EigoPro 準2級プラス読解 — A Pause for Peace

A Pause for Peace Every few years, athletes from around the world gather to compete in the Olympic Games. Most people know the Games for their records and medals. Far fewer know that, behind the sport, there lies an old and remarkable idea: the belief that, for a short time, the whole world might agree to stop fighting. An Ancient Custom The Olympic Games began in ancient Greece more than two thousand years ago. At that time, the various Greek city-states were often at war with one another. Yet during the period of the Games, a special agreement called the "Olympic Truce" came into effect. Wars were paused so that athletes and visitors could travel safely to the Games and return home again. For a few weeks, the roads were considered safe for everyone. Not Always Perfect It would be wrong to imagine that the truce always worked perfectly. History records times when it was broken, and the punishments for breaking it could be severe. Still, the very existence of the truce showed something important: that even people who were enemies could, for a moment, agree to set their conflicts aside. A Modern Revival When the modern Olympic Games were created in 1896, the ancient idea of the truce was not forgotten. In recent decades, world leaders have formally revived it, calling on nations to observe a period of peace around the time of each Games. The truce no longer stops wars completely, but it offers a yearly reminder of a powerful hope. The Real Prize Perhaps this is the deepest meaning of the Games. Medals are won and lost, and records are eventually broken. But the idea that the world can pause, even briefly, to choose peace over conflict may be the most valuable prize of all.

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この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

準2級プラス · 読解 · 全5問

問 1

What idea lies behind the Olympic Games that few people know about?

That athletes should never travel between cities.
That sport is more important than anything else.
That only the strongest country should win every medal.
That the whole world might agree to stop fighting for a short time.

Phrase

the whole world might agree to stop fighting

全世界が戦いをやめうる

準2級プラス読解歴史記事五輪の背後にある理念

⚡ひとことで

「The whole world might agree to stop fighting for a short time.」を表す読解フレーズ。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「That the whole world might agree to stop fighting for a short time.」

正解

本文 "the belief that, for a short time, the whole world might agree to stop fighting" より、理念 = 短い間、全世界が戦いをやめうるという信念。agree to + 動詞 = 「〜することに同意する」、for a short time = 「短期間」。

「That only the very strongest country should win every medal.」
= 最強国が全メダルを取るべき ━ 平和の理念であり勝敗ではない。
「That athletes should never travel between different cities.」
= 選手は都市間を移動すべきでない ━ 安全に移動できたが主旨、逆。
「That sport is far more important than anything else in life.」
= スポーツが何より重要 ━ 理念は平和、スポーツの優劣ではない。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
agree to + 動詞	〜することに同意する	agree to stop fighting
for a short time	短期間	for a short time
behind ~	〜の背後に	behind the sport
far fewer ~	はるかに少ない〜	Far fewer know
lie + 場所	〜にある	there lies an old idea

❝例文

The whole world might agree to stop fighting.
全世界が戦いをやめうる。
Behind the sport lies a remarkable idea.
スポーツの背後に注目すべき理念がある。
Far fewer people know about it.
それを知る人ははるかに少ない。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

理念設問の鉄則 ―― "there lies an old and remarkable idea: the belief that ..." のコロン後・that 節が理念。agree to + 動詞 は準2級プラス必須。誤答は『最強国』『スポーツ優先』など平和の主旨と逆で誘導。

問 2

What was the "Olympic Truce" in ancient Greece?

A tax paid by visitors to the Games.
A rule that forced all city-states to go to war.
A prize given to the fastest runner.
An agreement that paused wars so people could travel safely to the Games.

Phrase

wars were paused so athletes could travel safely

選手が安全に移動できるよう戦争を休止

準2級プラス読解歴史記事オリンピック休戦の定義

⚡ひとことで

「An agreement that paused wars so people could travel safely to the Games.」を表す読解フレーズ。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「An agreement that paused wars so people could travel safely to the Games.」

正解

本文 "a special agreement called the 'Olympic Truce' came into effect. Wars were paused so that athletes and visitors could travel safely" より、定義 = 選手や訪問者が安全に往来できるよう戦争を休止する協定。so that + 主語 + could = 「〜できるように」、come into effect = 「発効する」。

「A rule that forced every one of the Greek city-states to go to war.」
= 全都市国家を戦争に強制 ━ Wars were paused ━ 休止、逆。
「A special prize that was given to the fastest runner of them all.」
= 最速走者への賞 ━ 休戦協定であり賞ではない。
「A special tax that was paid by all of the visitors to the Games.」
= 訪問者が払う税 ━ 税の記述なし、創作。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
so that + 主語 + could	〜できるように	so that athletes ... could travel
come into effect	発効する	came into effect
pause ~	〜を一時休止する	Wars were paused
at war with ~	〜と交戦中で	at war with one another
be considered ~	〜と見なされる	roads were considered safe

❝例文

Wars were paused during the Games.
大会期間中、戦争は休止された。
This was so athletes could travel safely.
選手が安全に移動できるためだ。
The truce came into effect.
休戦が発効した。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

定義設問の鉄則 ―― "called the 'Olympic Truce' ... Wars were paused so that ..." の so that 節で目的 を読む。come into effect は準2級プラス必須。誤答は『戦争を強制』『賞』『税』など定義を取り違えて誘導。

問 3

What does the passage admit about the ancient truce?

It applied only to people who were friends.
It made all wars stop forever.
It was never once broken in history.
It did not always work perfectly and was sometimes broken.

Phrase

it did not always work perfectly

常に完璧に機能したわけではない

準2級プラス読解歴史記事休戦の限界

⚡ひとことで

「It did not always work perfectly and was sometimes broken.」を表す読解フレーズ。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「It did not always work perfectly and was sometimes broken.」

正解

本文 "It would be wrong to imagine that the truce always worked perfectly. History records times when it was broken" より、限界 = 常に完璧ではなく時に破られた。not always = 「常に〜とは限らない」(部分否定)、it would be wrong to + 動詞 = 「〜と考えるのは誤り」。

「It was never once broken in the whole of Greek history.」
= 一度も破られなかった ━ times when it was broken ━ 逆。
「It applied only to those people who were already friends.」
= 友人にのみ適用 ━ even ... enemies ━ 敵にも、逆。
「It made every one of the wars stop for ever after.」
= 全戦争を永久停止 ━ always worked perfectly ではない、誇張。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
not always	常に〜とは限らない	not ... always worked perfectly
it would be wrong to + 動詞	〜と考えるのは誤り	It would be wrong to imagine
record times when ~	〜の時を記録する	records times when it was broken
set ~ aside	〜を脇に置く	set their conflicts aside
the very existence of ~	〜の存在そのもの	the very existence of the truce

❝例文

The truce did not always work perfectly.
休戦は常に完璧ではなかった。
History records times when it was broken.
破られた時もあったと歴史は記す。
Even enemies could set conflicts aside.
敵同士でも争いを脇に置けた。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

限界設問の鉄則 ―― "It would be wrong to imagine that ... always worked perfectly" の 部分否定 not always が核。it would be wrong to + 動詞 は準2級プラス必須。誤答は『一度も破られず』『永久停止』など完璧化で誘導。

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EigoPro 準2級プラス 読解 — A Pause for Peace

この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

the whole world might agree to stop fighting

wars were paused so athletes could travel safely

it did not always work perfectly

EigoPro 準2級プラス読解 — A Pause for Peace