EigoPro 2級読解 — The Science of Color

The Science of Color We are surrounded by color from the moment we wake until we close our eyes at night. We choose the color of our clothes, our cars, and the walls of our rooms, often without thinking deeply about why. Yet color is far more than simple decoration. It affects our feelings, our choices, and even the way our bodies react, frequently without our being aware of it. The first surprising fact is that color does not really exist in the way we imagine. Objects themselves have no color; instead, they reflect light of different wavelengths. When this light enters the eye, the brain turns those signals into the experience we call "red" or "blue." In other words, color is created not in the world outside, but inside our own heads. This is why, in very dim light, the world seems to lose its colors and appears in shades of gray. Scientists have found that colors can have real effects on people. Warm colors like red and orange tend to feel exciting and can even slightly raise the heartbeat, while cool colors like blue and green often feel calm and restful. Businesses know this well. Restaurants may use warm colors to make customers feel lively and hungry, while hospitals often choose soft, cool colors to help patients relax. It would be a mistake, however, to think that every color carries the same meaning everywhere. The feelings linked to a color can vary greatly from one culture to another. White, for example, is connected with weddings and purity in some countries, but with sadness and mourning in others. Color, it turns out, is a rich mixture of physics, biology, and culture — a everyday wonder hiding in plain sight.

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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?

Color is only a simple decoration with no real effects.
People always choose colors after deep, careful thought.
Color affects only what we see, never how we feel.
Color is more than decoration; it affects our feelings, choices, and even our bodies.

Phrase

color is far more than simple decoration ... affects our feelings, choices, and bodies

色は単なる装飾以上で、感情・選択・身体に影響する

2級読解科学記事主旨

⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「色は単なる装飾でなく、感情・選択・身体に(気づかぬうちに)影響し、物理・生物・文化が混じった日常の不思議」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Color is more than decoration; it affects our feelings, choices, and even our bodies.」

正解

第1段落 "color is far more than simple decoration. It affects our feelings, our choices, and even the way our bodies react" が主旨。記事は色とは何か → 心理的影響 → 文化差と展開。be surrounded by ~ = 「〜に囲まれている」、be aware of ~ = 「〜に気づいている」。

「Color is only a simple decoration and has no real effect on the body.」
= 色は効果のない単なる装飾 ━ 本文 "far more than simple decoration" と矛盾。
「People always choose the colors around them after deep, careful thought.」
= 色は常に熟考して選ぶ ━ 本文 "often without thinking deeply" と矛盾。
「Color affects only what we see with our eyes, never how we feel or choose.」
= 色は視覚だけに影響し感情には影響しない ━ 本文 "affects our feelings" と矛盾。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
be surrounded by ~	〜に囲まれる	surrounded by color
far more than ~	〜をはるかに超える	far more than simple decoration
affect ~	〜に影響する	affects our feelings
react	反応する	the way our bodies react
be aware of ~	〜に気づく	without our being aware of it

❝例文

Color is more than decoration.
色は装飾以上のものだ。
It affects our feelings and choices.
それは感情と選択に影響する。
Often we are not aware of it.
しばしば私たちは気づかない。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― "color is far more than simple decoration. It affects ..." が主旨。誤答は本文と矛盾 (装飾だけ / 熟考して選ぶ / 感情に影響しない) で誘導。装飾以上 + 感情・選択・身体への影響を含む選択肢が正解。

問 2

What surprising fact about color does the passage explain?

In dim light, objects show their colors more brightly.
Every object contains its own real, fixed color.
Color exists entirely in the outside world, not the brain.
Objects only reflect light; the brain creates the colors we experience.

Phrase

objects have no color; they reflect light; the brain turns signals into 'red' or 'blue' — 「物自体に色はなく光を反射、脳が信号を『赤』『青』に変える」

2級読解科学記事詳細 (色とは何か)

⚡ひとことで

驚くべき事実: 色は私たちが想像する形では実在しない。物自体に色はなく、異なる波長の光を反射する。その光が目に入ると脳が信号を『赤』『青』という体験に変える。つまり色は外界でなく頭の中で作られる。だから薄暗いと世界は色を失い灰色に見える。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Objects only reflect light; the brain creates the colors we experience.」

正解

第2段落 "Objects themselves have no color; instead, they reflect light of different wavelengths ... the brain turns those signals into the experience we call 'red' or 'blue' ... color is created not in the world outside, but inside our own heads" より、色とは = 物は光を反射するだけで、色は脳が作る体験。reflect light = 「光を反射する」、not A but B = 「AでなくB」。

「Every object contains its own real and unchanging color.」
= 物は自身の固定した実色を持つ ━ 本文 "Objects themselves have no color" と矛盾。
「Color exists entirely in the outside world and not in the brain at all.」
= 色は外界に完全に存在し脳ではない ━ 本文 "created ... inside our own heads" と逆。
「In dim light, objects show their true colors even more brightly.」
= 薄暗いと色がより鮮やかに見える ━ 本文 "seems to lose its colors" と矛盾。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
reflect light	光を反射する	reflect light
different wavelengths	異なる波長	different wavelengths
turn A into B	AをBに変える	turns those signals into
not A but B	AでなくB	not in the world outside, but inside
shades of gray	灰色の濃淡	shades of gray

❝例文

Objects reflect light of different wavelengths.
物は異なる波長の光を反射する。
The brain turns signals into colors.
脳は信号を色に変える。
Color is created inside our heads.
色は頭の中で作られる。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

詳細設問の鉄則 ―― "Objects ... have no color ... the brain turns those signals into ..." の因果を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (固定した実色 / 外界に存在 / 薄暗いと鮮やか) で誘導。色は脳が作るが核。

問 3

What effects can colors have on people?

Warm colors feel exciting while cool colors feel calm, and businesses use this.
Warm colors make people feel calm and sleepy.
Colors have no effect on the human heartbeat.
Hospitals use bright red walls to excite patients.

Phrase

warm colors feel exciting and raise heartbeat; cool colors feel calm; businesses use this

暖色は興奮させ心拍を上げ、寒色は落ち着く、企業が利用

2級読解科学記事詳細 (心理的影響)

⚡ひとことで

色は人に実際の影響を持つ。赤やオレンジの暖色は興奮を感じさせ心拍をわずかに上げ、青や緑の寒色は落ち着き安らぐ感じ。企業はこれをよく知り、レストランは暖色で客を活気づけ食欲をそそり、病院は柔らかな寒色で患者を落ち着かせる。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Warm colors feel exciting while cool colors feel calm, and businesses use this.」

正解

第3段落 "Warm colors like red and orange tend to feel exciting and can even slightly raise the heartbeat, while cool colors like blue and green often feel calm ... Restaurants may use warm colors ... hospitals often choose soft, cool colors to help patients relax" より、心理的影響 = 暖色=興奮・心拍上昇、寒色=落ち着き、企業が活用。tend to V = 「〜する傾向がある」、raise the heartbeat = 「心拍を上げる」。

「Warm colors make people feel calm and sleepy, while cool colors excite.」
= 暖色は落ち着き眠くさせる ━ 本文 "warm colors ... feel exciting" と逆。
「Colors have no effect on the human heartbeat or on how people shop.」
= 色は心拍に無影響 ━ 本文 "slightly raise the heartbeat" と矛盾。
「Hospitals use bright red walls in order to excite and cheer up patients.」
= 病院は赤い壁で患者を興奮させる ━ 本文 "hospitals ... cool colors to help patients relax" と逆。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
warm colors	暖色	Warm colors like red
cool colors	寒色	cool colors like blue
tend to V	〜する傾向がある	tend to feel exciting
raise the heartbeat	心拍を上げる	raise the heartbeat
help ~ relax	〜が落ち着くのを助ける	help patients relax

❝例文

Warm colors feel exciting.
暖色は興奮を感じさせる。
Cool colors feel calm.
寒色は落ち着きを感じさせる。
Restaurants use warm colors.
レストランは暖色を使う。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

心理的影響設問の鉄則 ―― "Warm colors ... exciting ... while cool colors ... calm" の対比 + 企業の活用例を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (暖色で眠く / 心拍に無影響 / 病院が赤で興奮) で誘導。

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この単元の講義を見る 2級の単元一覧 2級の用語集

EigoPro 2級 読解 — The Science of Color

この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

color is far more than simple decoration ... affects our feelings, choices, and bodies

objects have no color; they reflect light; the brain turns signals into 'red' or 'blue' — 「物自体に色はなく光を反射、脳が信号を『赤』『青』に変える」

warm colors feel exciting and raise heartbeat; cool colors feel calm; businesses use this

EigoPro 2級読解 — The Science of Color