英検1級英作文・面接：家族・高齢化
2021年第1回の英検1級受験時に、英作文・面接対策として自分が書き溜めた原稿を公開しています。
Grammarlyに頼りつつ書いたもので、完全に独学で勉強していたため、不自然な表現や文法的に間違った英文が含まれている可能性もありますので、ご注意ご了承ください。
実績としては、本番は英作文・面接どちらもこのブログで公開している原稿から、使える部分を流用したような格好で解答を行いました。
得点もそれぞれ英作文が745/850で9割近い点数が獲れ, 面接は615/850と合格ギリギリの水準ですが、2分スピーチセクションであまりの緊張から10秒近く言葉が出てこなかった所から原稿の内容を駆使した決死の、華麗なる逆転劇があってのものですので、内容としてはまあ悪くない水準にあると思います。
そう信じています。
英検1級合格を目指す皆様に、こちらの原稿が少しでもお役に立てば幸いです。
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Q. How can we deal with a super-aging society?
A. An aging population has been one of the most serious threats to human society. In Japan, the situation looks particularly desperate, but Japan has to handle it and make efforts to improve.
Firstly, I think the first thing we should do is to address the labor shortage in the nursing care industry. The nursing-care industry is known for its harsh working environment such as low wages for its long working time. Therefore, the government should take measures to increase the number of care workers by raising their salary level through subsidies and making rules about it. It could highly improve the working environment and nursing care workers and solve chronic labor shortages of the industry.
In addition, for a fundamental solution to the aging society, measures to solve the declining birthrate problem are indispensable. The government should take practical measures to make people more positive about having children, such as giving huge benefits to couples who have children.
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Q. What are major contributing factors in the declining birth rate?
A. The major cause is that young couples financially do not afford to have a baby. With the increase in non-regular employment and prolonged recession, many young people are in economically unstable situations and it is difficult for them to make a long-term life plan. Therefore, It’s quite natural that you can’t be positive about having a child and bring up the baby in such a situation.
In addition, an increase of dual working couples is another factor of this problem. With the economically unaffordable state, it is so harsh to make a living with the income of only either of a couple. On the other hand, it is quite challenging and burdensome to raise children and do a full-time job at the same time, and as a result, there are many couples who cannot choose to have children.
Q. How should we deal with Japan’s declining birth rate?
A.
A root cancer of the increasing trend that more and more couples become not to want to have children in Japan is that the financial burden of raising a child is too heavy for their financial state.
Therefore, the government should take practical measures to make people more positive about having children, such as giving huge benefits to couples who have children.
Furthermore, For encouraging people to have a baby, it would be tremendously effective to make parental leave mandatory and also make it paid leave. The system will create the ideal environment for parents to focus on childcare and it can make people super positive to have children.
In conclusion, the solution to the problem needs far more proactive investments from the governments to create a social environment that people can choose to have a baby without financial worry.
Q. Do you think that women should stay at home to take care of children?
A.
Firstly, it depends on the woman’s will. If she would rather want to stay home, she should do so. If she doesn’t want to stay home, she can work. It is the most ideal that women can choose what they do with their will.
However, realistically thinking, it would be so difficult for most couples in Japan that women stay at home after they bear a baby. With the increase in non-regular employment and prolonged recession, many young people are in economically unstable situations. it is so harsh to make a living with the income of only either of a couple especially while bringing up their children. It is practically difficult anymore in most cases in Japan.
Q. Can working parents play a sufficient role in raising their children?
A. With the increase in the number of dual working parents, more and more parents are not able to spend enough time with their children. It is for sure one of the factors of dissuading people to be positive to have a child that the time that parents can spend with their children might be too short, however, many children have been well raised in families with dual working parents since the past, so it is technically possible to raise children even in these circumstances, and with limited time periods, if you treat your children with your full of love. But of course, the improvement of social support is necessary for better changes. The current situation in Japan is too difficult to handle raising a child.
Q. Do the benefits of same-sex marriage outweigh its disadvantages?
A.
With increasing awareness of the equality of human rights, the legitimacy of same-sex marriage has become one of the most controversial issues around the world. Although some people argue that same-sex marriage will destroy social customs and stability, I think that the benefits of same-sex marriage outweigh its disadvantages.
Firstly, the legalization of same-sex marriage can be a significant step to eradicate various discrimination. The inhibition of same-sex marriage is a breeding place of discrimination against minorities. The situation that minorities are not allowed to use social systems that majorities can use has been creating the unconscious notion of distinction, which leads to unconscious discrimination. Therefore, the legalization of same-sex marriage will heighten public awareness to root out various discrimination in the world.
In addition, legalizing same-sex marriage has the potential to alleviate social problems related to aging societies. Homogeneous couples can technically give birth by using sperm donation or surrogacy. Same-sex marriage has the hopeful possibility of increasing the birthrate of the country.
In conclusion, for these two reasons, eradicating social discrimination, alleviating aging societies-related problems to increase couples who want to have a baby, the benefits of same-sex marriage outweigh its disadvantages.
Q. Do you still support same-sex marriage despite the fact that it will impose a higher financial burden on taxpayers?
A. Absolutely Yes, I support the idea. For stabling tax revenue, stable economic and demographical growth is essential, however, it is too difficult for countries that let human rights violations remain unaddressed to maintain the growth in the long run. Even at the current state, the future of tax revenue and the economy in Japan are desperate, so it is better, in the long run, to bet on the ripple effect of diversity and inclusion. It has the potential to bring impact on a stagnating society.
Q. Do you believe in gender equality?
A. Frankly speaking, it depends. First of all, it can be said that they are not physically equal. Scientific research shows that brain function, rather than function, there are some differences between male pattern of thinking and female one. However, I strongly believe that gender distinction should be banned. In the first place, setting some distinctions is not smart because it put unnecessary biases on your mind.
Q. Why do few take child-care leave in Japan?
A. The main cause of the problem is that few male workers take paternity leave. Only 2% of male workers in Japan take paternity leave, while about 80% of women take maternity leave. The major factor of it is the strongly rooted stereotype that females should do domestic tasks. Such an obsolete idea still exists in this country. Some people themselves are reluctant to get involved in parenting, and some people cannot take paternity leave because of a lack of understanding from their company. And the government has not yet taken efficient measures to ameliorate it.
Q. Agree or disagree: The system of couples' separate family names should be approved.
A. The system of couples’ dual surnames is now one of the controversial themes in Japan, it has been constantly debated in the Diet but has not been realized yet. Personally, I think that no decent problems will occur even if the system is legalized in Japan.
First of all, in any case, having more options is a positive thing. The system of married couples’ separate surnames does not force all married couples to do so. It just gives you another option about marriage. It will be convenient for those who use the system, and for those who don’t, nothing will change. That’s it. Since there are many people who want and need that system and there is no significant social risk in it, it should be allowed.
In addition, there is no rationale for the opposition’s opinions. They persistently argue that allowing couples to have separate surnames will lead to distracting values of traditional families and cause social chaos. However, no such reports, data, and evidence have been raised in overseas precedents. The opposition claims are full of mere imagination or stereotypes with no basis in fact. Such opinions should not take precedence over people’s right to choose.
