる・屈服する」　② crack down「厳しく取り締まる」　④ flare up「（炎・怒り・病気などが）急に燃え上がる」

訳：一度に仕事をやめるのではなく、多くの高齢従業員は数年かけて勤務時間を徐々に減らしていくことを好む。

(5)Mr. Tanaka had planned to () his consulting business at seventy, but clients kept asking for his advice, so he decided to continue working part-time.

正解：③ wind up「（事業などを）終わらせる・畳む」。but 以下で「働き続けることにした」ので、当初は事業を「終わらせる」予定だった。誤答：① take after「似ている」　② look into「調べる」　④ set off「出発する・引き起こす」

訳：田中さんは70歳でコンサルティング業をたたむつもりだったが、顧客が助言を求め続けたので、パートタイムで働き続けることにした。

長文読解（大問3形式）

目安 4分30秒

Working Longer

In many developed countries, people are living longer and healthier lives, while birth rates remain low. As a result, the number of working-age people supporting each retiree is shrinking, placing heavy pressure on pension systems. Governments have responded by encouraging citizens to remain in the workforce beyond the traditional retirement age. In Japan, for example, a revised law that took effect in 2021 requires companies to make efforts to offer employment opportunities up to the age of seventy, and the proportion of people in their late sixties who continue to work has risen steadily.

Supporters point out that older workers bring valuable experience, reliability, and long-standing customer relationships. Research also suggests that staying active in work may help people maintain cognitive function and avoid social isolation. Nevertheless, the policy faces challenges. Many older employees are rehired on short-term contracts at substantially lower wages, even when their duties remain largely unchanged, which can damage morale and discourage them from sharing their expertise. Younger workers, meanwhile, sometimes worry that if older colleagues stay longer, fewer senior positions will become available to them.

Experts argue that addressing these problems will require more fundamental reforms. In particular, they say companies need to rethink pay systems based on seniority, under which wages rise more or less automatically with age, so that compensation reflects the actual work people perform. Flexible arrangements, such as shorter hours or remote work, could also make it easier for older people to continue working without excessive strain. Such changes might benefit not only older employees but also younger ones, who could be promoted according to ability rather than length of service.

(6)Why are governments encouraging people to keep working past the traditional retirement age?

正解：②。第1段落で、長寿化と少子化の結果「退職者一人を支える現役世代の数が減り、年金制度に大きな圧力がかかっている」ため、政府が就労継続を促していると述べている。これを言い換えた選択肢が正解。

(7)What is one problem mentioned regarding older employees who are rehired?

正解：①。第2段落で、再雇用された高齢従業員の多くは「職務がほとんど変わらないのに、大幅に低い賃金で短期契約として再雇用される」とあり、それが士気を損なうと述べている。職務が変わらないのに賃金が下がる点を言い換えた選択肢が正解。

(8)What do experts believe could result from changing seniority-based pay systems?

正解：①。第3段落で、年功序列の給与制度を見直し「報酬が実際の仕事を反映する」ようにすれば、高齢者だけでなく若手も勤続年数ではなく能力で昇進できると述べている。年齢を問わず貢献に応じた公正な報酬、とまとめた選択肢が正解。自動的な昇給は見直しの対象そのもの。

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/p1-33/

(9)No. 1

正解：②。「世代間のコミュニケーションが改善する」と企業は報告している。

(10)No. 2

正解：①。「明確な目標なしにペアを組ませるだけでは、気まずくなりすぐに放棄されることが多い」と警告している。

📜 スクリプト

🎙 In recent years, a number of Japanese companies have introduced so-called reverse mentoring programs. In these schemes, younger employees teach senior staff about digital tools, social media, and changing consumer trends. In return, older employees share their knowledge of negotiation and industry history. Companies report that the programs improve communication between generations and help reduce the sense that older workers are resistant to change. However, some experts warn that success depends on careful planning. If participants are simply paired together without clear goals, the meetings can become awkward and are often quickly abandoned. Training both sides beforehand is therefore considered essential.

スピーキング（面接No.4形式）

40秒

In Japan, more and more people continue working after they reach retirement age.

Should companies do more to hire older people?

💡 labor shortage（人手不足）は高齢者・外国人労働者・AIなど多くの話題で使える便利な論点。

模範解答

Yes, I think so. First, Japan faces a serious labor shortage, and older people have valuable skills and experience that companies need. Second, working keeps older people physically and mentally active, which can improve their health and reduce the burden on the medical system.

はい、そう思います。第一に、日本は深刻な人手不足に直面しており、高齢者は企業が必要とする貴重な技能と経験を持っています。第二に、働くことで高齢者は心身ともに活動的でいられ、健康が増進し医療制度の負担も減らせます。