「絶対そう」を、数字で確かめる

Vocabulary Check

1. "...shows something striking" — here, "striking" is closest to —

   1. boring and expected
   2. very noticeable or surprising
   3. financially costly
   4. difficult to measure
   答えを見る

   正解：B．very noticeable or surprising

2. "...a correlation, on its own, never proves..." means a correlation —

   1. by itself, without other evidence
   2. when combined with an experiment
   3. according to most scientists
   4. in rare cases
   答えを見る

   正解：A．by itself, without other evidence

3. "...tend to cluster in wealthier, more urban neighborhoods" means they tend to —

   1. avoid those neighborhoods
   2. be concentrated in those neighborhoods
   3. move away from those neighborhoods regularly
   4. be evenly spread across all neighborhoods
   答えを見る

   正解：B．be concentrated in those neighborhoods

4. "...the headline writes itself" suggests that the conclusion —

   1. is difficult to summarize
   2. seems obvious and tempting to jump to
   3. was written by a computer
   4. has already been proven false
   答えを見る

   正解：B．seems obvious and tempting to jump to

5. "The phone might be a symptom, not the cause" — here, "symptom" means —

   1. a medical illness
   2. a sign or result of an underlying problem
   3. the original cause of a problem
   4. a solution to a problem
   答えを見る

   正解：B．a sign or result of an underlying problem

6. "...what third factor might explain both..." — here, "factor" is closest to —

   1. a mathematical equation
   2. a cause or influence
   3. a type of graph
   4. a survey question
   答えを見る

   正解：B．a cause or influence

7. "...wealthier, more urban neighborhoods" describes neighborhoods that are —

   1. rural and quiet
   2. city-like and densely populated
   3. newly built
   4. far from public transportation
   答えを見る

   正解：B．city-like and densely populated

Comprehension

1. What does the coffee shop / college graduate example illustrate?

   1. Coffee makes people more intelligent.
   2. Two things can be statistically related without one causing the other.
   3. College graduates prefer coffee to tea.
   4. Data about neighborhoods is usually unreliable.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．Two things can be statistically related without one causing the other.

   本文冒頭の具体例が示す通り、相関があるからといって因果関係があるとは限らない、という本文全体のテーマを提示する導入。

2. According to the passage, what is a "hidden" or "third" cause?

   1. A cause that is illegal to discuss.
   2. A factor that influences both of the two things being compared, creating a correlation without direct causation.
   3. A cause that only applies to coffee shops.
   4. A statistical error in the data.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．A factor that influences both of the two things being compared, creating a correlation without direct causation.

   第2段落：コーヒー店と大卒者の両方に影響する「都市部・富裕層」という共通の要因が、見かけ上の相関を生んでいる、という説明。

3. What is the writer's point about the phone / grades example?

   1. Phones definitely cause lower grades.
   2. A struggling home life could cause both lower grades and heavier phone use, making the phone a symptom rather than a cause.
   3. Grades have nothing to do with phone use.
   4. The study mentioned was proven to be fake.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．A struggling home life could cause both lower grades and heavier phone use, making the phone a symptom rather than a cause.

   第3段落：スマホがそばにあることは「原因」ではなく、家庭のストレス等の別の問題の「結果（症状）」かもしれない、という論理。

4. According to the fire truck example, why is it wrong to conclude that sending more trucks causes more damage?

   1. Fire trucks actually prevent damage completely.
   2. A larger, more dangerous fire is the real cause of both the higher number of trucks sent and the greater damage.
   3. The data about fire trucks was fabricated.
   4. Smaller fires always receive more trucks than larger ones.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．A larger, more dangerous fire is the real cause of both the higher number of trucks sent and the greater damage.

   追加した段落の要点。トラックの台数と被害額の両方を押し上げているのは「火事の規模」という共通の原因であり、トラックの台数自体が被害を増やしているわけではない、という説明。

5. What question does the writer recommend asking before accepting that A causes B?

   1. Is A more expensive than B?
   2. What third factor might explain both A and B at once?
   3. How many people were surveyed?
   4. Has this been reported in the news?
   答えを見る

   正解：B．What third factor might explain both A and B at once?

   最終段落の結論的な問いかけ。相関を見たら、まず「両方に効いている第三の要因はないか」を疑う。

Summary Writing

Summarize the passage in 60–70 words.

Your Turn

A news article claims that "students who play video games get lower grades," based on a large survey. Do you think this proves that video games cause lower grades? Write your opinion in English, using 120–150 words.

「証明にならない理由」を明示したうえで、代わりの説明（第三の要因）を1つ提案する。

使える型

• I do not think this proves that..., because...
• One possible alternative explanation is...
• For example, ...
• For these reasons, ...