大学への考究）英文読解：2021年度 共通テスト（本試験） 問６Ｂ

構造解析

Ｐ１

　Cake, candy, soft drinks―most of us love sweet things. In fact, young people say “Sweet!” to mean something is “good” in English. When we think of sweetness, we imagine ordinary white sugar from sugar cane or sugar beet plants. Scientific discoveries, however, have changed the world of sweeteners. We can now extract sugars from many other plants. The most obvious example is corn. Corn is abundant, inexpensive, and easy to process. High fructose corn syrup（HFCS）is about 1.2 times sweeter than regular sugar, but quite high in calories. Taking science one step further, over the past 70 years scientists have developed a wide variety of artificial sweeteners. 

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

抽象			具体
S1 : Cake, candy, soft drinks―most of us love sweet things.
↕︎
S2 : In fact, young people say “Sweet!” to mean something is “good” in English.
	→	S3 : When we think of sweetness, we imagine
↕︎
S4 : Scientific discoveries, however, have changed the world of sweeteners.
	→	S5 : The most obvious example is corn.
		→	S6 : Corn is
		→	S7 : High fructose corn syrup（HFCS）is
S8 : Taking science one step further, over the past 70 years scientists have developed

Ｐ２

　A recent US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey concluded that 14.6 ％ of the average American’s energy intake is from “added sugar,” which refers to sugar that is not derived from whole foods. A banana, for example, is a whole food, while a cookie contains added sugar. More than half of added sugar calories are from sweetened drinks and desserts. Lots of added sugar can have negative effects on our bodies, including excessive weight gain and other health problems. For this reason, many choose low-calorie substitutes for drinks, snacks, and desserts. 

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

抽象				具体
S1：A recent US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey concluded that 14.6 ％ of the average American’s energy intake is
↓	→		S2 : A banana, for example, is a whole food, while a cookie contains added sugar.
↓			＋
↓			S3 : More than half of added sugar calories are
S4 : Lots of added sugar can have
	→		S5 : For this reason, many choose low-calorie substitutes for drinks, snacks, and desserts.

Ｐ３

　Natural alternatives to white sugar include brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup, but they also tend to be high in calories. Consequently, alternative “low-calorie sweeteners”（LCSs）, mostly artificial chemical combinations, have become popular. The most common LCSs today are aspartame, Ace-K, stevia, and sucralose. Not all LCSs are artificial―stevia comes from plant leaves. 

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

抽象				具体
S1：Natural alternatives to white sugar include brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup, but they also tend to be high in calories.
↓
S2 : mostly artificial chemical combinations, have become popular.
	→		S3 : The most common LCSs today are
	→		S4 : Not all LCSs are artificial

Ｐ４

　Alternative sweeteners can be hard to use in cooking because some cannot be heated and most are far sweeter than white sugar. Aspartame and Ace-K are 200 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is 300 times sweeter, and sucralose has twice the sweetness of stevia. Some new sweeteners are even more intense. A Japanese company recently developed “Advantame,” which is 20,000times sweeter than sugar. Only a tiny amount of this substance is required to sweeten something. 

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

抽象					具体
S1：Alternative sweeteners can be hard to use
↓	→		S2 : Aspartame and Ace-K are 200 times sweeter than sugar.
↓	→		S3 : Stevia is 300 times sweeter, and sucralose has twice the sweetness of stevia.
↓	→		S4 : Some new sweeteners are even more intense.
S5 : A Japanese company recently developed “Advantame,” which is 20,000times sweeter than sugar.
	→		S6 : Only a tiny amount of this substance is required to sweeten something.

Ｐ５

　When choosing sweeteners, it is important to consider health issues. Making desserts with lots of white sugar, for example, results in high-calorie dishes that could lead to weight gain. There are those who prefer LCSs for this very reason. Apart from calories, however, some research links consuming artificial LCSs with various other health concerns. Some LCSs contain strong chemicals suspected of causing cancer, while others have been shown to affect memory and brain development, so they can be dangerous, especially for young children, pregnant women, and the elderly. There are a few relatively natural alternative sweeteners, like xylitol and sorbitol, which are low in calories. Unfortunately, these move through the body extremely slowly, so consuming large amounts can cause stomach trouble. 

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

抽象					具体
S1：When choosing sweeteners, it is important to consider health issues.
↓	→		S2 : Making desserts with lots of white sugar, for example, results in high-calorie dishes that could lead to weight gain.
S3 : There are those who prefer LCSs for this very reason.
＋
S4 : Apart from calories, however, some research links consuming artificial LCSs with various other health concerns.
	→		S5 : Some LCSs contain
S6 : There are a few relatively natural alternative sweeteners
	→		S7 : these move

Ｐ６

　When people want something sweet, even with all the information, it is difficult for them to decide whether to stick to common higher calorie sweeteners like sugar or to use LCSs. Many varieties of gum and candy today contain one or more artificial sweeteners; nonetheless, some people who would not put artificial sweeteners in hot drinks may still buy such items. Individuals need to weigh the options and then choose the sweeteners that best suit their needs and circumstances  

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

抽象					具体
S1：When people want something sweet, even with all the information, it is difficult for them to decide whether to stick to common higher calorie sweeteners like sugar or to use LCSs.
↓	→		S2 : Many varieties of gum and candy today contain
S3 : Individuals need to weigh the options and then choose the sweeteners that best suit their needs and circumstances

英文読解

• 設問の旧情報と本文の旧情報より、該当箇所を検索し、必要な情報を抽出する。
  • 動詞までみる
• 同じ動詞や同じ構文の場合、同じ意味であることが多い。

問１

• You learn that modern science has changed the world of sweeteners by  
  1. discovering new, sweeter white sugar types
  2. measuring the energy intake of Americans
  3. providing a variety new options
  4. using many newly-developed plants from the environment

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

解説

　設問の旧情報は, modern science, である。同等の表現としてP1のS4が,Scientific discoveries, however, have changed the world of sweeteners., とあるので、これが該当箇所となる。具体文を除去して読み進めると、その結果がS6「Taking science one step further, over the past 70 years scientists have developed a wide variety of artificial sweeteners. 」に示されている。「a wide variety of artificial sweeteners」と最も近い内容を回答すれば良い。

問２

Sweetness	Sweetener
high	Advantame
	(A)
	(B)
	(C)
low	(D)

• You are summarizing the information you have just studied. How should the table be finished?  
  1. (A) Stevia　(B) Sucralose　(C) Ace-K, Aspartame　(D) HFCS
  2. (A) Stevia　(B) Sucralose　(C) HFCS　(D) Ace-K, Aspartame
  3. (A) Sucralose　(B) Stevia　(C) Ace-K, Aspartame　(D) HFCS
  4. (A) Sucralose　(B) Stevia　(C) HFCS　(D) Ace-K, Aspartame

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

解説

　何について聞かれているかは、図表より, Sweetner, である。これらの甘さの大小を求める。

Aspartame and Ace-K are 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Aspartame と Ace-K は砂糖より200倍甘い

Stevia is 300 times sweeter, and sucralose has twice the sweetness of stevia.
Stevia は（砂糖より）300倍甘く、sucralose は stevia よりも２倍甘い

ここで、HFCS以外の順序が決まるが、HFCSの記述がない。そのため、改めて、動詞の左側にHFCSの文がないか、探してみる。すると、パラグラフ１に以下の文がある。
High fructose corn syrup（HFCS）is about 1.2 times sweeter than regular sugar
HFCS は通常の砂糖よりも約1.2倍甘い。

問３

• According to the article you read, which of the following are true? (Choose two options. The order does not matter.) 
  1. Alternative sweeteners have been proven to cause weight gain.
  2. Americans get 14.6% of their energy from alternative sweeteners
  3. It is possible to get alternative sweeteners from plants.
  4. Most artificial sweeteners are easy to cook with.
  5. Sweeteners like xylitol and sorbitol are not digested quickly .

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B

解説

　内容一致問題なので、選択肢の一つ一つを本文の該当箇所と照らし合わせていく。

選択肢３

It is possible to get alternative sweeteners from plants

該当箇所（P3, S2-S4）

Consequently, alternative “low-calorie sweeteners”（LCSs）, mostly artificial chemical combinations, have become popular. The most common LCSs today are aspartame, Ace-K, stevia, and sucralose. Not all LCSs are artificial―stevia comes from plant leaves. 

回答手順

1. alternative sweeteners、について書かれているから、alternative sweetenersが旧情報になっている文を探す。
2. P３のS2が該当する。
3. しかし、植物から生成可能かどうかについての記述はない
4. 具体例まで目を通す。
5. 該当箇所に至る。

選択肢５

Sweeteners like xylitol and sorbitol are not digested quickly .

該当箇所（P3, S2-S4）

There are a few relatively natural alternative sweeteners, like xylitol and sorbitol, which are low in calories. Unfortunately, these move through the body extremely slowly, so consuming large amounts can cause stomach trouble. 

回答手順

1. Sweeteners like xylitol and sorbitol、が旧情報であるので、該当文を探す
2. 挿入句の具体例を含めて上記に該当
3. 次文の具体例を確認する
4. digestと同義表現が確認できれば回答可能
   • 消去法で、本文のslowlyと not … quickly 、を対応させて回答することも可能

問４

• To describe the author’s position, which of the following is most appropriate?
  1. The author against the use of artificial sweeteners in drink and desserts.
  2. The author believes artificial sweeteners have successfully replaced traditional ones.
  3. The author states that it is important to invent much sweeter products for future use.
  4. The author suggests people focus on choosing sweeteners that make sense for them.

共通テスト, 21, 問 6B