こんにちは、SOLO IELTS TOEFLのルークです。
TOEFLリーディングの「推論問題」を練習していきましょう
目次：
リーディングの推論問題
TOEFL iBTリーディングの推論問題は、パッセージを読んで、そこから推論できることを最も的確に描写した選択肢を選ぶ形式です。
パッセージ内のキーワードに着目して論理的な仮説を立て、自ら結論を考える必要があります。
問にimply, suggest, inferなどの単語が入っているのですぐにこの形式だと判断することが可能です。
例: What can be inferred from paragraph 4 about the development of sophisticated culture in the history of ancient peoples?
直接答えが書かれていない分、非常に難易度が高い問題だと言えます
推論問題のコツ
TOEFL iBTリーディングの推論問題を解くコツは以下です。
コツ1. メインアイデアの理解
まずパラグラフ内のキーワードを把握します。目的はパラグラフ内のメインアイデアを特定するためです。
メインアイデアを特定できることが推論する最も大切な手がかりとなります。
コツ2. 消去法で回答
ステップ1でおおよそ正答を把握できますが、心配な人は誤答を1つずつ消去していくことも可能です。
コツを実践で適応
上記で紹介したコツを実践問題で使用してみましょう。まずはコツ1のメインアイデア把握のために、キーワードに線を引っ張ってください。
Q. The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was a meteorite with a mass of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at least 10 kilometers. Geologist first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in the rare metal iridium and other elements that are relatively abundant in a meteorite but very rare in the crust of Earth. Even diluted by the terrestrial material excavated from the crater, this component of meteorites is easily identified. By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200 kilometers in diameter.
Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph about the location of the meteorite impact in Mexico?
A. The location of the impact site in Mexico was kept secret by geologists from 1980 to 1990.
B. It was a well-known fact that the impact had occurred in the Yucatán region.
C. Geologists knew that there had been an impact before they knew where it had occurred.
D. The Yucatán region was chosen by geologists as the most probable impact site because of its climate.
どこに線が引けましたか？
以下のようになっていると合格です。
The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was a meteorite with a mass of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at least 10 kilometers. Geologist first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment deposited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in the rare metal iridium and other elements that are relatively abundant in a meteorite but very rare in the crust of Earth. Even diluted by the terrestrial material excavated from the crater, this component of meteorites is easily identified. By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucatán region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200 kilometers in diameter.
これらをつなぎ合わせるとメインアイデアが理解できます。
Geologists identified an impact in 1980 due to a worldwide layer of sediment, very rare on Earth, by 1990 they found the location in Yucatan.
答えがCだとわかりますね念の為にコツ2の消去法をみていきましょう。
A. Geologistがイベントを秘密にしている記載はありません
B. Yucatanはパッセージの最後まで発見されていません。つまりよく知られていません。
D. Climateが発見の要員だとは説明されていません。
問題1.
さてどんどん練習していきましょう。最初の問題です。
Q. There were some very unexpected results from the fast development of photography in the 19th century. Due to the use of new equipment and emulsions for photo plate and film coating, images could be created much more quickly. The experiments of photographers Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) and Etienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904) show that there are significant differences in the movements of animals and humans, unlike how they had been depicted in previous art forms. Due to a technique called radical cropping – or trimming – of pictures created by the camera, new formats for composition were presented. While some artists rejected the realism of photographs by turning to impressionism and abstraction, certain painters such as Degas copied the accidental effects captured by photography.
We can infer from the paragraph above that one impact that photography had on painting was that it
A. gave artists with new insights into how humans and animals really move
B. indicated that portraying real movement could be as interesting as portrait art
C. enhanced the appeal of painted portraiture among the upper classes
D. impacted artists on how to improve ways to paint faster
コツについては理解したと思いますので考え方の要点だけを記載していきますね。キーワードは赤字です。
There were some very unexpected results from the fast development of photography in the 19th century. Due to the use of new equipment and emulsions for photo plate and film coating, images could be created much more quickly. The experiments of photographers Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) and Etienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904) show that there are significant differences in the movements of animals and humans, unlike how they had been depicted in previous art forms. Due to a technique called radical cropping – or trimming – of pictures created by the camera, new formats for composition were presented. While some artists rejected the realism of photographs by turning to impressionism and abstraction, certain painters such as Degas copied the accidental effects captured by photography.
キーワードをパラフレーズして短くすると、
Due to the fast development of photography in the 19th century, images were created much faster. As a result, there are big differences in how the movements of animals and humans were depicted and some artists turn to other art movements while some copied the accidental effects captured by photography.
この時点でAが答えだとわかりますが、消去法も使用してみましょう。
B. Photographyのゴールは伝統的なアートより写実であることを説明しているので間違い
CとDはパッセージ内にupper class / speed of paintingについて記述がないので間違い
問題2.
2つ目の問題です。
Scientists have discovered huge amounts of sand and drift material deposits on the ridges that form Cape Cod and Long Island, along the east coast of the United States. The regions covered by this material were so large that it was believed that the ice which deposited it came from a glacier bigger than Antarctic or Greenland. Scientists, such as Agassiz, persuaded the general population and other geologists that glaciation had occurred, from the North and South Poles, stretching into areas that now experience moderate temperatures. It was at this time that the ice age was discussed. Thanks to radiocarbon dating of logs buried in the drift material, we are now aware that glaciation occurred during the Pleistocene era. This period took place from 1.8 million to 10,000 years ago, and the drift material was not harsh but soft, like sediment.
We can infer from the paragraph above that Agassiz and other scientists of this time were not able to determine
A. which geographic regions had been covered with ice sheets in the last ice age
B. the exact dates at which drifts had been deposited during the last ice age
C. the exact composition of the drifts laid during the last ice age
D. how far south along the east coast of the United Sates the ice had advanced during the last ice age.
キーワードの確認 :
Scientists have discovered huge amounts of sand and drift material deposits on the ridges that form Cape Cod and Long Island, along the east coast of the United States. The regions covered by this material were so large that it was believed that the ice which deposited it came from a glacier bigger than Antarctic or Greenland. Scientists, such as Agassiz, persuaded the general population and other geologists that glaciation had occurred, from the North and South Poles, stretching into areas that now experience moderate temperatures. It was at this time that the ice age was discussed. Thanks to radiocarbon dating of logs buried in the drift material, we are now aware that glaciation occurred during the Pleistocene era. This period took place from 1.8 million to 10,000 years ago, and the drift material was not harsh but soft, like sediment.
なんだかキーワードだらけになりましたね、短くしましょう。
Scientists discovered huge amounts of drift material, which came from glaciation during ice age, along the east coast of the United States. From the the buried drift material, glaciation occurred during the Pleistocene era from 1.8 million to 10,000 years ago.
Bが答えだとわかりますが、消去法でも確認しましょう。
AとDは科学者がsand and drift materialがアメリカ東海岸のCape CodとLong Islandで見つかったと書かれているため誤答です。
Cは科学者がdriftsの構成要素を埋められたdrift materialより断定できることから間違いです。
問題3.
さて最後の問題です。
In Chihuahua, Mexico, a bright and huge meteor entered the atmosphere of the Earth, disintegrated into several pieces, and fell to the ground. Its pieces were spread over the land below. This incident occurred on the 8th of February, 1969. The region affected was 10 miles in width and 50 miles in length. A village in Mexico called Pueblito de Allende is where the first part of this meteorite was found. The two tons of meteorite fragments found are called Allende after the village.
What can be inferred regarding the huge meteor that arrived in the atmosphere of the earth on the 8th of February, 1969?
A. It was heavier than two tons.
B. It was more than ten miles wide.
C. This meteor was the largest one to hit Mexico in history.
D. It smashed into more fragments than any other meteor.
キーワードの確認です。
In Chihuahua, Mexico, a bright and huge meteor entered the atmosphere of the Earth, disintegrated into several pieces, and fell to the ground. Its pieces were spread over the land below. This incident occurred on the 8th of February, 1969. The region affected was 10 miles in width and 50 miles in length. A village in Mexico called Pueblito de Allende is where the first part of this meteorite was found. The two tons of meteorite fragments found are called Allende after the village.
キーワードをパラフレーズすると、
In Chihuahua, a huge meteor fell to the ground and its pieces were 10 miles in width and 50 miles in length. A part of this meteorite fragments found in Allende weight two tons.
ここまで脳内でできるようになる事が大切です
答えはAですね。念の為消去法でも確認しておきましょう。
Bはmeteorではなくregionが影響を受けるため間違い
CとDはmeteorが一番大きいという記述がないため、また他のmeteorの断片との比較だという記述がないため間違い。
まとめ
TOEFL iBTリーディングの「推論問題」のコツと問題を一緒にみていきました。
非常に難易度が高いですが、キーワードを意識しパラフレーズすることでメインアイデアをしっかり理解することが最初のステップです。
次の記事: リーディングの文章挿入問題
TOEFL対策で悩んでいる方は、気軽に相談してください！
