共通テスト（英語） 過去問
令和8年度（2026年度）本試験
問8 (英語リーディング（第3問） 問1)
問題文
各問の英文や図表を読み、最も適当な選択肢を選びなさい。
Your English teacher told you to read this short story for the next class.
The Bug Cup
My high school classmate and I were sitting for an hour with our legs crossed and our eyes closed, trying to feel our breath. I had signed up for this special workshop to learn how to control my thoughts and emotions. My father had recommended it to me. He said it might help me focus my mind, lower my stress, and hopefully improve my grades at school. My friend came along to see if it could help him, too.
Sometime during the session I heard a faint buzzing sound, but little by little I could hear it more clearly. It was a small insect. It flew very close to my right ear and almost went in it！ I wanted to hit it with my hand, but we weren’t supposed to move. “What should I do now？” I thought.
Just as I opened my eyes, the bug flew off toward the instructor. I saw her take a cup and a postcard that were nearby. She stood up and trapped the bug in the cup against the wall. Sliding the card between the cup and the wall, she covered the open end of the cup. Then, she did something that really impressed me. She walked to the window, opened it, and let the insect fly out. The instructor softly closed the window and our eyes met. After the session, she came over to me and said, “The bug cup always works. Having a warm heart for all creatures is one of the keys to a peaceful mind.”
I don’t know yet if the workshop has helped me concentrate better or if it will improve my grades. However, I did learn something important from that bug cup experience.
The author joined the workshop because（ ）.
Your English teacher told you to read this short story for the next class.
The Bug Cup
My high school classmate and I were sitting for an hour with our legs crossed and our eyes closed, trying to feel our breath. I had signed up for this special workshop to learn how to control my thoughts and emotions. My father had recommended it to me. He said it might help me focus my mind, lower my stress, and hopefully improve my grades at school. My friend came along to see if it could help him, too.
Sometime during the session I heard a faint buzzing sound, but little by little I could hear it more clearly. It was a small insect. It flew very close to my right ear and almost went in it！ I wanted to hit it with my hand, but we weren’t supposed to move. “What should I do now？” I thought.
Just as I opened my eyes, the bug flew off toward the instructor. I saw her take a cup and a postcard that were nearby. She stood up and trapped the bug in the cup against the wall. Sliding the card between the cup and the wall, she covered the open end of the cup. Then, she did something that really impressed me. She walked to the window, opened it, and let the insect fly out. The instructor softly closed the window and our eyes met. After the session, she came over to me and said, “The bug cup always works. Having a warm heart for all creatures is one of the keys to a peaceful mind.”
I don’t know yet if the workshop has helped me concentrate better or if it will improve my grades. However, I did learn something important from that bug cup experience.
The author joined the workshop because（ ）.
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問題
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共通テスト（英語）試験 令和8年度（2026年度）本試験 問8（英語リーディング（第3問） 問1） （訂正依頼・報告はこちら）
各問の英文や図表を読み、最も適当な選択肢を選びなさい。
Your English teacher told you to read this short story for the next class.
The Bug Cup
My high school classmate and I were sitting for an hour with our legs crossed and our eyes closed, trying to feel our breath. I had signed up for this special workshop to learn how to control my thoughts and emotions. My father had recommended it to me. He said it might help me focus my mind, lower my stress, and hopefully improve my grades at school. My friend came along to see if it could help him, too.
Sometime during the session I heard a faint buzzing sound, but little by little I could hear it more clearly. It was a small insect. It flew very close to my right ear and almost went in it！ I wanted to hit it with my hand, but we weren’t supposed to move. “What should I do now？” I thought.
Just as I opened my eyes, the bug flew off toward the instructor. I saw her take a cup and a postcard that were nearby. She stood up and trapped the bug in the cup against the wall. Sliding the card between the cup and the wall, she covered the open end of the cup. Then, she did something that really impressed me. She walked to the window, opened it, and let the insect fly out. The instructor softly closed the window and our eyes met. After the session, she came over to me and said, “The bug cup always works. Having a warm heart for all creatures is one of the keys to a peaceful mind.”
I don’t know yet if the workshop has helped me concentrate better or if it will improve my grades. However, I did learn something important from that bug cup experience.
The author joined the workshop because（ ）.
Your English teacher told you to read this short story for the next class.
The Bug Cup
My high school classmate and I were sitting for an hour with our legs crossed and our eyes closed, trying to feel our breath. I had signed up for this special workshop to learn how to control my thoughts and emotions. My father had recommended it to me. He said it might help me focus my mind, lower my stress, and hopefully improve my grades at school. My friend came along to see if it could help him, too.
Sometime during the session I heard a faint buzzing sound, but little by little I could hear it more clearly. It was a small insect. It flew very close to my right ear and almost went in it！ I wanted to hit it with my hand, but we weren’t supposed to move. “What should I do now？” I thought.
Just as I opened my eyes, the bug flew off toward the instructor. I saw her take a cup and a postcard that were nearby. She stood up and trapped the bug in the cup against the wall. Sliding the card between the cup and the wall, she covered the open end of the cup. Then, she did something that really impressed me. She walked to the window, opened it, and let the insect fly out. The instructor softly closed the window and our eyes met. After the session, she came over to me and said, “The bug cup always works. Having a warm heart for all creatures is one of the keys to a peaceful mind.”
I don’t know yet if the workshop has helped me concentrate better or if it will improve my grades. However, I did learn something important from that bug cup experience.
The author joined the workshop because（ ）.
- a classmate encouraged him to
- a family member suggested it
- his father signed him up
- his friend got good grades
正解！素晴らしいです
残念...
画像拡大
この過去問の解説 （2件）
01
問題文は
「著者は、（ ）なので、ワークショップに参加した。」
という意味です。
ワークショップに参加した理由が問われています。
「workshop」をキーワードにして、探していきます。
該当箇所は
I had signed up for this special workshop to learn how to control my thoughts and emotions. My father had recommended it to me. He said it might help me focus my mind, lower my stress, and hopefully improve my grades at school.
（私は考えや感情をコントロールする方法を学ぶために、特別なワークショップに申し込んだ。父がそれを勧めてきたのだ。彼は、私が集中し、ストレスを減らし、願わくば成績が上がる助けとなるかもしれないと言った。)
となります。
この内容に合うものを選びます。
「クラスメイトが促した」
My father had recommended it to me.
（私父がそれを勧めてきたのだ。）
とあるため、誤りです。
正解 「家族の1人がそれを提案した」
My father had recommended it to me.
（私父がそれを勧めてきたのだ。）
とあります。
My father＝ a family member で言い換えており、正解です。
「父親が申し込んだ」
I had signed up for this special workshop to learn how to control my thoughts and emotions.
（私は考えや感情をコントロールする方法を学ぶために、特別なワークショップに申し込んだ。)
とあり、申し込んだのは「私」であるとわかります。
したがって、誤りです。
「友人が良い成績を取った」
My friend came along to see if it could help him, too.
（友人は、自分の助けにもなるかを見るためについてきた）
とあり、友人はまだ経験していないため、誤りです。
理由が問われていることを意識しながら、英文を読んでいきましょう。
参考になった数0
この解説の修正を提案する
02
まず最初から最後まで素早く読み、何の話なのかを把握しましょう。
設問は、workshop に著者が参加した理由を答えるものです。
The author joined the workshop because（ ）.
author:著者（ = I ）
【※厳密には I という登場人物が著者であるという記述は本文にはないのですが、
I = author であると解釈して解答しましょう。】
join:（他動詞または自動詞）①参加する ②つなぐ、1つにする
workshop:①仕事場 ②研究会 ③（体験、実践、討論などの形の）講習会
because ～:～であるから、～なので
本文で重要となるのは第一段落中の次の文であり、これが I の workshop への参加理由となります。
My father had recommended it to me.
it は前文の this special workshop です。
空欄に当てはまる選択肢は次のものです。
a family member suggested it
it = workshop に参加する事
a family member = my father
空欄に当てはめると、
The author joined the workshop because a family member suggested it.
「家族の一人が提案したので著者は講習会に参加した」となります。
recommend:①～を推薦する、推奨する ②～を勧める
a classmate encouraged him to
この選択肢は次の本文の記述に合致せず、不適切となります。
My father had recommended it to me.
classmate は I と一緒に参加していますが、参加の理由には関与していません。
encourage :①～を励ます、勇気づける ②～を奨励する【encourage A to ～:～するよう勧める、奨励する】
recommend:①～を推薦する、推奨する ②～を勧める
a family member suggested it
この選択肢は次の本文の記述に合致し、適切となります。
My father had recommended it to me.
a family member = my father であり、suggest と recommend の意味も対応するので選択肢は適切です。
suggest:①提案する ②ほのめかす、示唆する
recommend:①～を推薦する、推奨する ②～を勧める
his father signed him up
この選択肢は次の本文の記述に合致せず、不適切となります。
My father had recommended it to me.
関連する本文の記述がありますが、選択肢の記述には合致しません。
I had signed up for this special workshop to learn ...
recommend:①～を推薦する、推奨する ②～を勧める
sign up:加入する、加入に同意する
his father signed him up:彼の父親が彼を加入させた
I had signed up:本文は過去形で語られていますが、workshop に参加した時からさらに過去の事に言及するために過去完了形 had signed が使われています。
his friend got good grades
この選択肢は次の本文の記述に合致せず、不適切となります。
My father had recommended it to me.
関連する記述は本文に存在しますが、
my friend は成績が上がるかどうかを見るために一緒に来たという内容であり、成績は本文中でまだ上がっていません。
He said it might help me focus my mind, lower my stress,
and hopefully improve my grades at school. 【He = my father】
My friend came along to see if it could help him, too. 【him = my friend】
grade:①等級、②成績 ③学年
recommend:①～を推薦する、推奨する ②～を勧める
focus:①（他動詞）～を集中する ②（他動詞）～の焦点を合わせる ③（名詞）焦点
mind:①（名詞）精神 ②（名詞）意見、意向 ②（他動詞）～するのを嫌に思う ③（他動詞）～に気を付ける
lower:下げる【low:低い】
hopefully:①うまく行けば ②希望を持って
improve:①（他動詞）～を改善する、～を上達させる ②（自動詞）良くなる
come along:一緒に来る、ついて来る
see if ～:～であるかを確かめる、調べる
My friend came along to see if it could help him, too.
help him の後には focus his mind, lower his stress, and hopefully improve his grades at school が省略されていると解釈できます。
知っておきたい単語や表現は、author, join, workshop, because, recommend, encourage, sign up, grade, focus, mind, lower, hopefully, improve, come along, see if などです。
空欄に選択肢を当てはめる形式の設問ですが、実質的には「理由」として本文に合致する選択肢を選ぶ事になります。
本文は前半と後半で話の注目点が変わります。
「参加の理由」は前半にあったはずだと思い出して重要な部分を素早く見つけ、選択肢と照らし合わせましょう。
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