本日配信のメルマガでは、2013年大学入試センター試験英語第６問を解説します。
■ 問題
第６問 次の文章を読み、下の問い(Ａ・Ｂ)に答えよ。なお、文章の左にある
(1)〜(6)は段落の番号を表している。
(1) Dance is one of the oldest forms of art, and it is seen in every
culture and performed for a variety of purposes. In modern society, dance
is widely recognized as a form of entertainment: many people enjoy dancing
for fun or watching their favorite artists dance on stage or screen. It
can also be a form of sport: there are dance competitions of various
types. In addition to these obvious functions, however, there are other
more complex roles dance can play in a society.
(2) Sometimes dance serves to help teach social rules to young members of
a community. A kind of dance called the minuet is a good example. The
minuet originated in France and by the 18th century had become popular
among the European elite. In Britain, debutantes, or upper-class women
about to make their entrance into adult society by attending their first
dance, were strictly trained for their first minuet. They usually danced
it before a crowd of people who would critically observe their movements
and behavior. This dance taught them how to behave like a member of high
society. One writer in fact, called the minuet one of the best schools of
manners ever invented.
(3) Dance has also been used to make sure that adults follow the rules of
their community. An example comes from research conducted in the mid-1900s
on dances performed after hunts by the Mbuti Pygmies, an ethnic group
living in parts of Central Africa. Suppose something had gone wrong in
the hunt. For example, an opportunity to catch an animal was missed
because someone neglected to perform their role of hitting the ground to
drive the animal toward the hunters. Later, a dancer would act out the
event to show the wrong action and perhaps embarrass that person. It is
easy to imagine that this would discourage behavior that could ruin a
future hunt.
(4) In some cultures, dance can be a way of displaying power. For
instance, there is another report from the mid-1900s describing how the
Maring people of New Guinea would hold dances to show their military
strength and recruit allies for possible battles. Although battles often
occurred after these dances, it is also said that these dances could
contribute to peaceful solutions among enemy groups. Through the dances,
a group's size and strength would become obvious to potential opponents,
and this could help avoid a fight.
(5) Through dance, groups can also exhibit their traditions and, thus,
increase their prestige. An example of this is the world-famous Trinidad
Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean island country that was once
a European colony. The roots of this event can be traced to the late
1700s, when the European colonists held a carnival, dancing in elaborate
costumes. People of African origin, many of whom came to the island as
slaves, were mostly excluded. After slavery ended in 1838, they started to
participate fully and changed the character of the carnival. In their
dances, they acted out scenes from the slavery period and displayed their
own traditions. Their performances were a way for them to show past
injustices and to earn recognition for their customs.
(6) The roles of dance discussed here, maintaining traditions and
demonstrating group strength or cultural richness, have one shared effect:
they unite members of a group. Dance is not just an artistic expression
but a way for groups to strengthen their shared identity. Though it may
not be dances unique to our local regions that we participate in. Why do
we take part in such activities and how did these dances originate?
Considering the role of dance in our lives can lead to interesting
discoveries about the history or values of our own society.
Ａ 次の問い(問１〜５)の[ 46 ]〜[ 50 ]に入れるのに最も適当なものを、
それぞれ下の{1}〜{4}のうちから一つずつ選べ。
問１ In paragraph (2), the topic of debutantes is introduced to provide
an example of [ 46 ].
{1} how long it took young people to learn the minuet
{2} the kind of schools that the European elite attended
{3} role women played when dancing the minuet
{4} young people learning how to act properly
問２ According to paragraph (3), the Mbuti Pygmies [ 47 ].
{1} disciplined careless hunters through dance
{2} handed down customs and traditions through dance
{3} made lazy members dance after a day's hunt
{4} performed culturally desirable behavior by dance
問３ Paragraph (4) suggests that dance could discourage [ 48 ] among the
Maring people.
{1} military recruiting
{2} peace-making
{3} physical conflict
{4} power display
問４ Paragraph (5) mentions [ 49 ].
{1} how the Trinidad Carnival was transformed
{2} when the Caribbean area was first colonized
{3} where the African dance tradition started
{4} why the Europeans started the Trinidad Carnival
問５ The main idea of this passage is that [ 50 ].
{1} dance can bring us together and also help us understand society
{2} dance plays a significant role in education upper-class people
{3} the primary purpose of dance is entertainment and exercise
{4} understanding the history of dance is important
Ｂ 次の表は、本文の段落と内容をまとめたものである。[ 51 ]〜[ 55 ]に入れる
のに最も適当なものを、下の{1}〜{5}のうちから一つずつ選び、表を完成させよ。
ただし、同じものを繰り返し選んではいけない。
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
｜Paragraph｜ Content ｜
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
｜ (1) ｜Typical roles of dance today｜
｜ (2) ｜ [ 51 ] ｜
｜ (3) ｜ [ 52 ] ｜
｜ (4) ｜ [ 53 ] ｜
｜ (5) ｜ [ 54 ] ｜
｜ (6) ｜ [ 55 ] ｜
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
{1} Dance for passing down appropriate cultural behavior
{2} How dance improves a group's status
{3} The common function of dance and its significance
{4} The demonstration of group force through dance
{5} Using dance to point out unfavorable actions
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