英検2級significant・substantial・slight・minor・negligibleの違い｜程度と増減を読む独自4長文40問【全訳】

significant・substantial・slight・minor・negligibleの違い

重要な注意点：一般的な英語のsignificantと、統計学でいうstatistically significantは同じ判断ではありません。本文に検定方法や証拠がなければ「統計的に証明された」と断定しないでください。数値の増減が原因を証明するとも限りません。

長文1｜図書館の利用が増えたとはどういう意味か

A school library tested longer opening hours during one term. In the first month, 200 student visits were recorded. In the second month, the library recorded 210 visits. Staff described this as a slight increase of ten visits, not as a substantial rise. The figures represent visits rather than distinct students, because one student might visit several times.

After examination week began, visits reached 315 during the third month. Compared with 210 in the previous month, the increase was larger. Teachers considered this a substantial rise in recorded visits, but they did not conclude that every student’s reading ability had improved. Some students used the library to prepare for exams rather than read books for pleasure.

The library also surveyed users about noise. A minor problem with one study room was fixed by placing signs asking visitors to speak quietly. This change did not require new construction. However, a separate problem with wheelchair access remained significant because it prevented some visitors from using an upstairs room without assistance.

Managers will compare staffing costs and usage patterns before deciding whether the longer hours should become permanent. The town has not approved a permanent schedule, and the recorded visits alone cannot prove why usage changed.

独自内容一致10問

問1：How many visits were recorded in the first month?

1. 200
2. 210
3. 315
4. 115

問2：How did staff describe the change from 200 to 210?

1. A substantial decline
2. A slight increase
3. A negligible cost
4. A major change in reading ability

問3：What does the count of visits NOT necessarily show?

1. That a library was open
2. That 210 visits were recorded
3. How many distinct students visited
4. That the count changed

問4：How many visits were recorded in the third month?

1. 200
2. 210
3. 105
4. 315

問5：Why was the third-month rise described as substantial?

1. It was much larger than the previous month’s change
2. It showed every student passed exams
3. It proved reading skill increased
4. It was exactly ten visits

問6：What was the library used for by some students?

1. Only relaxing outdoors
2. Preparing for examinations
3. Working at a museum
4. Buying textbooks

問7：Which issue was described as minor?

1. Wheelchair access barriers
2. The permanent schedule
3. Noise in one study room
4. The number of books in town

問8：Which issue remained significant?

1. Lack of quiet signs
2. An unapproved lecture
3. A slight increase in visits
4. Difficult wheelchair access upstairs

問9：What will managers examine before making hours permanent?

1. Staffing costs and usage patterns
2. The number of nearby railways
3. Only the third-month total
4. The names of every visitor

問10：Which conclusion is NOT justified by visit counts alone?

1. The library had users
2. The exact cause of the change
3. The third month had more visits
4. The schedule is still under review

長文2｜街灯の節電効果を数字で判断する

A town installed energy-saving lamps along a public path for a three-month trial. Engineers measured electricity use before and after the change. During the first month, the new lamps used 980 units of electricity, compared with 1,000 units for the old lamps during a comparable period. This was a slight reduction of twenty units.

In the second month, the new lamps used 750 units under different operating conditions. Although this looked like a substantial reduction compared with the old figure, engineers warned that the days were shorter and some lamps had not been used as often. They said the comparison could not prove the size of the technology’s effect without controlling for these conditions.

A group of residents worried about the lamps disturbing insects and nocturnal birds. The town decided this concern was significant enough to consult environmental specialists. Another issue involved a minor delay in replacing a damaged sign; staff fixed it within one day.

Officials also observed a negligible change in the cost of sending routine maintenance notices. It was so small that it had little effect on the project’s overall budget. The council will compare the full operating costs and environmental evidence before deciding whether the lamps should be installed elsewhere.

No permanent expansion has been approved. The trial was designed to collect evidence, not to promise savings in every situation.

独自内容一致10問

問11：How much electricity did the old lamps use in the comparison period?

1. 750 units
2. 1,000 units
3. 980 units
4. 20 units

問12：How much did the new lamps use in the first month?

1. 750 units
2. 1,000 units
3. 980 units
4. 230 units

問13：How large was the first-month reduction?

1. 250 units
2. 980 units
3. 750 units
4. 20 units

問14：What made the second-month reduction difficult to interpret?

1. Different operating conditions and usage
2. The old lamps were removed from the records
3. Every bulb had broken
4. The town had no engineers

問15：What does substantial describe in the second-month discussion?

1. A confirmed permanent saving
2. A large-looking decrease in recorded use
3. A small sign replacement delay
4. A decrease in visitor height

問16：Which concern was significant enough for consultation?

1. A changed bus fare
2. A new museum exhibition
3. Possible effects on wildlife
4. The price of school lunches

問17：What was considered a minor issue?

1. Possible wildlife effects
2. A long-term funding shortage
3. The entire lighting project
4. A short delay in replacing a sign

問18：What does negligible describe?

1. A tiny change in notice costs
2. The number of street lamps
3. The project’s total budget
4. The electricity use of the old lamps

問19：How did the negligible cost change affect the overall budget?

1. It doubled costs
2. It had little effect
3. It canceled the project
4. It required replacing every lamp

問20：What is the status of expansion?

1. It has been completed
2. It is required by law
3. It has not been approved
4. It begins tomorrow without review

長文3｜学校の科学実験で『有意』と『重要』を混同しない

A science club compared the growth of plants under two types of classroom lighting. Group A grew plants under a standard lamp, while Group B used a new energy-saving lamp. After four weeks, the average height of plants in Group B was slightly greater than that of Group A. The difference was small, and the class had tested only twelve plants in total.

One student called the result a significant scientific discovery. The teacher asked the group to be careful. The word significant can mean important or large enough to matter in ordinary English. In statistical research, statistical significance is a specific conclusion requiring an appropriate method and evidence; it cannot be established simply by describing a difference as significant in everyday language.

The club had not performed a formal statistical test, and some plants received different amounts of water. Therefore, the students could not prove that the new lamp caused the difference. They agreed to repeat the experiment with more plants and more consistent conditions.

A minor recording error was discovered in one table. After checking the original measurements, the class corrected it. The correction changed the reported average only slightly. The teacher still considered careful record checking important because even small errors can affect trust in a report.

The report will describe the observed difference as slight, not claim a proven advantage. The school has not decided to replace all classroom lamps.

独自内容一致10問

問21：How did Group B’s average plant height compare with Group A?

1. It was slightly greater
2. It was twice as high
3. It was exactly identical
4. It was significantly lower in every case

問22：How many plants were studied in total?

1. Four
2. Twelve
3. Twenty-four
4. Forty

問23：What is one ordinary-English meaning of significant?

1. Always statistically proven
2. Always negligible
3. Important or large enough to matter
4. Only a reduction in cost

問24：What does statistical significance require?

1. A student’s opinion only
2. A newspaper headline
3. An increase in temperature alone
4. Appropriate methods and evidence

問25：Had the class performed a formal statistical test?

1. No
2. Yes, three separate tests
3. Yes, an official national test
4. The passage says all tests were passed

問26：What other condition differed between plants?

1. The number of school buildings
2. Amounts of water received
3. The size of the town
4. The price of the lamps

問27：Why couldn’t the class prove that the lamp caused the difference?

1. No plants had been measured
2. Every plant was exactly identical
3. The study was small and conditions differed
4. All lamps had been removed

問28：What will the students do next?

1. Publish a guaranteed benefit
2. Replace all lamps immediately
3. Stop checking the results
4. Repeat with more plants and controlled conditions

問29：What was corrected in the report?

1. A minor recording error
2. A bus timetable
3. The school holiday calendar
4. A museum ticket price

問30：What will the final report avoid claiming?

1. That there was a slight difference
2. That the new lamp has a proven advantage
3. That twelve plants were studied
4. That records were checked

長文4｜地域のボランティア制度の評価

A city introduced a short volunteer program connecting teenagers with community organizations. Students could help prepare library events, maintain public gardens, or organize educational materials. During the first month, 180 students registered, but only 130 attended at least one session. The city therefore separated registration counts from actual participation.

Feedback from several organizations was positive. Some reported substantial help with preparing materials before events. However, the survey involved only participating organizations, so the results did not describe every community group in the city. A small number of volunteers had difficulty traveling to their assigned locations, and organizers considered transportation access a significant issue for those students.

Minor problems, such as unclear labels on supply boxes, were resolved with simple instructions. The city recorded a negligible change in the printing budget after switching to smaller labels. That cost difference was too small to influence the program’s main funding decision.

Officials planned a moderate expansion to two additional neighborhoods rather than a citywide program. They wanted to test whether enough supervisors could be found before adding many locations. The proposal had not been approved when the report was written.

Organizers stressed that positive feedback was useful, but it did not prove the program would improve every participant’s school grades or produce identical benefits in all districts.

独自内容一致10問

問31：How many students registered initially?

1. 180
2. 130
3. 50
4. Two

問32：How many attended at least one activity?

1. 180
2. 130
3. 200
4. Twenty

問33：What did some organizations describe as substantial?

1. Printing cost increases
2. Changes to every student’s grades
3. Help preparing event materials
4. The number of bus stops

問34：What is a limitation of the feedback?

1. No organizations participated
2. The study included every city resident
3. Every student had the same experience
4. Only participating organizations were surveyed

問35：What was a significant issue for some volunteers?

1. Difficulty traveling to assigned locations
2. The color of supply labels
3. A negligible printing change
4. The lack of library books in every town

問36：What is an example of a minor problem?

1. Long-term lack of supervisors
2. Unclear labels on supply boxes
3. Every community group closing
4. A serious injury

問37：What change was described as negligible?

1. The number of participating districts
2. Every student’s progress
3. A difference in printing costs
4. The total registration count

問38：What does a moderate expansion mean in the passage?

1. An immediate nationwide program
2. Closing all existing sessions
3. Adding dozens of cities
4. Adding two neighborhoods rather than the whole city

問39：Why was the expansion not approved yet?

1. Officials wanted to test whether enough supervisors were available
2. The city had no volunteers
3. All participants left the program
4. Every neighborhood had already joined

問40：What outcome has NOT been proven?

1. Some groups found volunteers useful
2. Every participant’s grades will improve
3. Some students struggled with transport
4. The program recorded registrations and attendance

全40問の正答一覧

長文1：1A／2B／3C／4D／5A／6B／7C／8D／9A／10B

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

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日間の復習

初日：4長文40問を初見で解く。2日目：significantとsubstantial、3日目：slightとminor、4日目：negligibleとmoderate、5日目：数字と比較対象、6日目：事実と仮説の区別、7日目：間違えた問題を根拠付きで解き直します。

FAQ

significantは必ず統計的有意という意味ですか？

いいえ。一般的な英語では重要な・相当なという意味にもなります。統計的な有意性は検定手法と証拠に基づく専門的な結論であり、単語だけから判断できません。

slightとminorは全く同じですか？

どちらも小さい程度を表しますが、slightは変化・差、minorは問題・重要度などに使いやすい傾向があります。例外もあるため連語を確認しましょう。

negligibleはゼロですか？

必ずしもゼロではありません。存在しても全体への影響を考えると無視できる程度の小ささを表します。

本記事は公式過去問ですか？

いいえ。慶英会独自の英文・問題・解説です。

関連する無料教材

• nearly・about・exactlyの数値表現｜4長文40問
• include・contain・consist ofの構成表現｜4長文40問
• 英検2級模試第184セット｜Reading31問＋Writing2題

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主な参考公式情報

日本英語検定協会｜2級の試験内容。例文・和訳・全問は慶英会独自制作です。