岡山大学向け 英語読解10問（無料）
岡山大学を志望する学習者を想定し、科学・社会・説明に関連する独自の英文読解・語法10問を用意しました。設問は大学の公式指定教材・過去問・出題予測ではありません。各問は英語で読み、選択肢を考えてから解説を開いてください。
第1問 文脈語義 （複数大学で利用する共通問題）
A research team described its early findings as tentative. The study examined whether a short daily exercise could improve attention among university students. The sample included only twelve volunteers, and the results changed slightly when the experiment was repeated. Some participants had also changed their sleep schedules, making it difficult to isolate the effect of exercise. The team therefore avoided making a firm claim. Instead, the researchers proposed a larger study with a comparison group and a longer observation period. Their caution did not mean the first results were useless; it meant that a promising pattern still needed stronger evidence.
What does tentative most nearly mean in this passage?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：C．not yet certain
tentative は「暫定的な・まだ確定していない」。標本が12人と小さく、再実験でも結果が変動したため、研究者は結論を保留しています。widely accepted（広く受け入れられた）は本文と逆です。
根拠となる一文：The sample included only twelve volunteers, and the results changed slightly when the experiment was repeated.
第2問 因果関係 （サイト独自の練習問題）
A clinic noticed that patients in distant villages were missing routine follow-up visits. At first, staff thought the problem was simply a lack of reminders. Interviews revealed that bus services ended before some appointments and that telephone calls were difficult for patients with hearing problems. The clinic changed several appointment times, coordinated transport information with the town, and introduced a written reminder option. Attendance improved during the pilot, although the clinic had not yet separated the effect of each change. The team planned to examine travel time and communication barriers together before deciding which measures to expand.
Why did the clinic change its appointment and reminder arrangements?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：B．Interviews revealed both transport and communication barriers to attending visits
欠席の原因が通知不足だけでなく、交通手段と連絡方法にもあると分かったため複数の運用を調整しました。施策ごとの厳密な効果は未分離です。
根拠となる一文：Interviews revealed that bus services ended before some appointments and that telephone calls were difficult for patients with hearing problems.
第3問 対比 （複数大学で利用する共通問題）
The housing policy produced a quick rise in the number of available units. Yet many new homes were too expensive for the families most in need. More supply did not automatically mean more affordable housing. The government measured its success mainly by the total number of completed apartments. Housing organizations used a different measure: how many households could afford the rent while still paying for food, transport, and other essentials. A newly built apartment might remain empty even when many residents needed a place to live. Officials began discussing rental assistance and income-based eligibility alongside new construction. The debate therefore concerned not simply how many homes existed, but whether the people facing the greatest need could actually use them.
Which contrast does the writer emphasize?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：D．More homes overall versus limited affordability
正解は More homes overall versus limited affordability（住宅供給数と価格面の利用しやすさの対比）です。新築の住戸が増えても、支援を必要とする家庭が入居できるとは限りません。安全性、所有形態、都市と地方の比較は本文の中心ではありません。
根拠となる一文：More supply did not automatically mean more affordable housing.
第4問 言い換え （サイト独自の練習問題）
A regional hospital introduced online appointment requests to reduce time spent answering routine calls. Some patients used the service easily, but others were uncomfortable entering personal information on a phone. Staff proposed keeping the telephone option while simplifying the online instructions. The director agreed, explaining that a digital service should extend access rather than make older methods disappear overnight. After the changes, online requests increased without a comparable drop in telephone support. The hospital planned to review staff workloads and patient feedback before deciding whether the arrangement was sustainable. Its aim was a gradual improvement, not a sudden replacement of one service with another.
Which statement best restates the director’s principle?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：D．New digital tools should expand access without abruptly excluding existing users
院長はデジタル化を既存の電話利用者の排除ではなく選択肢の拡大と捉えています。オンライン予約の増加だけでは業務負担の削減も証明されません。
根拠となる一文：The director agreed, explaining that a digital service should extend access rather than make older methods disappear overnight.
第5問 語法 （複数大学で利用する共通問題）
The researchers measured temperature, humidity, and wind speed. They wanted to explain why the readings varied between locations. One monitoring station stood near a river, while another was surrounded by buildings that stored heat during the day. The team considered several possible explanations and tried not to confuse a relationship with proof of a single cause. In the final report, the researchers needed a sentence that expressed how local conditions might explain the differences. The phrase account for is useful in this context because it means to explain or be responsible for an observed result.
Which sentence is grammatically and semantically appropriate?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：A．Local conditions may account for the differences
account for ～ は「～を説明する／～の原因となる」。may account for the differences は「その差を説明する可能性がある」という意味です。account for の語順と前置詞 for が必要です。
根拠となる一文：They wanted to explain why the readings varied between locations.
第6問 推論 （複数大学で利用する共通問題）
A public library introduced computers that residents could use without charge. Attendance at its job-search workshops increased, especially among people without home internet access. The library did not change the workshop content. Previously, several participants could only search for vacancies by borrowing a friend’s phone or visiting an employment office far from home. The new computers allowed them to prepare application documents and read job descriptions before attending the workshop. Staff also made basic technical assistance available. Although these observations do not establish that every additional visitor attended because of the computers, they provide a reasonable explanation for why participation increased among residents lacking internet service. The library plans to compare attendance over a longer period.
Which inference is most reasonable?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：A．Internet access may have reduced a barrier to participation
正解は Internet access may have reduced a barrier to participation（ネット環境が参加の障壁を減らした可能性）です。無料端末の導入後、とくに自宅にネットのない利用者の参加が増えました。講座の短縮、全員の就職決定、家庭の契約増加は本文から推測できません。
根拠となる一文：Attendance at its job-search workshops increased, especially among people without home internet access.
第7問 主題理解 （複数大学で利用する共通問題）
Many cities plant trees to provide shade, absorb rainwater, and improve air quality. In one district, planted trees made crowded sidewalks more comfortable during summer. In another, the roots and surrounding soil helped slow the flow of storm water after heavy rain. Researchers also measured differences in air quality near busy roads, although their findings varied with weather and traffic. City planners must choose suitable species and maintain them over time; careless planting can cause damage to underground pipes. Even with such costs, local councils view urban greenery as infrastructure that can support health, comfort, and resilience rather than as decoration alone.
What is the main idea?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：C．Urban trees provide several public benefits
正解は「都市の樹木には複数の公共的な利点がある」です。日陰、雨水吸収、空気の質という異なる効果をまとめた選択肢です。樹木の維持管理の困難だけを中心内容とするのは狭すぎ、道路撤去などは述べられていません。
根拠となる一文：Many cities plant trees to provide shade, absorb rainwater, and improve air quality.
第8問 論理展開 （複数大学で利用する共通問題）
A museum archive contains thousands of letters from merchants and officials. Few letters written by factory workers survive. ____, historians should be cautious about treating the archive as a complete record of everyday life. The surviving documents describe shipping prices, business agreements, and decisions made by the authorities. They offer valuable evidence about trade, but they rarely explain how employees experienced long working hours or changes in wages. A historian comparing the archive with newspaper accounts found that different groups emphasized different events. Missing letters do not prove that workers had nothing to say. They show that preserved records reflect decisions about who wrote, collected, and kept documents. Using additional sources can help reduce this imbalance.
Which connector best completes the reasoning?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：C．As a result
正解は As a result（その結果）です。商人・役人の手紙は多い一方で工場労働者の記録がほとんどない、という資料の偏りから、日常生活全体の代表とみなさない注意が導かれます。Nevertheless（それにもかかわらず）や単純な例示では因果的な結論を示せません。
根拠となる一文：Few letters written by factory workers survive.
第9問 分野語彙 （サイト独自の練習問題）
Researchers examined whether a new study schedule helped students retain information. One group used the new schedule, while a control group continued with the usual approach. Both groups completed the same assessment after four weeks. The researchers emphasized that a fair comparison required similar starting conditions and clear records of any changes during the study. They also warned that a single short experiment could not establish how well the schedule would work across different schools. The report recommended repeating the procedure with more participants before making broad claims about effectiveness.
What is the role of the control group in this study?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：A．It provides a basis for comparing the new schedule with usual practice
control group は対照群で、従来方法を続ける集団です。新しい学習計画との差を比較する基準になります。結果を保証する集団ではありません。
根拠となる一文：One group used the new schedule, while a control group continued with the usual approach.
第10問 要約 （複数大学で利用する共通問題）
Flexible working hours can help employees manage family responsibilities. However, when colleagues work at different times, meetings may become harder to schedule. Companies need arrangements that preserve flexibility while supporting coordination. One organization let workers choose when to begin and finish the day as long as they completed their agreed tasks. Parents appreciated the freedom to arrange childcare, and some employees used quieter hours for concentrated work. However, project leaders noticed that decisions slowed when team members had little time together. They introduced a few shared meeting hours while allowing flexibility around them. The aim was to keep the personal advantages of the policy without losing opportunities to coordinate work that depended on several people.
Which summary best captures the passage?
正答と日本語解説を表示
正答：B．Flexible schedules have benefits and coordination challenges that require balance
正解は Flexible schedules have benefits and coordination challenges that require balance（柔軟勤務の利点と調整上の課題の両立）です。家庭の事情に合わせやすい一方、同僚間の会議を調整しにくくなる点をまとめています。必ず生産性が下がる、会議を廃止すべきという断定は本文にありません。
根拠となる一文：Companies need arrangements that preserve flexibility while supporting coordination.
学習後は、根拠の文を声に出して読み、なぜほかの3択が不適切なのかを説明できるか確認しましょう。すべてサイト独自の練習問題です。本文の根拠と解説を照らし合わせて復習しましょう。
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