(15)に引き続き，(16)です。1981年のを見ます。
(A)
次の会話の空所 (a) 〜 (e) に補うのに最も適当な一語を答えよ。
Peter: I'm terribly sorry I'm late, Sally, but I just couldn't help it. I got here as soon as I could.
Sally: Well, it's not soon enough, is it? It's too late to go in now — the play's already started! I've been waiting to see it all week! Do you realize that? All week!
Peter: Look, Sally, just give me a ( a ) to explain — please! You'll see it wasn't really my fault.
Sally: All right, then. Explain!
Peter: Well, I was all ready to leave the house when my sister called round. She was in tears! Really hysterical! So I couldn't just rush off without a word... now could I?
Sally: Go ( b )!
Peter: Yes... well... I invited her in and she told me that John — that's her boyfriend — had been knocked down and was critically ill. Honestly, Sally, I've never seen my sister in such a state. So I stayed with her until she calmed down. Then I came here as quickly as I could.
Sally: Oh... I see.
Peter: I am sorry, Sally, but I couldn't have left her like that, could I?
Sally: No, I suppose ( c ). But you could have phoned me at work, surely? It wouldn't have taken you a minute. I'd have understood.
Peter: I ( d ) try, but you'd just left.
Sally: Well... Peter, I'm sorry for the way I snapped at you.
Peter: Oh, that's all right. I understand. I'd have been just ( e ) angry in your place.
(B)
次の (f) 〜 (h) の文の空所に入れるのに最も適当な一語を各文の下の動詞群の中から選び，適当な語形に変化させて空所に補うと，意味の通った文となる。その変化形を答えよ。
(f) It is about time that his demands were ( ).
［動詞群］consume hold listen meet occur
(g) Living the way he does, he is only ( ) his own ruin.
［動詞群］destroy invite lose share wear
(h) We felt ( ) to apologize for our rude actions at the party.
［動詞群］compel injure perform restrict wonder
次の (i)，(j) は，各文の下の名詞群の中から一語を選びその語尾を変えて作った形容詞形を空所に補うと，意味の通った文となる。その形容詞形を答えよ。
(i) I cannot describe his looks because I caught only a ( ) glance of him as he flashed by.
［名詞群］favor misery moment reason sense
(j) The little boys were so ( ) that they had to be removed from the game.
［名詞群］convenience habit mischief occasion relation
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ここから解説です
(A)
次の会話の空所 (a) 〜 (e) に補うのに最も適当な一語を答えよ。
Peter: I'm terribly sorry I'm late, Sally, but I just couldn't help it. I got here as soon as I could.
Sally: Well, it's not soon enough, is it? It's too late to go in now — the play's already started! I've been waiting to see it all week! Do you realize that? All week!
Peter: Look, Sally, just give me a ( a ) to explain — please! You'll see it wasn't really my fault.
( a )
give me a chance to explain で「説明するチャンスをくれ」です。確か FFX インターナショナルでアーロンが「申し開きさせてくれ」と言うのをこう訳していた気がします。
文脈としては，待ち合わせに遅刻してカンカンなサリーに対するピーターの弁明です。
Sally: All right, then. Explain!
Peter: Well, I was all ready to leave the house when my sister called round. She was in tears! Really hysterical! So I couldn't just rush off without a word... now could I?
Sally: Go ( b )!
( b )
Go on, Go ahead で「（話を）続けて」です。決り文句です。Go ahead は「どうぞやったらいいさ」「先に行って」という意味もあります。
文脈としては，出かけようとしたら妹から電話がかかってきて対応するしかなかったとピーターが釈明しています。それに対するサリーの「続けて」です。
Peter: Yes... well... I invited her in and she told me that John — that's her boyfriend — had been knocked down and was critically ill. Honestly, Sally, I've never seen my sister in such a state. So I stayed with her until she calmed down. Then I came here as quickly as I could.
Sally: Oh... I see.
Peter: I am sorry, Sally, but I couldn't have left her like that, could I?
Sally: No, I suppose ( c ).
( c )
直前でピーターが I couldn't have left her like that, could I?「あんな状態の妹を私は放っておけましたか？」と聞いたので，No, I suppose not. と答えます。この not とは，No, I suppose that you could not have left her like that. のことです。下線部を not １語で代替するのです。
Sally: But you could have phoned me at work, surely? It wouldn't have taken you a minute. I'd have understood.
Peter: I ( d ) try, but you'd just left.
( d )
I did try. で「実際にしたんだよ」です。この did は強調の do です。
文脈としては，妹を放っておけなかったとしても，遅れるという電話くらいできたでしょう，とサリーが詰問したのに対し，「実際に君に電話したんだよ。でも君は出かけたばかりで（電話に出なかった）」と言っています。今はスマホがあるので，時代を感じる会話ですね。
Sally: Well... Peter, I'm sorry for the way I snapped at you.
Peter: Oh, that's all right. I understand. I'd have been just ( e ) angry in your place.
( e )
in your place「もし私が君の立場だったら」を読解のヒントにしつつ，I'd have been just as angry「僕も同じくらい怒ったであろう」です。仮定法＋in your place「仮に君の立場だったら，……する・したであろう」は典型パターンです。in your place の place は「立場」という意味ですが，in your shoes とも言うことも知っておきましょう。この in は着用の in ということになり，「もし君の靴を履いていたら」→「もし君だったら」です。in your place = in your shoes は if I were you「もし私が君だったら」とも言います。
(B)
次の (f) 〜 (h) の文の空所に入れるのに最も適当な一語を各文の下の動詞群の中から選び，適当な語形に変化させて空所に補うと，意味の通った文となる。その変化形を答えよ。
(f) It is about time that his demands were ( ).
［動詞群］consume hold listen meet occur
meet the demand で「需要を満たす，要求をかなえる」ですが，今回は受け身なので his demands were met です。were と過去時制なのは It is about time＋過去時制「そろそろ……してもいいころだ」を使っているからです。It is high time＋過去時制 だと「とっくに……してもいいころだ」です。
(g) Living the way he does, he is only ( ) his own ruin.
［動詞群］destroy invite lose share wear
Living the way he does は「あんな風に（＝彼がそうするように）生活しているのでは」という意味です。この the way は as と言い換えられます。答えは inviting his own ruin「自身の破滅を招いて」です。
(h) We felt ( ) to apologize for our rude actions at the party.
［動詞群］compel injure perform restrict wonder
be compelled to-V で「Vすることを強いられる」
→feel compelled to-V で「Vしなければならない気分だ」です。pel に第１アクセントがあり，l を２重にすることに注意です。
次の (i)，(j) は，各文の下の名詞群の中から一語を選びその語尾を変えて作った形容詞形を空所に補うと，意味の通った文となる。その形容詞形を答えよ。
(i) I cannot describe his looks because I caught only a ( ) glance of him as he flashed by.
［名詞群］favor misery moment reason sense
文から「一瞬だけ見た」という意味だと分かり，「瞬間」が moment だと分かるまでは良いのですが，その形容詞形が難しいです。moment の形容詞は×momental ではなく，○momentary です。
(j) The little boys were so ( ) that they had to be removed from the game.
［名詞群］convenience habit mischief occasion relation
試合から追い出された（removed from the game）ので，マナーの悪さです。
答えは mischief「いたずら」の形容詞，mischievous /mɪ́stʃɪvəs/です。北欧神話ロキの言動は良く言えば mischievous ですが，悪く言えば malicious です。
次回は1982年を見ます。
