証言がわれたら、どうする？

Vocabulary Check

1. "...spotted the office assistant crouched down" — here, "crouched" describes someone —

   1. standing very tall
   2. bent low with knees bent
   3. running quickly
   4. sitting at a desk
   答えを見る

   正解：B．bent low with knees bent

2. "...the two stories flatly contradicted each other" means the stories —

   1. were almost identical
   2. completely disagreed with each other
   3. were both incomplete
   4. were told at different times
   答えを見る

   正解：B．completely disagreed with each other

3. "Minami and Yamato tracked down the two witnesses" means they —

   1. avoided the witnesses
   2. found the witnesses after some effort
   3. interviewed the witnesses on camera
   4. wrote a report about the witnesses
   答えを見る

   正解：B．found the witnesses after some effort

4. "When two stories clash" — here, "clash" is closest to —

   1. match perfectly
   2. come into conflict
   3. become boring
   4. get published
   答えを見る

   正解：B．come into conflict

5. "Never trust just one account" — here, "account" means —

   1. a bank account
   2. a person's report or version of events
   3. a school subject
   4. a written apology
   答えを見る

   正解：B．a person's report or version of events

6. "I don't think we should jump to that" means Yamato thinks they should not —

   1. walk there quickly
   2. reach that conclusion too hastily
   3. ask any more questions
   4. tell the teacher yet
   答えを見る

   正解：B．reach that conclusion too hastily

7. "...why did the stories end up this different in the first place" — here, "in the first place" is closest to —

   1. in the future
   2. at the very beginning, before anything else
   3. in first position
   4. obviously
   答えを見る

   正解：B．at the very beginning, before anything else

Comprehension

1. Why does Sakamoto-sensei say this situation is "a little different" from his usual question, "did you check that?"

   1. Because no one actually witnessed the event.
   2. Because there are two firsthand witnesses whose accounts directly contradict each other.
   3. Because the vase was never actually broken.
   4. Because Minami already knows who is lying.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．Because there are two firsthand witnesses whose accounts directly contradict each other.

   いつもの「確かめた？」は未確認の話に対する問いだが、今回はすでに2人が「見た」と証言しており、それぞれの証言が食い違っている点が違う、という文脈。

2. According to the Two-Source Rule as explained in the passage, what should you NOT do first when two accounts contradict each other?

   1. Compare where each person was looking.
   2. Assume that one person must be lying.
   3. Look for a second or third source.
   4. Check the accounts against hard evidence.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．Assume that one person must be lying.

   "don't assume a lie" と明言されている。まず疑うべきは「嘘かどうか」ではなく、見ていた場所や状況の違い。

3. According to the rule, what should you do when you cannot fully trust a single account?

   1. Ignore all accounts and guess.
   2. Get a second, a third account, or hard evidence, and check against those.
   3. Believe whichever account came first.
   4. Ask only the most confident witness.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．Get a second, a third account, or hard evidence, and check against those.

   "Get a second, a third, or hard evidence, and check against those"がルールの核心部分。

4. What is the Two-Source Rule mainly about?

   1. Punishing whoever is found to be lying.
   2. Never relying on a single account, and checking contradictions against viewpoint and evidence rather than assuming a lie.
   3. Always trusting the first witness you talk to.
   4. Avoiding conversations with more than one witness.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．Never relying on a single account, and checking contradictions against viewpoint and evidence rather than assuming a lie.

   本文全体の要旨。単一の証言を鵜呑みにせず、複数の情報源・証拠と照合するという姿勢が「裏どり2人ルール」の中身。

5. According to the passage, why did Ogawa and Sekiguchi see different things, based on where they were standing?

   1. Ogawa was lying about her position.
   2. Ogawa stood to the side of the shelf, while Sekiguchi stood down the hall facing the boy head-on — different vantage points.
   3. Sekiguchi was too far away to see anything at all.
   4. They were standing in the exact same spot.
   答えを見る

   正解：B．Ogawa stood to the side of the shelf, while Sekiguchi stood down the hall facing the boy head-on — different vantage points.

   追加した部分の要点。小川は棚の横から、関口は廊下から少年の正面を見ていた——立っていた場所が違うため、見えたものも違った、という具体的な裏付け。

Summary Writing

Summarize the passage in 60–70 words.

Your Turn

Do you think it is fair to say that neither Ogawa nor Sekiguchi was lying, even though their stories completely contradicted each other? Write your opinion in English, using 120–150 words.

賛成・反対を最初の1文で明示し、本文の状況か自分の経験から具体例を1つ挙げる。

使える型

• I think it is fair to say that..., because...
• For example, ...
• This shows that...
• In conclusion, ...