EigoPro 2級 読解 — The Story of Coffee

The Story of Coffee For millions of people, the day does not truly begin until they have had their first cup of coffee. It is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and the trade in coffee beans supports farmers, shippers, and cafe owners on every continent. Yet few of the people enjoying their morning cup know how long and surprising the journey of coffee has been. According to a famous legend, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder who noticed that his animals became unusually lively after eating the red berries of a certain bush. Curious, he tried the berries himself and felt the same burst of energy. Whether or not the story is true, coffee drinking certainly began in that region and spread first to the Arab world, where the beans were roasted and brewed in a way we would recognise today. When coffee reached Europe in the seventeenth century, it changed more than people's breakfast habits. Coffee houses opened in cities such as London and Paris, and they quickly became centres of conversation and business. For the price of a single cup, customers could sit for hours, read the news, and exchange ideas with strangers. Some of the period's most important newspapers, banks, and insurance companies actually started life as informal meetings in coffee houses. People at the time called them "penny universities," because so much could be learned there so cheaply. Today, coffee is a global industry worth billions, and growing demand brings new challenges. Coffee plants are sensitive to temperature, and a changing climate threatens many traditional growing regions. Scientists are now working with farmers to develop hardier varieties and better growing methods. The next chapter in coffee's long story, it seems, will be written not in cafes but in fields and laboratories.

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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?

  • Coffee was invented in Europe in the twentieth century.
  • Coffee has a long, surprising history, from its discovery to today's global industry.
  • Coffee has only ever been drunk at breakfast.
  • Coffee is no longer a popular drink anywhere.
Phrase

how long and surprising the journey of coffee has been

コーヒーの長く意外な旅路

2級読解食文化史主旨
⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「世界で最も人気の飲み物コーヒーは、エチオピアの伝説から欧州のコーヒーハウス、気候変動と闘う現代まで、長く意外な歴史を歩んできた」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Coffee has a long, surprising history, from its discovery to today's global industry.」

正解

第1段落 "few of the people ... know how long and surprising the journey of coffee has been" が主旨。記事は起源の伝説 → 欧州のコーヒーハウス → 現代の課題と展開。the trade in ~ = 「〜の取引」、journey = 「旅路・変遷」。

  • 「Coffee was invented in Europe in the twentieth century and spread from there.」

    = 20世紀の欧州で発明 ━ 本文のエチオピア起源・17世紀欧州到達と矛盾。

  • 「Coffee is no longer a popular drink anywhere outside the Middle East.」

    = もはやどこでも人気がない ━ 本文 "one of the most popular drinks in the world" と矛盾。

  • 「Coffee has only ever been drunk at breakfast, and only in Europe.」

    = 朝食でしか飲まれたことがない ━ 本文のコーヒーハウス文化 (何時間も滞在) と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
the trade in ~〜の取引the trade in coffee beans
on every continent全大陸でon every continent
a long journey長い旅路how long ... the journey ... has been
one of the most popular ~最も人気の〜の一つone of the most popular drinks
begin the day一日を始めるthe day does not truly begin
❝例文

  • Coffee supports workers on every continent.

    コーヒーは全大陸の働き手を支える。

  • Its journey has been long and surprising.

    その旅路は長く意外だった。

  • Few drinkers know coffee's history.

    コーヒーの歴史を知る人は少ない。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― "how long and surprising the journey of coffee has been" が主旨の合図。誤答は本文と矛盾 (欧州発明 / 人気がない / 朝食のみ) で誘導。歴史全体を覆う選択肢が正解。

問 2

According to the legend, how was coffee discovered?

  • The herder refused to try the berries himself.
  • Coffee was first discovered by European bankers.
  • A goat herder noticed his goats became lively after eating coffee berries.
  • The goats fell asleep after eating the berries.
Phrase

a goat herder noticed his animals became lively after eating the berries

ヤギ飼いが実を食べた山羊の活発化に気づいた

2級読解食文化史詳細 (起源)
⚡ひとことで

有名な伝説では、コーヒーはエチオピアでヤギ飼いが発見した。山羊がある低木の赤い実を食べて異常に活発になるのに気づき、自分でも試して同じ活力を感じた。真偽はともかく、コーヒー飲用はその地域で始まりアラブ世界へ広がり、今日と同じ焙煎・抽出法が生まれた。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「A goat herder noticed his goats became lively after eating coffee berries.」

正解

第2段落 "coffee was discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder who noticed that his animals became unusually lively after eating the red berries" より、伝説 = 山羊の活発化に気づいたヤギ飼いの発見。unusually lively = 「異常に活発」、a burst of energy = 「活力の噴出」。

  • 「Coffee was first discovered by European bankers and traders.」

    = 欧州の銀行家が最初に発見 ━ 本文のエチオピアのヤギ飼い伝説と矛盾。

  • 「The goats fell fast asleep after eating the red coffee berries.」

    = 実を食べた山羊は眠り込んだ ━ 本文 "became unusually lively" と逆。

  • 「The herder refused to try the berries himself and threw them away.」

    = ヤギ飼いは実を試さなかった ━ 本文 "he tried the berries himself" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
according to legend伝説によるとAccording to a famous legend
a goat herderヤギ飼いa goat herder
unusually lively異常に活発became unusually lively
a burst of energy活力の噴出the same burst of energy
whether or not ~〜かどうかはともかくWhether or not the story is true
❝例文

  • Legend says a herder discovered coffee.

    伝説ではヤギ飼いがコーヒーを発見した。

  • His goats became lively after the berries.

    山羊は実を食べて活発になった。

  • He felt the same burst of energy.

    彼も同じ活力を感じた。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

起源設問の鉄則 ―― "According to a famous legend" 以下 (goat herder / lively / tried himself) を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (銀行家 / 眠り込む / 試さない) で誘導。

問 3

What does the passage say about coffee houses in Europe?

  • They were called universities because professors taught there.
  • They became centres where people exchanged ideas and even started businesses.
  • Talking to strangers was strictly forbidden there.
  • Customers had to leave as soon as they finished one cup.
Phrase

coffee houses became centres of conversation and business; "penny universities"

コーヒーハウスは会話と商売の中心、ペニー大学

2級読解食文化史詳細 (コーヒーハウス)
⚡ひとことで

17世紀に欧州に届いたコーヒーは朝食の習慣以上を変えた。ロンドンやパリのコーヒーハウスは会話と商売の中心となり、一杯の値段で何時間も座り、新聞を読み、見知らぬ人と意見を交換できた。当時の重要な新聞・銀行・保険会社のいくつかは実際コーヒーハウスの非公式な集まりから生まれ、安く多くを学べることから「ペニー大学」と呼ばれた。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「They became centres where people exchanged ideas and even started businesses.」

正解

第3段落 "they quickly became centres of conversation and business ... newspapers, banks, and insurance companies actually started life as informal meetings in coffee houses" より、コーヒーハウス = 意見交換と事業誕生の中心地。exchange ideas = 「意見を交換する」、start life as ~ = 「〜として始まる」。

  • 「Customers had to leave as soon as they had finished a single cup.」

    = 一杯飲んだら即退店 ━ 本文 "could sit for hours" と矛盾。

  • 「Talking to strangers about business was strictly forbidden there.」

    = 見知らぬ人との会話は厳禁 ━ 本文 "exchange ideas with strangers" と矛盾。

  • 「They were called universities because professors gave lectures there.」

    = 教授が教えたから大学と呼ばれた ━ 本文は「安く学べる」が由来、教授は無関係。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
a centre of ~〜の中心centres of conversation and business
exchange ideas意見を交換するexchange ideas with strangers
for the price of ~〜の値段でFor the price of a single cup
start life as ~〜として始まるstarted life as informal meetings
at the time当時People at the time
❝例文

  • Coffee houses became centres of business.

    コーヒーハウスは商売の中心になった。

  • Customers sat for hours exchanging ideas.

    客は何時間も座り意見を交わした。

  • Some banks began in coffee houses.

    一部の銀行はコーヒーハウスで生まれた。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

コーヒーハウス設問の鉄則 ―― "centres of conversation and business" + "started life as informal meetings" を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (即退店 / 会話厳禁 / 教授) で誘導。penny universities の由来 (cheaply) も注意。

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