EigoPro 2級 読解 — The Value of Volunteering

The Value of Volunteering Every day, millions of people around the world give their time and energy to help others without being paid. They clean beaches, teach children to read, care for animals, and support the elderly. This kind of work, known as volunteering, is often seen simply as a generous gift to the community. In reality, it benefits the volunteers themselves at least as much as the people they help. The benefits to society are easy to see. Volunteers do essential work that there is not always enough money to pay for. A local library, a sports club, or a disaster relief effort may depend almost entirely on people willing to give their time for free. In small communities especially, volunteers help to build trust and friendship among neighbours who might otherwise never meet. What is less obvious is how much volunteers gain in return. Studies show that people who volunteer regularly tend to be happier and even healthier than those who do not. Helping others gives a strong sense of purpose, and working alongside new people can reduce loneliness. For younger volunteers, the experience can also be practical: they learn new skills, gain confidence, and discover interests that may shape their future careers. Of course, volunteering is not a magic solution to every problem, and it should never be used as an excuse for ignoring deeper issues that governments must address. Still, its value is hard to deny. As one well-known saying puts it, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." For many people, volunteering turns that idea into a simple, everyday reality.

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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

2級 · 読解 · 全5問

問 1

What is the main idea of the passage?

  • Volunteering only helps the community and never the volunteer.
  • Volunteering helps the community, but it benefits the volunteers just as much.
  • Volunteers are always paid well for their work.
  • Very few people anywhere ever volunteer their time.
Phrase

it benefits the volunteers themselves at least as much as the people they help

ボランティア自身にも、助ける相手と少なくとも同じくらい益がある

2級読解社会記事主旨
⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「ボランティアは地域への贈り物と見られがちだが、実は助ける本人にも相手と同じくらい益がある」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Volunteering helps the community, but it benefits the volunteers just as much.」

正解

第1段落 "often seen simply as a generous gift to the community. In reality, it benefits the volunteers themselves at least as much as the people they help" が主旨。記事は地域への効果・本人への効果・結論と展開。without being paid = 「無償で」、at least as much as ~ = 「少なくとも〜と同じくらい」。

  • 「Volunteering only helps the community and never the volunteers themselves.」

    = 地域だけを助け本人には無益 ━ 本文 "benefits the volunteers themselves" と矛盾。

  • 「Volunteers are always paid well for the work that they do.」

    = ボランティアは常に高給 ━ 本文 "without being paid" と矛盾。

  • 「Very few people anywhere in the world ever volunteer their time.」

    = ボランティアする人はごく僅か ━ 本文 "millions of people" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
without being paid無償でwithout being paid
a gift to ~〜への贈り物a generous gift to the community
in reality実際にはIn reality
at least as much as ~少なくとも〜と同じくらいat least as much as
give one's time時間を捧げるgive their time
❝例文

  • Millions volunteer without pay.

    何百万人もが無償でボランティアする。

  • It is seen as a gift to the community.

    地域への贈り物と見られる。

  • But it benefits the volunteers too.

    だが本人にも益がある。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― "often seen as X. In reality, ... benefits the volunteers themselves" の In reality 以降が主旨。誤答は本文と矛盾 (本人に無益 / 高給 / ごく僅か) で誘導。地域 + 本人の双方への益が核。

問 2

What benefits to society does volunteering bring?

  • Volunteering makes neighbours distrust each other.
  • Libraries and clubs never rely on volunteers at all.
  • Volunteers do essential unpaid work and build trust among neighbours.
  • Volunteers only do work that is already well paid.
Phrase

essential work there is not enough money to pay for; build trust among neighbours

金で賄えない不可欠な仕事、隣人間の信頼を築く

2級読解社会記事詳細 (地域への効果)
⚡ひとことで

地域への効果は明白。ボランティアは支払う金が常にあるとは限らない不可欠な仕事をこなす。図書館・スポーツクラブ・災害救援は無償の時間に大きく依存。特に小さな地域では出会わないはずの隣人間に信頼と友情を築く。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Volunteers do essential unpaid work and build trust among neighbours.」

正解

第2段落 "Volunteers do essential work that there is not always enough money to pay for ... may depend almost entirely on people willing to give their time for free ... volunteers help to build trust and friendship among neighbours" より、地域への効果 = 金で賄えない不可欠な仕事 + 隣人間の信頼構築。depend on ~ = 「〜に依存する」、for free = 「無償で」。

  • 「Volunteers only do the kind of work that is already well paid.」

    = 高給の仕事だけする ━ 本文 "not always enough money to pay for" と矛盾。

  • 「Volunteering makes neighbours distrust one another even more.」

    = 隣人を不信にさせる ━ 本文 "build trust and friendship" と逆。

  • 「Libraries and sports clubs never rely on volunteers at all.」

    = 図書館やクラブは一切頼らない ━ 本文 "may depend almost entirely on" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
essential work不可欠な仕事essential work
pay for ~〜の費用を払うmoney to pay for
depend on ~〜に依存するdepend almost entirely on
for free無償でgive their time for free
build trust信頼を築くbuild trust and friendship
❝例文

  • Volunteers do essential unpaid work.

    ボランティアは無償の不可欠な仕事をする。

  • Libraries may depend on them.

    図書館は彼らに依存しうる。

  • They build trust among neighbours.

    隣人間に信頼を築く。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

地域への効果設問の鉄則 ―― "benefits to society are easy to see" 以下 (essential work + trust) を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (高給の仕事 / 不信に / 頼らない) で誘導。

問 3

How do volunteers themselves benefit, according to the passage?

  • Volunteers tend to be lonelier and less healthy than others.
  • Volunteering teaches young people no useful skills.
  • Volunteers tend to be happier and healthier, gain purpose, and learn new skills.
  • Helping others gives people no sense of purpose.
Phrase

happier and healthier; sense of purpose; reduce loneliness; learn skills

より幸福で健康、目的意識、孤独軽減、技能習得

2級読解社会記事詳細 (本人への効果)
⚡ひとことで

あまり明白でないのは本人の得るもの。定期的にボランティアする人はしない人より幸福で健康な傾向。他者を助けると強い目的意識が生まれ、新しい人と働くと孤独が減る。若い人には技能習得・自信・将来の進路につながる関心の発見という実利も。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Volunteers tend to be happier and healthier, gain purpose, and learn new skills.」

正解

第3段落 "people who volunteer regularly tend to be happier and even healthier ... gives a strong sense of purpose ... can reduce loneliness ... they learn new skills, gain confidence, and discover interests that may shape their future careers" より、本人への効果 = 幸福・健康・目的意識・孤独軽減・技能習得。a sense of purpose = 「目的意識」、gain confidence = 「自信を得る」。

  • 「Volunteers tend to be lonelier and much less healthy than other people.」

    = より孤独で不健康 ━ 本文 "happier and even healthier" "reduce loneliness" と逆。

  • 「Volunteering teaches young people no useful skills for later work.」

    = 若者に有用な技能を教えない ━ 本文 "learn new skills, gain confidence" と矛盾。

  • 「Helping other people gives a volunteer no sense of purpose at all.」

    = 目的意識を与えない ━ 本文 "a strong sense of purpose" と逆。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
a sense of purpose目的意識a strong sense of purpose
reduce loneliness孤独を減らすreduce loneliness
gain confidence自信を得るgain confidence
shape one's career進路を形作るshape their future careers
in return見返りにgain in return
❝例文

  • Volunteers tend to be happier and healthier.

    ボランティアはより幸福で健康な傾向だ。

  • Helping others gives a sense of purpose.

    他者を助けると目的意識が生まれる。

  • Young people learn new skills.

    若者は新しい技能を学ぶ。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

本人への効果設問の鉄則 ―― "What is less obvious is how much volunteers gain in return" 以下を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (孤独/不健康 / 技能なし / 目的意識なし) で誘導。

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