長文読解問題 ─ 時事ニュースの用語解説

トランプ米大統領の施政方針演説から、英単語を補充する問題でした。少し難しい単語を選んだので、ヒントに４つずつ選択肢を書きますね。

出典は昨日のThe Japan Timesで、AP通信の記事です。

www.japantimes.co.jp

H                           a “new chapter of American g                  ,” President Donald Trump issued a broad c               for overhauling the nation’s health care system and significantly boosting military spending Tuesday night, swapping his trademark pugnaciousness and personal insults for a more restrained tone as he addressed C              for the first time.

In an a                  to American optimism, Trump declared, “The time for small thinking is over.”

Still, he employed dark language to describe the threat posed by “radical Islamic t                   ” — a term his own national security adviser rejects as inflammatory — and warned against “reckless” and “uncontrolled entry” of refugees and immigrants from countries with ties to e                      groups.

Trump’s overall message on immigration — one of his signature campaign issues — was unexpectedly m                 . He said he believes that “real and positive immigration reform is possible” and had s                    to news anchors earlier that he was open to l                 that could provide a pathway to legal status for some of the millions of people living in the U.S. illegally.

Q1 and Q2.  

H                              a “new chapter of American g                 ”

1. Helping                          1. giving
2. Hopping                         2. gift
3. Helicoptering                 3. greatness
4. Heralding                       4. great

Q3.  President Donald Trump issued a broad c              for overhauling the nation’s healtqh care system

1. catch
2. call
3. create
4. cushion

Q4.  as he addressed C                 for the first time

    1.  Collateral
    2.  Cookery
    3.  Congratulations
    4.  Congress

Q5.  In an a               to American optimism

1. attempt
2. attachment
3. appropriate
4. appeal

Q6.  Still, he employed dark language to describe the threat posed by “radical Islamic t                   ”

1. terrorism
2. testosterone
3. tactics
4. terrorists

Q7.  He … warned against “reckless” and “uncontrolled entry” of refugees and immigrants from countries with ties to e                groups.

1. energetic
2. extremist
3. employable
4. endless

Q8.  Trump’s overall message on immigration … was unexpectedly m           . 

1. moved
2. mitigated
3. moderate
4. mixed

Q9.  He … had s                    to news anchors earlier that…

1. screamed
2. suggested
3. smirked
4. shrunk

Q10.  He … was open to l    　             that could provide a pathway to legal status …

1. lectures
2. lessons
3. looks
4. legislation

あと、斜線部分は難しい単語なので、英英辞典から定義を書きました。

★overhauling = 動詞overhaul + ingで名詞形にしたもの。overhaul = take a part a piece of machinery or equipment to examine it and repair it if necessary.「分解・修理する」

★pugnaciousness = 形容詞pubhnacious + nessで名詞形にしたもの。pugnacious = eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight「喧嘩っぱやい」

★insult = speak to or treat with disrespect or scornful abuse. 動詞・名詞とも同じつづり。侮辱的な扱いをすること

★optimism = hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something. 楽観的であることを指す名詞。「楽観主義者」optimistも反義語pessimismも必須単語

★inflammatory= 名詞inflammationの形容詞。大元はflame「炎」という名詞で、inflammatoryで「火をつけるような」転じて「扇情的な」「対立を煽るような」

inflammationは、a localized physical condition in which part of the body become reddened, swollen, hot and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection 「体の一部が赤くなったり腫れたり熱くなったりする、しばしば苦痛をともなう状態。特に怪我や感染への反応として起きる」と丁寧な説明がされています。つまり「腫れ」「炎症」のことですね。医学部受験には必須の単語です。

★reckless = heedless of danger or the consequences of one’s actions; rash or impetuous. 「自らの行動の危険や結果を気にしないで」という説明ですが、説明にやたら難しい単語が使われています。recklessは「向こう見ずな」「無謀な」という形容詞

heedlessはheedless of～というイディオムで使われる「～を考慮せず」という言い方。consequenceは「結果」「帰結」という名詞。rashもimpetuousもrecklessと同義の形容詞です。

★anchor = ここではnews anchorsですから「報道陣」「大物キャスター」を指します。元の定義はa person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation「不安定な状況に安定や自信をもたらす人やもの」。「錨」という意味でも出る可能性あり