【問題文】
Write a paragraph in ENGLISH explaining whether you agree or disagree with the statement in the box below. You should offer at least one reason and/or example to support your view.
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
■ 解答例1(賛成)
I agree with the statement that our choices reveal our true character far more than our abilities do. Abilities are, to a large extent, a matter of luck: some people are born with natural talent, better health, or access to good education, none of which reflects moral character. Choices, on the other hand, show what a person values when circumstances allow for more than one path. A classic literary example is Harry Potter, who is famously told that it is not his talents but his choices that define who he is—he could have joined a path of easy power but chose loyalty and self-sacrifice instead. In everyday life as well, two equally talented employees are distinguished not by their skill level but by whether one chooses to take credit for a colleague’s work while the other chooses honesty. For this reason, I believe choices, not abilities, reveal our true selves.
■ 解答例2(部分的に反対・条件付き賛成)
While I understand the appeal of this statement, I only partly agree with it. It is true that choices reveal character in morally significant situations, such as deciding whether to help a stranger in need or to look away. However, abilities are not entirely irrelevant to who we are; the disciplines a person chooses to develop, the skills they patiently build over years, and the effort behind those abilities also say a great deal about their values, such as perseverance and curiosity. A talented musician who spent a decade practicing every day is revealing something meaningful about their character through that ability itself, not only through isolated moral choices. Therefore, I would argue that choices are the clearer window into our character, but abilities—when they result from sustained effort rather than pure talent—still matter as evidence of who we are.
■ 覚えておきたい表現・文法
・reveal one’s true character = 人の本当の性格を明らかにする(このテーマでの核となる表現)
・to a large extent = かなりの程度まで(部分的な同意・限定を表す便利な副詞句)
・a matter of luck = 運の問題(才能・環境について論じる際の定番)
・what a person values = その人が大切にしていること(value を動詞として使う)
・While I understand the appeal of ~, I only partly agree = 「一理あるが完全には賛成しない」という譲歩+限定賛成の型
・not entirely irrelevant = 全く無関係というわけではない(二重否定でニュアンスを和らげる技法)
・say a great deal about ~ = ~について多くを物語る
・sustained effort = 持続的な努力(perseverance と並べて使うと語彙の幅が広がる)
・a window into ~ = ~をのぞく窓、~を知る手がかり(比喩表現、結論部で使うと効果的)
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