多読をしようと考えた方は、英語を学びたい方だと思いますが、手に取った洋書が､自分の英語のレベルより高かったらどうでしょう？頑張って単語の意味を調べながら読み進めますか？それで洋書を楽しむことが出来ますか？
この記事では、多読初心者の方が、どんな洋書を選べば良いのか、その本を､どう活用したら良いのかをお伝えします。この記事では、Oxford reading tree stage9の５冊をご紹介します。
Oxford Reading Treeは、ステージ１からシリーズ化されています。イギリスの多くの小学校の副教材として使われているので、正しい英語を学ぶことが出来ます。多読初心者の方に、一番体験していただきたいことは、英語の本をストレス無く読める楽しさです。
ORTのシリーズは、レベル分けが細かくされているので、自分のレベルより優しいところから読み進めることで、自然にレベルアップでき、気がついたときには､読み始めの時を比べて成長した自分を実感できるでしょう。
ORTを読み、内容を理解した後に､この記事にある英文による質問に答えてみてください。１冊を読むことで、英語の理解度を知ることも出来ますし、英語での質問の仕方、答え方なども学ぶことが出来ます。慣れたら、ご自分でも質問や答えを作ってみましょう！リーディングだけ無く、スピーキングの練習にもなりますよ。１冊を余すこと無く使いこなすことで、ORTを読み終わった後も、次の洋書に移行しやすくなります。
Green Island グリーンアイランド
ジョンソン先生とメイ先生は、クラスを校外学習へ連れて行きました。一週間の滞在ですが、みんなは海辺で楽しんだり、学んだりします。そこで、グリーンアイランドに有害毒を不法投棄されることで起きている問題に直面する子どもたち。悪い男たちがやってきます。さて、また不法投棄されてしまうのでしょうか？
Where did Mr. Johnson take his class for the week?
Mr. Johnson took his class to a big house called Seabay House for the week.
What did Biff find in the bags and cases when they arrived?
Biff found her toothbrush in the bags and cases when they arrived.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: How did Mr. Johnson decide who would get the top bunk in the boys’ room?
A: Mr. Johnson decided who would get the top bunk by tossing a coin.
Q: What did the children do on their long walk with Mr. Johnson?
A: On their long walk, the children rested and looked at their maps while Mr. Johnson showed them the places they could see.
Q: What did the children find during the beach study activity?
A: During the beach study activity, Biff found a shell with a hermit crab inside it, and Chip and Anneena found a seagull covered in oil.
Q: Who helped clean the seagull covered in oil?
A: Mrs. Honey helped clean the seagull covered in oil.
Q: What did the children discover dumped on Green Island?
A: The children discovered drums filled with toxic waste dumped on Green Island.
Q: What did Mrs. Honey do to stop the people from dumping more waste on the island?
A: Mrs. Honey took the people’s boat, preventing them from leaving the island without it, and threatened to call the police.
Q: What did the photographer do at the end of the week?
A: The photographer took a photograph of everyone, and they ended up in the newspaper, making the school trip famous.
Q: How did Wilf feel about becoming famous?
A: Wilf said, “Now I’m famous I don’t feel any different.”
Storm Castle 嵐城（Magic Keyのお話）
Nadimが、Biff とChipの家に泊まりに来ました。Nadimはコンピューターやロボットを持ってきました。Wilfも加わり、みんなが遊びだしたところでMadic Keyの冒険が始まりました。
親しみやすい怪物と出会い、どんな冒険になったでしょうか？
What did Nadim bring to Biff and Chip’s house?
Nadim brought a big box and his computer to Biff and Chip’s house.
What did Nadim have in his big box?
Nadim had some robots in his big box.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: What game did Nadim play on the computer with Chip?
A: Nadim played a game called “Storm Castle” on the computer with Chip.
Q: What did Nadim and Chip find in the first room of Storm Castle?
A: In the first room of Storm Castle, Nadim and Chip found a floor that opened up, but Nadim didn’t fall through.
Q: How did the children feel about Nadim’s computer game?
A: The children thought Nadim’s computer game, Storm Castle, looked exciting, but they also wanted to play with Nadim’s robots.
Q: Who helped the children navigate through the maze?
A: The friendly monster helped the children navigate through the maze by providing them with a map and guidance.
Q: What did the squares on the floor of the hall have on them?
A: The squares on the floor of the hall had numbers on them.
Q: How did Biff figure out which square to stand on in the hall?
A: Biff figured out which square to stand on by noticing that the squares added up to six in the direction they needed to go, while the rest added up to fifteen.
Q: What did the children find inside the robot in the new room?
A: Inside the robot, the children found Nadim sitting there.
Q: How did Chip know Nadim was inside the robot?
A: Chip knew Nadim was inside the robot because Nadim had written a story about the same robot at school.
Superdog スーパードッグ（Magic Keyのお話）
テレビでドック・オブ・ザ・イヤー・ショーを見ていた子どもたち。テレビの中の犬たちはみんなとても賢いのに、Floppyはそんな犬たちとは大違いです。
今回は、Floppy一匹だけで冒険に出かけます。そこではFloppyはスーパードックとして活躍します。どんな活躍をしたのでしょうか？
What did Floppy do when he saw the pram moving by itself?
Floppy grabbed the pram with his teeth and stopped it.
What did people say about Floppy after he stopped the pram?
People called Floppy a hero and thanked him for saving the baby.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: What happened when Floppy saw a thief stealing a handbag?
A: Floppy chased the thief, grabbed him, and made him drop the handbag.
Q: What did the newspapers say about Floppy?
A: The newspapers called Floppy “Superdog” and wrote about his heroic deeds.
Q: How did people react when they saw Floppy in the city?
A: People cheered for Floppy and called him a hero wherever he went.
Q: Who were the mean dogs in the city, and what did they do to a lost dog?
A: The mean dogs were Fang, Hook, and Snap. They scared a lost dog and made him feel unwelcome.
Q: How did Floppy handle the situation with the lost dog?
A: Floppy intervened and offered to take the lost dog home himself.
Q: What dangerous situation did Floppy encounter involving a man on a tall building?
A: Floppy saw a man slipping on a girder of a tall building and getting stuck.
Q: What did Floppy do to help the man on the tall building?
A: Floppy carried a rope to the man, allowing him to be rescued.
Q: How did the man on the tall building react to Floppy’s help？
A: The man thanked Floppy and called him a hero for saving him.
Q: What did Floppy’s actions inspire the people to do?
A: Floppy’s actions inspired the people to cheer and praise him as a hero.
Q: How did Biff react when she found Floppy on her bed?
A: Biff scolded Floppy for being on the bed and called him a bad dog.
Q: What did Floppy do after being scolded by Biff?
A: Floppy jumped off the bed and crept downstairs.
Q: Where did Floppy run away to at the end of the story?
A: Floppy ran into the park and hid inside a giant pipe because he didn’t want to be the Dog of the Year and just wanted peace.
The Litter Queen ゴミの女王（Magic Keyのお話）
みんなでピクニックへ行き、楽しいひとときを過ごしましたが、落ちていた瓶によってFloppyがけがをしてしまいます。あちこちにゴミを放置されていたのでこんなことに。かわいそうなFloppy。今回、Magic Keyは、みんなをゴミの女王の元に連れて行きます。ゴミだらけの世界で､みんなは無事に冒険を出来るのでしょうか？
Where did Wilf and Wilma’s family go for a picnic?
They went to White Horse Hill for a picnic.
What did Wilma’s dad spread out for everyone to sit on?
He spread out a rug for everyone to sit on.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: What did Wilma’s mom say when she saw litter left behind?
A: She told the children to pick up the litter and put it in a bag.
Q: What happened to Floppy in the woods?
A: Floppy hurt his paw and started to limp because he stepped on a broken bottle.
Q: Why couldn’t Floppy play cricket with the children?
A: Floppy couldn’t play cricket because his paw was too sore.
Q: What did Chip find next to his bed before his magic adventure?
A: Chip found the magic key glowing next to his bed.
Q: Where did the magic key whisk Chip away to?
A: The magic key whisked Chip away to the Litter Queen’s palace.
Q: What was Chip’s job in the Litter Queen’s kingdom?
A: Chip’s job was to help the Litter Queen spread litter and junk everywhere.
Q: What did Chip and his classmates do to help with the litter problem?
A: They did a litter project where they picked up litter, made posters, and wrote stories to raise awareness.
Q: What prize did Chip win for his story in the competition?
A: Chip won a special prize for his story called “The Litter Queen.”
The Quest クエスト（Magic Keyのお話）
Wilmaは物語を書いています。失われた物を捜す旅についての物語ですが、書くことに行き詰まってしまったようです。Magic Keyは、Wilmaの物語の中に連れて行きます。そこで、Wilmaはどんな冒険をするのでしょうか？物語を完成することは出来るのかな？
What is Wilma writing a story about?
Wilma is writing a story about a quest.
What is the crystal bell of Ulm?
The crystal bell of Ulm is a beautiful bell that glows like fire and emits music-like notes. It tells every living thing in the land of Ulm when it is spring or summer.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: Who wants to steal the crystal bell of Ulm?
A: The evil Grimlock wants to steal the crystal bell of Ulm.
Q: What happens to the land of Ulm when the crystal bell is taken?
A: Without the crystal bell, the land of Ulm becomes dark, grey, and barren. Flowers grow in the winter, and the days become cold and long.
Q: Who goes on the quest to bring back the crystal bell?
A: Wilma, a brave girl, goes on the quest to bring back the crystal bell.
Q: What creatures help Wilma during her quest?
A: A white unicorn and a gnome help Wilma during her quest.
Q: How does Wilma defeat the dragon?
A: Wilma uses a lemon to scare away the dragon because dragons hate the smell of lemons.
Q: What special item does Wilma receive to defeat the basilisk?
A: Wilma receives a mirror to defeat the basilisk by reflecting its gaze back at itself, turning it to stone.
Q: How does Wilma ultimately stop Grimlock and retrieve the bell?
A: Wilma uses a magic ring to make the bell ring loudly, causing Grimlock so much pain that he agrees to let her take the bell back to Ulm.
Q: How does the story end?
A: Wilma and the gnome return the bell to Ulm, restoring beauty to the land, and everyone cheers for them. Then Wilma leaves on another adventure as the magic key begins to glow again.
最後に
このブログでは、洋書の初心者の方の一冊目としてORTをお勧めしています。そして、記事に載せている質問文とその答えを、絵本を読むことと同時に繰り返すことで、英会話の練習にもなるというお得な方法をお伝えしています。このように、英語に触れる機会をどんどん増やして、英語学習を楽しみましょう！
ポチップ
あわせて読みたい もっと易しいレベルを読みたい方はこちら！
