英検2級nearly・almost・about・approximately・exactlyの違い｜数字を読む独自4長文40問【全訳】

nearly・almost・about・approximately・roughly・exactlyの違い

注意：nearly all のような数量詞と使う場合にも、「すべてではないが大部分」のニュアンスを確認します。「about 100」を勝手に「少なくとも100」と置き換えてはいけません。

解き方の基本

数値を見つけたら、①概数か正確な数値か、②何を数えたのか、③対象の期間、④確定した事実か予測か、を横にメモします。数字そのものが合っていても対象が変われば誤答です。

長文1｜図書館の土曜科学講座｜almost・exactly・at least

A public library organized a series of science workshops for teenagers. Approximately 150 people registered during the first week. This was an estimate, not a final count of confirmed participants. After the registration period ended, staff found that exactly 148 applications had been submitted.

The library could accept only 120 students. Nearly 120 applicants were offered places at first, but some declined because the workshop dates conflicted with other activities. Eventually, exactly 110 students confirmed that they would attend. The library required at least two adult supervisors for each session and hired three.

On the first Saturday, 104 of the confirmed students actually arrived. The librarians were pleased with the program, but they did not describe 148 applicants as 148 attendees. Before organizing more workshops, they plan to compare the costs of materials and staff with attendance records.

本文内容・数値解釈10問

問1：What does approximately 150 registrations indicate?

1. An estimated number close to 150
2. Exactly 150 confirmed attendees
3. At least 150 students accepted
4. No more than 100 applicants

問2：What was the exact number of applications?

1. 104
2. 148
3. 150
4. 120

問3：Which was the maximum number of students the library could accept?

1. 148
2. 110
3. 120
4. 150

問4：Which statement best reflects nearly 120 offers?

1. Exactly 120 places were accepted
2. At least 120 people attended
3. The number was much greater than 120
4. The number was close to but below 120

問5：How many students confirmed attendance?

1. 110
2. 104
3. 120
4. 148

問6：What does at least two supervisors mean?

1. Exactly one supervisor
2. Two or more supervisors
3. No more than two supervisors
4. Fewer than two supervisors

問7：How many supervisors were hired?

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

問8：How many students actually arrived on the first Saturday?

1. 148
2. 120
3. 110
4. 104

問9：Which number was an estimate rather than a precise count?

1. Approximately 150
2. Exactly 148
3. Exactly 110
4. 104

問10：Why will the library compare costs with attendance?

1. To eliminate the need for any staff
2. To evaluate whether more workshops are practical
3. To prove all applicants attended
4. To publish photos without consent

長文2｜小型バスの運行調査｜roughly・exactly・almost

A town introduced a three-month trial of a small bus serving a railway station, a clinic, and two residential areas. During the first month, the bus completed exactly 400 journeys. Staff recorded about 2,000 passenger trips. The word about was used because some counts were estimates made when the ticket machine was temporarily unavailable.

After staff reconciled the ticket-machine records with manually recorded passenger counts, the final report identified exactly 1,986 passenger trips for the month. This was not the number of individual passengers: a resident taking the bus to the clinic and returning home would count twice. Almost 300 passengers completed a voluntary feedback form, and the exact number was 294.

Roughly half of the survey respondents wanted a later evening service. However, the town had not yet calculated how much extra staff time would cost. Officials agreed to test one additional Friday trip, not to make the change permanent. They will review operating costs and comments before making a final decision.

本文内容・数値解釈10問

問11：How many bus journeys were completed exactly?

1. 400
2. 294
3. 1,986
4. 2,000

問12：What did about 2,000 describe?

1. Different individual residents
2. An approximate number of passenger trips
3. An exact count of completed questionnaires
4. The number of new buses

問13：Why did the town use the word about initially?

1. The route had only two stops
2. The bus was free
3. Some passenger counts were estimated
4. Nobody rode the bus

問14：What was the final exact total of passenger trips?

1. 294
2. 400
3. 2,000
4. 1,986

問15：What is true of 1,986?

1. It counts trips rather than unique riders
2. It is the number of employees
3. It is the exact number of survey forms
4. It is a forecast for next year

問16：What was the exact number of survey respondents?

1. 300
2. 294
3. 400
4. 1,986

問17：How should almost 300 be interpreted here?

1. Exactly 300 people
2. More than 350 people
3. A number just below 300
4. At least 400 people

問18：What did roughly half refer to?

1. The number of bus drivers
2. The number of clinics
3. The number of train stations
4. The approximate share wanting later service

問19：Which change was approved?

1. One extra Friday journey as a trial
2. A permanent daily late service
3. Replacement of all town buses
4. Free travel for every resident

問20：Why has a permanent change not been decided?

1. There are no people in town
2. Additional staff costs need examination
3. The bus never operated
4. The survey had no respondents

長文3｜地域の植樹計画｜at most・over・approximately

A community group proposed planting shade trees near a school and a public path. The project had space for at most 24 new trees, because underground pipes and emergency access routes had to remain clear. Volunteers initially suggested approximately 30 planting locations, but a safety review removed several unsuitable sites.

The final map identified exactly 22 approved locations. Just over 20 residents volunteered to help on the first planting day, and the organizer later confirmed that 23 people had registered. Registration did not mean every volunteer would arrive, so the group prepared tools for a smaller number of participants.

Each tree required roughly 15 liters of water during the initial planting activity. This was a planning estimate rather than a fixed amount needed in all weather. Organizers planned to check soil conditions before deciding how much water to use. They have not claimed that the new trees will immediately make every part of the path cooler.

本文内容・数値解釈10問

問21：What does at most 24 trees mean?

1. No more than 24 trees
2. At least 24 trees
3. Exactly 30 trees
4. More than 24 trees

問22：How many planting locations were first suggested approximately?

1. 22
2. 30
3. 23
4. 24

問23：Why were some suggested locations removed?

1. The trees were all too small
2. Residents refused to plant anything
3. Safety and access constraints
4. The school was closed

問24：How many sites were approved exactly?

1. 30
2. 24
3. 23
4. 22

問25：What does just over 20 residents imply?

1. Slightly more than 20
2. Exactly 20
3. Fewer than 20
4. At least 40

問26：What was the exact number of registrations?

1. 22
2. 23
3. 24
4. 30

問27：Why did the group not assume 23 attendees?

1. All registration forms were lost
2. No tools were available
3. Not every registrant necessarily arrives
4. Volunteers were not allowed to help

問28：What did roughly 15 liters mean?

1. Exactly 15 liters in every situation
2. At most 15 liters
3. At least 15 liters in all weather
4. An approximate planning amount

問29：What will be checked before deciding water amounts?

1. Soil conditions
2. The number of old train stations
3. The price of notebooks
4. The color of tree labels

問30：Which claim have organizers NOT made?

1. The map contains approved sites
2. Every part of the path will cool immediately
3. Volunteers registered
4. Pipes affect planting options

長文4｜科学展示の入場人数｜no more than・nearly・about

A science museum opened an interactive room about the history of communication. For safety, no more than 60 visitors could enter the room at the same time. The museum originally expected about 500 visitors during the opening weekend, but that was a rough forecast based on similar events.

The ticketing system later counted exactly 482 admissions to the room. Nearly 100 audio-guide loans were recorded during the weekend; the exact number of loans was 97. Some visitors entered more than once, so admissions were not a count of different people. Likewise, one visitor could borrow a guide on two separate days.

The museum had planned to provide at least three staff members near the entrance each day. It assigned four. Managers will examine whether waiting times were reasonable and compare operating costs before offering additional weekend sessions. They have not decided that a high number of admissions automatically proves the exhibition was educationally successful.

本文内容・数値解釈10問

問31：What was the room’s maximum simultaneous capacity?

1. 60 visitors
2. 97 visitors
3. 482 visitors
4. 500 visitors

問32：What did about 500 refer to?

1. An exact count of different visitors
2. A forecast for the opening weekend
3. The number of guide loans
4. The room’s hourly capacity

問33：How many admissions were counted exactly?

1. 500
2. 60
3. 482
4. 97

問34：Why is 482 not necessarily unique visitors?

1. There was only one entrance
2. The museum did not sell tickets
3. All guides were free
4. Some people may have entered more than once

問35：What was the exact number of audio-guide loans?

1. 97
2. 100
3. 60
4. 482

問36：How should nearly 100 be understood?

1. Over 150
2. A number just below 100
3. Exactly 100
4. At most 50

問37：What does at least three staff members mean?

1. Fewer than three
2. Exactly two
3. Three or more
4. No more than three

問38：How many staff were actually assigned?

1. Three
2. Two
3. Five
4. Four

問39：What will managers examine before adding sessions?

1. Waiting times and operating costs
2. Only the color of the walls
3. The height of visitors
4. The number of schools in town

問40：Which statement does the museum avoid?

1. The room is interactive
2. Admissions alone prove educational success
3. There were audio-guide loans
4. Staff were assigned at the entrance

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／23C／24D／25A／26B／27C／28D／29A／30B

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

7日間で復習する方法

1日目は4長文40問を初見で解きます。2日目にnearly / almostとaboutの違い、3日目にexactly、4日目にat least / at most、5日目に申込者・参加者・延べ件数の違いを復習。6日目は長文の数値を短い英文で要約し、7日目に誤答を解答なしで再テストしてください。

FAQ

nearly 100は100人を含みますか？

通常、具体的な数値にnearlyを用いる場合はそこに達していないという意味なので、100人未満で100に近い数を表します。

approximately 100は99人と101人のどちらですか？

およそ100というだけで、両方の可能性があります。本文に厳密な人数がなければ正確な人数を決めつけません。

almost allとallは同じですか？

いいえ。almost allはほぼ全員・ほとんど全部であり、全員を含むallとは異なります。

この問題は公式過去問ですか？

いいえ。慶英会独自の4長文40課題です。

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参考にした公式情報

英検協会｜2級の試験内容。英文・問題・和訳・解説はすべて慶英会独自制作です。