英検2級correlation・causation・associated with・causeの違い｜関連と因果を読む独自4長文40問【全訳】

原因と関連を示す語句を比較

例えば「参加者の得点が高かった」から「参加させれば必ず成績が上がる」へ言い換えることはできません。もともとの学習意欲、測定条件、期間、ほかに同時に導入された方法を考えてください。本文のmay・could・not proveなどの限定表現を守ることが重要です。

長文1｜朝の読書時間と試験結果｜関連があっても原因とは限らない

A secondary school introduced a voluntary fifteen-minute reading period before some morning lessons. After one term, students who often joined the reading period had higher average vocabulary-test scores than those who rarely joined. Some parents suggested that the reading period had caused the difference.

However, the students were not assigned to the two groups at random. Learners who already enjoyed reading were more likely to attend. These students might also have studied vocabulary more frequently outside school. Therefore, the observed association between attendance and test scores did not by itself establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

The teachers also noticed that the average scores of both groups rose during the term, while the school had introduced an additional vocabulary review exercise. This made it difficult to separate the possible effects of the morning reading period from other changes.

The school will gather information about students’ earlier performance, home reading habits, and use of the review exercises. It may then conduct a better-controlled study. The school has not claimed that every student will gain the same benefit or that the short trial proved an improvement caused only by morning reading.

独自内容一致10問

問1：What relationship was observed after one term?

1. Frequent readers had higher average vocabulary scores
2. Every student joined the program
3. All test scores became identical
4. Students who read frequently had lower scores

問2：Why might some students have been more likely to join?

1. They were assigned randomly
2. They already enjoyed reading
3. They were required to attend
4. They had stopped studying vocabulary

問3：What does an observed association NOT prove by itself?

1. That students took a vocabulary test
2. That reading sessions existed
3. That the reading period caused higher scores
4. That some pupils preferred reading

問4：What additional school activity was introduced?

1. A second school building
2. Free train travel
3. A compulsory evening sports class
4. Extra vocabulary review exercises

問5：What happened to both groups’ average scores?

1. They rose during the term
2. They were always zero
3. They did not change at all
4. They fell to identical levels

問6：Why is the effect of the reading period hard to isolate?

1. No test scores exist
2. Other activities changed at the same time
3. The school did not have classrooms
4. Every student read exactly the same book

問7：What earlier information will teachers collect?

1. Only current bus fares
2. The names of every book in the library
3. Previous performance and reading habits
4. The height of school furniture

問8：What kind of study might the school conduct next?

1. A study without recording results
2. An immediate permanent nationwide rule
3. A study using no comparison
4. A better-controlled study

問9：Which conclusion would be too strong?

1. The program alone was proven to improve every student’s score
2. Some participants scored higher on average
3. There may be differences in earlier habits
4. More study is needed

問10：What is the central reading skill practiced here?

1. Memorizing the library’s address
2. Distinguishing correlation from causation
3. Choosing the shortest English sentence
4. Identifying only the last number in a paragraph

長文2｜公園のごみが減った理由を考える

A town placed new recycling signs around a riverside park. During the first weekend after installation, volunteers collected 40 bags of litter. Two weekends later, they collected 25 bags. The town was pleased to see a lower amount, and some residents argued that the new signs must have caused the reduction.

However, fewer people visited the park on the second weekend because heavy rain was forecast. The volunteers also collected litter for three hours on the first weekend but only two hours on the later one. A smaller number of bags under these conditions did not prove that each visitor had become more careful about disposing of waste.

The organizers noted that several changes could be related to the reported decrease: new signs, differences in visitor numbers, weather, and collection time. They therefore avoided attributing the entire reduction to the signs.

Next month, volunteers plan to record the number of park visitors, the amount of litter collected per hour, and the weather at each session. They will compare similar conditions before making a stronger conclusion. The town has not approved installing the same signs in every park.

独自内容一致10問

問11：How many bags were collected on the first weekend?

1. 40
2. 25
3. 15
4. Three

問12：How many bags were collected on the later weekend?

1. 40
2. 25
3. 65
4. Three

問13：Why were there fewer visitors on the later weekend?

1. A new railway station opened
2. Every park entrance was closed
3. Heavy rain was forecast
4. The volunteers were all absent

問14：How long did volunteers collect litter on the first weekend?

1. One hour
2. Two hours
3. Four hours
4. Three hours

問15：How long did they collect litter on the later weekend?

1. Two hours
2. Three hours
3. Five hours
4. One day

問16：Why is comparing total bag counts alone misleading?

1. No litter was collected
2. Visitor numbers and collection hours differed
3. The park had no recycling signs
4. Every volunteer used the same bag

問17：What would be an overconfident conclusion?

1. The park had different weather
2. The number of bags fell
3. The new signs alone definitely caused the entire decrease
4. More measurement would help

問18：Which additional measure is planned?

1. Each volunteer’s home address
2. Every bird’s weight
3. The number of new buses
4. Litter collected per hour

問19：How will organizers make a stronger comparison?

1. By studying sessions with similar conditions
2. By ignoring the weather
3. By removing all visitor counts
4. By canceling litter collection

問20：What has not been approved?

1. Continuing to collect information
2. Installing the signs in every town park
3. Recording weather conditions
4. Checking visitor numbers

長文3｜図書館の案内メールと出席人数

A community library began sending reminder emails before free educational workshops. In the month before reminders were introduced, 60 of 100 registered participants attended. In the following month, 78 of 100 registered participants attended. Some staff thought the reminders had increased attendance by 18 people.

The increase was real in the two recorded months, but it was not clear what caused it. The second month included several workshops on popular exam-preparation topics, while the first offered mainly introductory lectures. The weather was also better during the later sessions, making travel easier for some participants.

The library could not conclude that reminders alone explained the improvement. It planned to compare workshops on similar subjects and observe how attendance differed when people received reminders at different times. The library would also check whether the number of registered participants remained stable.

Staff emphasized that registered participants and people who actually attended are not the same group in a simple count. They also warned that receiving an email does not prove the recipient read it. A reminder may be useful even if its exact effect has not yet been measured.

The library will review privacy and communication preferences before sending more messages. No rule requiring every member to receive reminder emails has been adopted.

独自内容一致10問

問21：How many people attended before reminder emails?

1. 60
2. 78
3. 100
4. 18

問22：How many attended in the following month?

1. 60
2. 78
3. 100
4. 18

問23：How many more people attended in the later month?

1. 60
2. 78
3. 100
4. 18

問24：What additional change occurred in the later month?

1. The building was permanently closed
2. All students became teachers
3. More popular exam-preparation workshops were offered
4. No workshops were held

問25：What other factor differed between the months?

1. The library’s country
2. The number of public holidays worldwide
3. Every person’s age
4. Weather conditions

問26：What do the attendance figures establish?

1. An observed increase, but not its sole cause
2. That every email was read
3. That reminder emails alone caused all changes
4. That registrations were canceled

問27：What does receipt of an email NOT prove?

1. That messages were sent
2. That the recipient actually read it
3. That the library operated workshops
4. That registration forms exist

問28：What type of workshops will the library compare?

1. Only canceled events
2. All events in another country
3. Workshops on similar subjects
4. Only workshops with no participants

問29：Which policy has NOT been adopted?

1. Recording attendance
2. Reviewing privacy preferences
3. Testing different reminder timings
4. Mandatory reminders for every member

問30：Why is privacy mentioned?

1. More messages must respect communication preferences
2. It is impossible to contact participants
3. Every attendee must disclose passwords
4. Every email will be published online

長文4｜歩く習慣と健康の記事を慎重に読む

A local health education center organized optional walking groups for adults. Participants could join two guided walks each week, and they were encouraged to record how they felt afterward. A short survey found that frequent participants more often reported improved mood than people who rarely attended.

Some readers interpreted the result as proof that walking groups caused everyone to feel happier. However, the survey did not randomly assign people to groups, and it relied on self-reported feelings. Individuals who already enjoyed outdoor activities may have been more willing to join regularly. Other changes in their lives could also have affected their answers.

The center explained that an association between joining walks and reporting a better mood did not establish a particular cause. It also could not guarantee that the program would have the same outcome for every individual.

Staff plan to ask participants about their reasons for joining and any other changes during the survey period. They will also examine the accessibility of walking routes and whether different schedules allow more people to participate.

The center recommends that individuals choose activities suitable for their own circumstances and seek qualified advice where appropriate. The program’s purpose is education and community activity, not the diagnosis or treatment of health conditions.

独自内容一致10問

問31：What did frequent participants more often report?

1. Improved mood
2. A guaranteed medical cure
3. Exactly the same result for everyone
4. A reduction in all health costs

問32：How were feelings measured?

1. A laboratory test for every participant
2. Self-reported survey answers
3. A national examination
4. An automated blood test

問33：What was NOT done in the study?

1. Inviting adults to walks
2. Asking participants about feelings
3. Randomly assigning people to groups
4. Examining participation frequency

問34：Which factor might have influenced frequent participation?

1. All walks being compulsory
2. A guaranteed treatment effect
3. A school uniform rule
4. Existing enjoyment of outdoor activities

問35：What can association alone NOT establish?

1. A specific cause-and-effect relationship
2. That some people joined
3. That an optional program existed
4. That answers were collected

問36：Which claim does the center avoid?

1. The walking routes should be accessible
2. Every participant will experience the same benefit
3. Some people joined frequently
4. The program offers two walks each week

問37：What will staff ask about next?

1. The color of participants’ clothes
2. Only the weather on one day
3. Reasons for joining and other life changes
4. The price of unrelated concerts

問38：What accessibility issue will be examined?

1. Only a library membership price
2. The age of every instructor
3. A school holiday calendar
4. Whether routes work for different needs

問39：What is the program’s stated purpose?

1. Education and community activity
2. Diagnosing health conditions
3. Replacing qualified medical advice
4. Guaranteeing mental health treatment

問40：What broader reading lesson does this case teach?

1. Every survey proves a cause
2. Self-selection and other factors can affect reported associations
3. All participants are equally healthy
4. No observation is ever useful

全40問の正答一覧

長文1：1A／2B／3C／4D／5A／6B／7C／8D／9A／10B

長文2：11A／12B／13C／14D／15A／16B／17C／18D／19A／20B

長文3：21A／22B／23D／24C／25D／26A／27B／28C／29D／30A

長文4：31A／32B／33C／34D／35A／36B／37C／38D／39A／40B

復習のための7日間の手順

初日に40問を解く。2日目にassociationとcauseの違い、3日目にmayとmustの違い、4日目に第三の要因、5日目に登録・利用・出席などの数値、6日目に本文の主張を弱めず強めず英語で1文要約、7日目に誤答を根拠付きで解き直しましょう。

FAQ

related toは原因を証明したという意味ですか？

いいえ。関連していることを示し、原因が明らかになったとは限りません。

causeとresult inはどこが違いますか？

causeは原因側を主語として結果を引き起こすこと、result inはある事柄が結果につながることを表します。どちらも因果の向きに注意してください。

数字が上がれば政策は成功ですか？

目的指標・比較条件・外部要因を確認しなければ判断できません。本文に書かれた範囲で解答します。

英検協会の公式過去問ですか？

いいえ。慶英会独自制作の4長文40問です。

関連する英検2級無料教材

• significant・substantial・slightの程度を読む40問
• nearly・about・exactlyの数字の表現40問
• 英検2級無料模試第184セット

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公式参考情報

日本英語検定協会・英検2級の試験内容。例文・問題・解答・訳文は慶英会が独自制作しました。