EigoPro 2級 読解 — The Story of Sign Language

The Story of Sign Language When most people think of language, they think of sound: words spoken and heard. Yet for millions of deaf people around the world, language is something seen, not heard. Sign languages, which use the hands, face, and body to communicate, are full and complete languages in their own right — a fact that has only been widely accepted in fairly recent times. For a long time, many hearing people wrongly believed that sign languages were not "real" languages at all. Some thought they were just simple gestures, or a kind of acting out of spoken words. Scientists who study language have shown that this view is completely mistaken. A sign language has its own grammar and its own rules, just as spoken languages do, and it can express any idea, from a simple greeting to a complicated scientific argument. One common misunderstanding is that there is a single sign language used everywhere. In fact, just as there are many spoken languages, there are many different sign languages around the world, and they are not the same. A deaf person from Japan and a deaf person from America would not automatically understand each other, any more than a Japanese speaker and an English speaker would. Each sign language has grown naturally within its own community over many years. Recognising sign languages as true languages matters a great deal. It means that deaf children have the right to learn and be taught in their own language, and that important information can be made available to everyone. More and more, sign language interpreters appear on television and at public events. By treating sign languages with the respect they deserve, society becomes richer and more open to all its members.

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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?

  • Sign languages are simple gestures, not real languages.
  • All language must be spoken and heard to be real.
  • Sign languages are complete, real languages that deserve full recognition and respect.
  • Only a few deaf people in the world use sign language.
Phrase

Sign languages ... are full and complete languages in their own right

手話はそれ自体で完全な言語

2級読解言語記事主旨
⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「手話は手・顔・体を使う、それ自体で完全な言語であり(近年やっと広く認められた)、真の言語として尊重すべき」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Sign languages are complete, real languages that deserve full recognition and respect.」

正解

第1段落 "Sign languages ... are full and complete languages in their own right — a fact that has only been widely accepted in fairly recent times" が主旨。記事は真の言語である根拠 → 誤解 → 価値と展開。in one's own right = 「それ自体で」、communicate = 「意思疎通する」。

  • 「Sign languages are only simple gestures and are not real languages at all.」

    = 手話は単純な身振りで真の言語でない ━ 本文 "full and complete languages" と矛盾。

  • 「All language must be spoken aloud and heard by others in order to be real.」

    = 言語は話され聞かれねば本物でない ━ 本文 "language is something seen, not heard" と矛盾。

  • 「Only a very small number of deaf people anywhere in the world use sign language.」

    = ごく一部の聾者だけが使う ━ 本文 "millions of deaf people" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
in one's own rightそれ自体でin their own right
be widely accepted広く受け入れられるwidely accepted
communicate意思疎通するto communicate
a complete language完全な言語full and complete languages
deaf people聾者millions of deaf people
❝例文

  • Sign languages are complete languages.

    手話は完全な言語だ。

  • They use hands, face, and body.

    手・顔・体を使う。

  • This was accepted only recently.

    これは近年やっと認められた。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― "are full and complete languages in their own right" が主旨。誤答は本文が否定する誤解 (単純な身振り / 話さねば本物でない) や本文と矛盾 (ごく一部) で誘導。

問 2

What have scientists shown about sign languages?

  • Sign languages can only express very simple greetings.
  • Sign languages have their own grammar and can express any idea, like spoken languages.
  • Sign languages are just acting out spoken words.
  • Sign languages have no grammar or rules of their own.
Phrase

has its own grammar and rules; can express any idea

独自の文法と規則を持ち、あらゆる考えを表せる

2級読解言語記事詳細 (真の言語である根拠)
⚡ひとことで

長い間、多くの健聴者は手話が『本物』の言語でないと誤って信じ、単なる身振りや話し言葉の演技と思った。言語学者はこの見方が完全に誤りだと示した。手話は話し言葉同様に独自の文法と規則を持ち、簡単な挨拶から複雑な科学的議論まであらゆる考えを表せる。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Sign languages have their own grammar and can express any idea, like spoken languages.」

正解

第2段落 "this view is completely mistaken. A sign language has its own grammar and its own rules, just as spoken languages do, and it can express any idea, from a simple greeting to a complicated scientific argument" より、根拠 = 独自の文法・規則を持ち、あらゆる考えを表せる。just as ~ do = 「〜がするのと同様に」、express an idea = 「考えを表す」。

  • 「Sign languages have no grammar or rules of their own, so anything goes.」

    = 独自の文法も規則もない ━ 本文 "has its own grammar and its own rules" と矛盾。

  • 「Sign languages can only express very simple greetings and everyday requests.」

    = 簡単な挨拶しか表せない ━ 本文 "any idea ... a complicated scientific argument" と矛盾。

  • 「Sign languages are just a way of acting out the words of a spoken language.」

    = 話し言葉の演技にすぎない ━ 本文 "this view is completely mistaken" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
its own grammar独自の文法its own grammar
just as ~ do〜と同様にjust as spoken languages do
express any ideaあらゆる考えを表すexpress any idea
completely mistaken完全に誤りcompletely mistaken
a scientific argument科学的議論a complicated scientific argument
❝例文

  • Sign languages have their own grammar.

    手話は独自の文法を持つ。

  • They can express any idea.

    あらゆる考えを表せる。

  • The old view was completely mistaken.

    古い見方は完全に誤りだった。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

根拠設問の鉄則 ―― "this view is completely mistaken. A sign language has its own grammar ... can express any idea" を拾う。誤答は本文が否定する誤解 (文法なし / 挨拶だけ / 演技) で誘導。

問 3

What common misunderstanding does the passage correct?

  • Sign languages were designed by a single committee.
  • There are many different sign languages, not one, so they are not all the same.
  • All deaf people everywhere understand each other instantly.
  • There is only one sign language used all over the world.
Phrase

many different sign languages; a deaf person from Japan and America would not automatically understand each other

手話は多数あり、日本とアメリカの聾者は自動的には通じ合えない

2級読解言語記事詳細 (誤解の訂正)
⚡ひとことで

よくある誤解は、世界中で1つの手話が使われているというもの。実際は話し言葉が多数あるように手話も世界に多数あり同じではない。日本の聾者とアメリカの聾者は、日本語話者と英語話者が通じないのと同様、自動的には理解し合えない。各手話は各共同体で長年かけて自然に育った。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「There are many different sign languages, not one, so they are not all the same.」

正解

第3段落 "just as there are many spoken languages, there are many different sign languages ... they are not the same. A deaf person from Japan and a deaf person from America would not automatically understand each other" より、誤解の訂正 = 手話は世界に多数あり同一でない。just as ~ = 「〜と同様に」、not ... any more than ~ = 「〜でないのと同様に…ない」。

  • 「There is only one single sign language, and it is used all over the world.」

    = 世界中で1つの手話だけ ━ 本文 "many different sign languages" と矛盾。

  • 「All deaf people everywhere understand each other instantly without learning.」

    = 全聾者が即座に通じ合う ━ 本文 "would not automatically understand each other" と矛盾。

  • 「Sign languages were all designed by a single committee of hearing experts.」

    = 1つの委員会が設計した ━ 本文 "grown naturally within its own community" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
just as ~〜と同様にjust as there are many
not the same同じでないthey are not the same
understand each other互いに理解するunderstand each other
grow naturally自然に育つhas grown naturally
within a community共同体内でwithin its own community
❝例文

  • There are many sign languages.

    手話は多数ある。

  • They are not all the same.

    全て同じではない。

  • Each grew within its own community.

    各々が共同体で育った。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

誤解の訂正設問の鉄則 ―― "One common misunderstanding is that ... In fact, ..." の In fact 以降が事実。誤答は訂正された誤解 (1つだけ / 即座に通じる) や本文と矛盾 (委員会が設計) で誘導。

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