テーマ: 発達心理学者ポール・ブルームらの研究に見られる「乳児の道徳性」という論点を参考にしたオリジナル読解問題です。

■ 本文(オリジナル)

For centuries, philosophers assumed that infants entered the world as blank slates, with no sense of right or wrong until adults taught them otherwise. Recent laboratory experiments have challenged this assumption. In one well-known study, babies as young as six months old watched a puppet show in which one character helped another while a second character hindered it. When later given the choice, most infants reached for the helpful puppet rather than the unhelpful one, suggesting that they could already distinguish kind behavior from unkind behavior. Researchers argue that such preferences point to a rudimentary moral sense that evolved because cooperation benefited our ancestors. Critics caution that reacting to a puppet show is not the same as possessing a fully developed morality, since culture and upbringing still play an enormous role in shaping how these early instincts are expressed. Even so, the findings suggest that morality may be less a product of education alone than scientists once believed.

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■ 設問1: 和訳問題

次の下線部を日本語に訳しなさい。

“Researchers argue that such preferences point to a rudimentary moral sense that evolved because cooperation benefited our ancestors.”

【解答】
研究者たちは、そのような好み(=選好)は、協力が私たちの祖先にとって有益だったために進化した、初歩的な道徳観念を示していると主張している。

【解説】
文構造: [S: Researchers(名詞)] [V: argue(動詞)] [O: that such preferences point to a rudimentary moral sense that evolved because cooperation benefited our ancestors(名詞節)]
節内構造: [S: such preferences(名詞句)] [V: point to(動詞句)] [O: a rudimentary moral sense(名詞句)] ← [関係代名詞節: that evolved because cooperation benefited our ancestors]
品詞: argue(他動詞、that節を目的語にとる)、point to(句動詞「〜を示す」)、that evolved(関係代名詞thatが導く形容詞節、先行詞はa rudimentary moral sense)、because(接続詞、理由を表す節を導く)
ポイント: thatが2つ出てくるが、1つ目は動詞argueの目的語となる名詞節を導く接続詞のthat、2つ目はa rudimentary moral senseを修飾する関係代名詞のthat。役割の違いを見分けることが重要。

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■ 設問2: 並べ替え問題

かっこ内の語句を正しく並べ替え、意味の通る英文を完成させなさい。

Most infants ( reached / for the helpful puppet / rather than / the unhelpful one / suggesting / that they could already distinguish / kind behavior / from unkind behavior ).

【解答】
Most infants reached for the helpful puppet rather than the unhelpful one, suggesting that they could already distinguish kind behavior from unkind behavior.
ほとんどの乳児は、意地悪な人形ではなく親切な人形の方に手を伸ばし、このことは彼らがすでに親切な行動と意地悪な行動を区別できることを示唆していた。

【解説】
文構造: [S: Most infants(名詞句)] [V: reached(動詞)] [for the helpful puppet(前置詞句)] [rather than the unhelpful one(前置詞句・比較対象)], [分詞構文: suggesting(現在分詞) that they could already distinguish kind behavior from unkind behavior(名詞節)]
品詞: reached for「〜に手を伸ばした」、rather than「〜ではなく」(比較・対比を表す前置詞的表現)、suggesting(分詞構文、結果を表す)、distinguish A from B「AをBと区別する」
ポイント: rather than A「Aではなく」で対比される2つの対象(the helpful puppet / the unhelpful one)を正しく見分けること。文末の分詞構文suggestingは「そしてそのことは〜を示唆していた」という結果・補足説明を加える用法。

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■ 設問3: 語句変形問題(3問)

次の各文の( )内の語を、文脈に合う適切な形に変えなさい。

1. Philosophers once assumed that infants (enter) the world as blank slates.
2. When (give) the choice, most infants reached for the helpful puppet.
3. Culture and upbringing still play an enormous role in (shape) how these early instincts are expressed.

【解答と解説】

1. 正解: entered
   文構造: [S: Philosophers(名詞)] [V: assumed(動詞)] [O: that infants entered the world as blank slates(名詞節)]
   品詞: entered(過去形、that節内の動詞)
   解説: assumedという過去形の動詞に対して、時制の一致によりthat節内も過去形になる。infantsが主語、enteredがその動詞。
2. 正解: given
   文構造: [分詞構文: When (they were) given(過去分詞) the choice], [S: most infants(名詞句)] [V: reached(動詞)]
   品詞: given(過去分詞、分詞構文の一部。When以下は「when they were given」の主語+be動詞が省略された形)
   解説: 分詞構文の意味上の主語(they=infants)は「与えられる」対象なので受動関係。よって過去分詞givenが正解。接続詞Whenを残した分詞構文(意味を明確にするため接続詞を省略しない形)。
3. 正解: shaping
   文構造: [S: Culture and upbringing(名詞句)] [V: play(動詞)] [O: an enormous role(名詞句)] [in shaping(動名詞) how these early instincts are expressed(名詞節)]
   品詞: shaping(動名詞、前置詞inの目的語)
   解説: 前置詞inの直後には動名詞がくる(不定詞は前置詞の目的語になれない)。play a role in doing「〜する上で役割を果たす」は頻出表現。

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■ 設問4: 内容一致・言い換え・解釈問題(3問)

本文の内容に関する次の各問いに対して、最も適切なものを1つずつ選びなさい。

1. According to the passage, what did the puppet show experiment suggest about infants?
   (A) Infants have no preference between helpful and unhelpful characters.
   (B) Infants may already be able to distinguish kind behavior from unkind behavior.
   (C) Infants prefer puppets that hinder others.
   (D) Infants cannot understand puppet shows at all.
2. Which of the following best paraphrases “morality may be less a product of education alone than scientists once believed”?
   (A) Scientists have always believed that morality comes entirely from biology.
   (B) Education is now believed to be the only source of morality.
   (C) Scientists are reconsidering the idea that morality comes only from education.
   (D) Morality has nothing to do with education at all.
3. What is the main criticism of the puppet-show research mentioned in the passage?
   (A) The puppets used in the experiment were too expensive.
   (B) A reaction to a puppet show may not prove the presence of fully developed morality.
   (C) Infants under six months old cannot participate in any experiment.
   (D) The researchers never published their results.

【解答と解説】

1. 正解: (B)
   本文該当箇所: “most infants reached for the helpful puppet rather than the unhelpful one, suggesting that they could already distinguish kind behavior from unkind behavior”
   解説: 本文は乳児が親切な人形を選んだことから、善悪を区別する能力がすでにあることが示唆されると述べている。(A)(D)は本文の内容と矛盾。
2. 正解: (C)
   本文該当箇所: “the findings suggest that morality may be less a product of education alone than scientists once believed”
   解説: 「かつて科学者が信じていたほど、道徳は教育だけの産物ではないかもしれない」という表現は、「科学者たちがその考えを見直しつつある」という意味に等しい。(A)(B)は本文の趣旨と逆。
3. 正解: (B)
   本文該当箇所: “reacting to a puppet show is not the same as possessing a fully developed morality”
   解説: 批判の内容は、人形劇への反応が完全な道徳性の証明にはならないという点。(A)(C)(D)は本文に記述なし。