汎用性はイマイチかもしれませんが、個人的にボクシングが好きなので、練習テーマとして選んでしまいました。
設問 Although boxing has a history of over a hundred years as an Olympic sport, some people argue that boxing and other sports based on physical violence should have no place in the Olympics. Do you agree with this statement? Write a paragraph giving one or more convincing reasons to support your position.
解答例1(賛成の立場:暴力を伴う競技はオリンピックにふさわしくない)
I agree that boxing and other sports based on physical violence should have no place in the Olympics. The most convincing reason is the serious risk these sports pose to athletes’ health, particularly the danger of repeated blows to the head, which can lead to concussions and long-term brain damage. The Olympics is meant to celebrate human excellence in speed, strength, and skill, yet the core objective of boxing is to physically harm one’s opponent, which conflicts with the spirit of fair and safe competition. Moreover, allowing such sports to remain in the Games sends a troubling message, especially to younger viewers, that inflicting injury on another person can be a legitimate path to glory. Although boxing has a long Olympic tradition, tradition alone should not outweigh growing medical evidence of its risks. For these reasons, sports centered on physical violence should be reconsidered as Olympic events.
語数目安:約155語
解答例2(反対の立場:暴力を伴う競技もオリンピックにふさわしい)
I disagree with the statement that boxing and similar sports should be excluded from the Olympics. Although boxing involves physical contact, it is a highly regulated sport governed by strict rules, weight classes, protective equipment, and referees who can stop a match at any sign of serious danger. This is fundamentally different from uncontrolled violence; it is a demonstration of discipline, technique, and split-second decision-making developed through years of rigorous training. Furthermore, many Olympic sports carry inherent physical risks, including gymnastics and skiing, yet we do not call for their removal simply because injuries can occur. Banning boxing because of its physical nature would unfairly single out one sport while ignoring similar risks elsewhere. Boxing has also given countless athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds a legitimate path to recognition and achievement. For these reasons, I believe boxing and comparable combat sports deserve to remain part of the Olympic Games.
語数目安:約155語
覚えるべき表現(暗記リスト)
| 表現 | 意味・使い方 |
|---|---|
| have no place in X | Xにふさわしくない、あるべきでない |
| pose a risk / danger (to X) | (Xに)リスク・危険をもたらす |
| repeated blows to the head | 頭部への繰り返しの打撃 |
| concussion | 脳震盪 |
| long-term (brain) damage | 長期的な(脳の)損傷 |
| celebrate human excellence | 人間の卓越性を称える |
| conflict with the spirit of X | Xの精神に反する |
| inflict injury on X | Xに怪我を負わせる |
| a legitimate path to X | Xへの正当な道 |
| outweigh X | Xを上回る、より重要である |
| medical evidence | 医学的根拠 |
| be reconsidered as X | Xとして見直されるべきである |
| highly regulated | 厳しく規制された |
| weight class(es) | 階級(ボクシングなどの体重別区分) |
| stop a match | 試合を止める |
| inherent risk(s) | 本質的に伴うリスク |
| single out X | Xだけを取り上げる、名指しする |
| disadvantaged background(s) | 恵まれない境遇 |
| combat sport(s) | 格闘技系競技 |
ポイント: 「危険性・健康被害」を根拠にする賛成側の語彙(pose a risk, concussion, inflict injuryなど)と、「規制・技術・機会」を根拠にする反対側の語彙(highly regulated, discipline, a legitimate path to recognition)を対で覚えると、他のスポーツ関連トピック(体罰、危険なエクストリームスポーツなど)にも応用しやすい。
品詞確認リスト
| 単語 | 品詞 | 派生語(品詞) |
|---|---|---|
| violence | 名詞 | violent(形) / violently(副) |
| pose | 動詞 | (名詞のposeとは別義。「(危険などを)もたらす」の意味では動詞のみ) |
| risk | 名詞・動詞 | risky(形) |
| repeated | 形容詞 | repeat(動) / repetition(名) / repeatedly(副) |
| concussion | 名詞 | (動詞形は一般に使わない) |
| damage | 名詞・動詞 | damaging(形) |
| excellence | 名詞 | excellent(形) / excel(動) |
| conflict | 名詞・動詞 | conflicting(形) |
| spirit | 名詞 | spirited(形) / spiritual(形・意味注意) |
| inflict | 動詞 | infliction(名) |
| legitimate | 形容詞 | legitimacy(名) / legitimately(副) / legitimize(動) |
| glory | 名詞 | glorious(形) / gloriously(副) |
| outweigh | 動詞 | (weighの複合語。反意語 be outweighed by〜) |
| evidence | 名詞 | evident(形) / evidently(副) |
| reconsider | 動詞 | reconsideration(名) |
| regulate | 動詞 | regulation(名) / regulated(形) / regulator(名) |
| discipline | 名詞・動詞 | disciplined(形) |
| rigorous | 形容詞 | rigor(名) / rigorously(副) |
| inherent | 形容詞 | inherently(副) |
| disadvantaged | 形容詞 | disadvantage(名・動) |
確認のコツ:
- pose / outweigh / inflict のように「動詞のみで使われ、名詞形が一般的でない(または別義になる)」単語は、丸ごと動詞表現として覚えるのが効率的。
- legitimate は形容詞と動詞(legitimize寄りの意味で使われる場合は要注意)で発音・意味が変わるため、文脈での品詞判定を意識する。
- disadvantaged(形容詞:恵まれない)と disadvantage(名詞:不利な点)の使い分けは英作文で頻出。
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