(3)2006年度、2007年度においては、政治、経済的な質問はほとんどされなかったが、2008年度には下記の政治、経済的な質問が各1問ずつされたことが注意を引く。 How is Japan’s prime minister elected? (2008年には米国で大統領選挙が行われたが、このことが影響したのかも知れない。) These days the Japanese economy is very bad. What do you think Japan should do to cope with it? (2008年9月に米国の大手証券会社であり投資銀行でもあるリーマン・ブラザーズが経営破綻して、金融不安、不景気が一気に全世界に波及した。)2009年度は、政治面では総選挙が実施され、経済面では引き続き不景気が大きな社会問題となっているので、かなり高い確率で政治、経済的な質問をされることが予想される。
[4]試験内容 (1)最初に、受験者の氏名と住所を質問された。 最も標準的な質問の仕方は下記のようなものである。 Please tell us your name and where you live. 試験官により、Where are you from? と聞かれる場合があるが、自分の出身地ではなく、現在住んでいる場所を答えること。 (2)次に、7種類の問題群から3〜6問の質問がされた。
問題群(1)(9:00〜10:00) ?温泉を推薦して欲しい。 I heard there are many hot springs in Japan. Please recommend one of them. ?地球温暖化が深刻であるが、日本はどうすればよいのか。 These days, global warming is getting more serious. How does it affect Japan? What can Japan do to stop global warming? ?明治維新は何故重要か、何をもたらしたか。 I heard the Meiji Restoration was very important in Japanese history. Why was it so important? Tell me how it happened and what changes it brought to Japan? ?相撲取りが塩をまき、しこを踏む理由は何か。 I saw sumo wrestlers throw salt into the ring and stomp their feet before their match. Why do they do that? ?大名行列を説明せよ。 I heard that there was “the procession of feudal lords” in the Edo Period. Please explain what it was like and what it was for? ?あなたの好きなテレビ番組は何か。外国人にお奨めのテレビ番組は何か。 What kinds of TV programs do you like? What TV program would you recommend to foreigners?
問題群(2)(10:00〜12:00) ?鎌倉には何故お寺が多いのか。 Why are there so many Buddhist temples in Kamakura? ?日本の気候を説明せよ。 What is Japan’s climate like? ?日本人は何故おめでたい折に鯛を食べるのか。 Why do Japanese people eat sea bream on happy occasions? ?日本の木造建築の利点を説明せよ。 I hear that many Japanese houses are made of wood. What are the advantages of wooden structures in Japan? ?参勤交代の目的を説明せよ。 In the Edo Period, there was a system called “Sankin-Kotai.” What was the purpose of it? ?総理大臣はどのように選出されるのか。 How is Japan’s prime minister elected?
問題群(3)(12:00〜13:00) ?こも巻きを説明せよ。 I saw gardeners wrapping tree trunks with straw mats or straw blankets (in early winter). What is that for? ?東海道五十三次を説明せよ。 Tell me about “Tokaido 53 Stations.” What is “Tokaido-gojusan-tsugi”? ?大政奉還の理由を説明せよ。 At the end of the Edo Period, why did the shogun return his power to the emperor? ?東大寺を説明せよ。 Tell me about Todaiji Temple. ?クレジットカードにより現金を得る方法を説明せよ。 I have no cash and I only have credit cards. How can I get cash? ?観光バスが渋滞で止まったらどうするか。 Your tour bus has got stuck in a traffic jam and doesn’t move. What would you do?
問題群(4)(13:00〜14:00) ?明治神宮を説明せよ。 Suppose you are taking a group of tourists to Meiji Shrine, what would you explain to them before entering the shrine? ?神輿を説明せよ。 I saw people carrying a small shrine on their shoulders at a local festival. What is it and why do they carry it? ?神社や寺の境内の玉砂利を説明せよ。 The precincts of most shrines and temples are covered with pebbles. Why is that? Does it signify something? ?あなたが日本史で興味のある時代はどの時代か。 What period of Japanese history are you interested in most? ?酒と焼酎の違いを説明せよ。 What is the difference between sake and shochu? ?除夜の鐘の意味を説明せよ。 On New Year’s Eve, the bell of a Buddhist temple is struck 108 times. What does it signify?
問題群(5)(14:00〜15:00) ?オーストラリア人に人気のある北海道のスキーリゾートはどこか。 I heard that there is a ski resort in Hokkaido where many Australians visit. Where is it? ?侍は何故二本の刀を持っていたのか。 Why did samurai always have two swords? ?日本史上最も重要な外国人は誰か。 Who do you think is the most important foreigner in Japanese history? ?お客さんが電車でカメラを忘れたが、あなたはどうするのか。 If a foreign tourist left his camera in the train, what would you do? ?日本人は何故桜を好むのか。 I know Japanese people love flowers. But why do they particularly love cherry blossoms? ?日本の方言について説明せよ。 I heard that there are some dialects in Japan. Can you tell me something about them?
問題群(6)(15:00〜16:00) ?箱根について説明せよ。 I want to go to Hakone. Could you tell me something about Hakone? ?紅白と白黒の幕について説明せよ。 I saw two types of curtains: One was a red-and-white one, and the other was a black-and-white one. What are they? What is the difference between them? ?日本庭園を推薦してほしい。 I want to visit a Japanese garden. Where do you recommend? ?江戸城は何故皇居となったのか。 Why is Edo Castle called the Imperial Palace now? ?奈良時代を説明せよ。 What was the Nara Period like? Tell us about the Nara Period. ?現在の日本経済は不況だが、どうすべきか。 These days the Japanese economy is very bad. What do you think Japan should do to cope with it?
問題群(7)(16:00〜17:30) ?うどんとそばの違いを説明せよ。 What is the difference between udon and soba? ?平安時代を説明せよ。 What was the Heian Period like? Tell us about the Heian Period. ?日本人は神社で何故柏手を打つのか。 Why do Japanese people clap their hands at Shinto shrines? ?日本の蒸し暑い夏をどう過ごすのか。 I hear that in Japan it is very hot and humid in summer. How do you cope with it? ?京都と奈良に神社仏閣が多い理由は何か。 Why are there so many shrines and temples in Kyoto and Nara? ?新幹線に乗り遅れたらどうするのか。 What would you do, if a group of foreign tourists you are guiding missed the Shinkansen they were supposed to take?