次の文は2003年12月2日にTHE DAILY YOMIURIに掲載された”Moore’s first errand: Put children’s books on shelves”という見出しの記事である。これを読み，下の設問に答えよ。

Long-term Japan resident John Moore found (1)the reluctance of Japanese publishers to promote their children's books overseas so disappointing that he decided to do it himself.

While involved in producing international editions of the popular Guri and Gura illustrated book series for his previous employer, Moore came to regard it as his "mission" to bring these books to a wider audience. To (2)that end, he (3)set up his own publishing firm―R.I.C. Publications Asia Co., an *affiliate of an Australian educational publisher―about a year ago.

"I wanted really to bring the best of Japan to the overseas world and to show them that Japan has (4)fabulous books," the Briton said. "They have gorgeous characters and heartwarming stories that kids anywhere in the world will love."

  (5)

Moore, president of the firm newly set up, personally selected the first title to translate into English.

t was Hajimete no Otsukai, a "modern classic" that has remained popular since it was first released nearly three decades ago by the Fukuinkan Shoten publishing company. The story follows an adventure that a little girl takes when her mother asks the heroine to go out shopping by herself.

The book's English version, titled Miki's First Errand, is now on bookstore shelves inside and outside Japan, accompanied by a CD.
 

Considering the growing interest in encouraging younger children to learn English in East Asian countries, Moore has no intention of publishing an English-language version ( 6 ) an accompanying CD. "Because basically most Asian mothers have a little bit of a complex with their pronunciation," they need support like this kind of audio tool, Moore explained.

New English translations set to be released next year include Soramame-kun no Beddo (Broad Bean's Bed), which Moore describes as "probably the most popular book at the moment" in the children's book sector in Japan.

Moore believes there is a strong market for translating Japanese illustrated books into English. He receives many requests from international schools in Japan, ( 7 ) are eager to offer students stories that their Japanese counterparts are familiar with. In addition, "There's a strong interest in Japanese culture in Australia in the elementary school market," he said, because learning the Japanese language is popular at the primary school level in that country.

In this country, under the revised curriculum that officially (8)kicked off in April last year, public primary schools can now offer English lessons, a new movement that Moore believes his company can take advantage of.

"A library at the moment in a (primary) school...needs to have an English corner where the kids can self-access," the president said, (9)describing it as his goal to see the characters from his company's children's stories come to life on shelves in such corners.

＜本文は出題にあたって一部改めた＞

（注）
  • affiliate：系列会社

問１ 下線部(1)の内容として最適のものを，以下の１〜４から１つ選びなさい。
1. 海外の出版社が日本の児童書を自国で販売促進することに乗り気ではないこと。
2. 海外の出版社が自国の児童書を日本で販売促進することに積極的なこと。
3. 日本の出版社が日本の児童書を海外で販売促進することに乗り気ではないこと。
4. 日本の出版社が海外の児童書を日本で販売促進することに積極的なこと。
問２ 下線部(2)that endの具体的内容として最適のものを，以下の１〜４から１つ選びなさい。
1. もっと広範な視聴者に日本文化を伝えること。
2. もっと広範な日本人に海外の文化を紹介すること。
3. もっと広範な読者に日本の児童書を読んでもらうこと。
4. もっと広範な出版関係者に自分の販売戦略を浸透させること。
問３ 下線部(3)set upに最も近い意味を持つものを，以下の１〜４から１つ選びなさい。
1. develop
2. establish
3. expand
4. take over
問４ 下線部(4)fabulousに最も近い意味を持つものを，以下の１〜４から１つ選びなさい。
1. boring
2. disgusting
3. serious
4. wonderful
問５ 以下の英文は(5)の網掛けをした部分をもとに書き換えたものです。網掛けをした部分の内容と矛盾がないように，空所に適語を入れなさい。ただし，(ハ)にはaで始まりableの語尾を持つ形容詞を入れること。
　The first title of the book Moore selected to put into English was Hajimete no Otsukai. It was first published about ( イ ) years ago and is still popular. Its heroine is a little girl whose name is Miki. In the story, her mother asks her to go on an ( ロ ), and she is to face an adventure. Its English version is now ( ハ ) both in Japan and overseas.
問６ 空所(6)に入れるのに最適のものを，以下の１〜４から１つ選びなさい。
1. by
2. of
3. with
4. without
問７ 空所(7)に入れるのに最適のものを，以下の１〜４から１つ選びなさい。
1. that
2. what
3. where
4. which
問８ 下線部(8)kicked offに最も近い意味を持つものを，以下の１〜４から１つ選びなさい。
1. changed
2. decreased
3. improved
4. started
問９ 下線部(9)を和訳しなさい。ただし，「ムーア社長は」で始め，「言っている」で終わらせること。
問10 以下の１から７のうちから，本文の内容と一致するものを２つ選びなさい。
1. ジョン・ムーア氏は日本で長く暮らしている英国人である。
2. ジョン・ムーア氏は絵本『ぐりとぐら』の作者である。
3. 日本の児童書がそのまま世界のどこでも通用するとは限らないと，ジョン・ムーア氏は言っている。
4. アジアの母親のほとんどが英語の発音に少し劣等感を持っていると，ジョン・ムーア氏は言っている。
5. 『そらまめくんのベッド』の英訳本は日本の児童書売り場で今一番人気があると，ジョン・ムーア氏は言っている。
6. 日本文化に対する関心が強いので，オーストラリアの小学校では日本語が必修科目になった。
7. 日本の公立小学校で英語を教えるようになったことを，ジョン・ムーア氏は必ずしもよいことだとは思っていない。

COPYRIGHT THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN