1991/01（本試）
1991/01（本試）
It began when I was a 16-year-old high school student. I was reading a popular youth magazine when I noticed a list of addresses of young people from all over the world who were seeking pen pals in Japan. I had often seen boys and girls in my class receiving fat airmail envelopes from overseas. Having a pen pal was the fashion of the day. Why shouldn’t I get one, too? So I picked out the address of one “Margaret K.” in Boston and, remembering that a girl from my class had once told me young ladies like to read letters on pink paper, I went out to buy some.
“Dear Pen Pal,” I began, but then stopped. I was very nervous and really didn’t know how to continue or what to say. After much effort I finished the letter, though it didn’t even fill one page. The reply from faraway America came sooner than I had expected. “I was surprised to receive your letter,” Margaret wrote. “I don’t know how my address got into a magazine in Japan, because I have never asked for a pen pal, hut it’s so nice hearing from someone in such a fascinating country, and I look forward to corresponding with you.” I don’t know how many times I read that letter.
When writing to Margaret, I took care not to say anything that might upset her. While English came naturally to Margaret, for me it was a foreign language, so I Tote only about everyday matters. But somewhere in my heart there was a sense of romance which I dared not express. For her part, though Margaret wrote long letters, she revealed little about herself.
Big envelopes containing books, magazines, and other small gifts began to arrive. I had no doubt that Margaret was a rich American girl, and that she was as beautiful as her attractive gifts. I felt that our pen friendship was a great success. However, there was one thing I couldn’t get out of my mind. I knew it would be impolite to ask a girl her age, but thought it would be all right to ask her to send a picture. So I wrote the request and at last came the reply. Margaret said simply that she had no suitable pictures of herself at that time, but that she would send me one someday. She added that “the average American girl” was much nicer-looking than she was.
Years went by. Our letters became less frequent but we never lost touch. Meanwhile, I graduated from college, got a job, married and had children. I still hoped that I might be able to meet Margaret someday and that my family might also meet her.
Then, one day I received a large airmail envelope addressed in unfamiliar handwriting. It contained a few magazines and a note from a lady named Alice. “I’m very sorry to inform you,” the note said, “that Margaret died in an accident last month while she was driving home from church. We had been close friends for the past sixty years – ever since we were in high school together. Margaret often mentioned how happy she was to hear from you. Though she lived alone, she had many friends, and always tried to help others, both far and near.” There was also a photograph enclosed. Margaret had asked her friend to send it only in the case of her death. The face in the picture was one of great beauty and kindness. It was a face I would have loved even when I was still young and she was already quite old.
- What made the author decide to have a pen pal in a foreign country?
① He happened to receive a fat airmail envelope from abroad.
② He wanted to do the same as many of his classmates.
③ He wanted to have his address printed in a magazine.
④ He was urged to have one by a classmate. - How did the author obtain Margaret’s address?
① He found it in a popular magazine.
② He received it from one of his classmates.
③ He selected it from a list given by his teacher.
④ He wrote to a popular magazine for her address. - Why did the author ask Margaret for her picture?
① Because he thought it polite to ask for a picture.
② Because he wanted to know how old she was.
③ Because he wanted to show her picture to his classmates.
④ Because his classmates had pictures of their pen pals. - Why did Margaret’s friend write to the author?
① Because she had been asked by Margaret to send a photograph to the author after she died.
② Because she had been asked by Margaret to write to the author about their sixty-year friendship.
③ Because she thought it was the right thing to do, although Margaret had requested her not to.
④ Because she thought that she could take Margaret’s place as the author’s pen pal. - Why didn’t Margaret want the author to see her picture while she was alive?
① Because she believed herself to be just an average-looking girl.
② Because she did not have any pictures of herself.
③ Because she thought impolite for a boy to ask for a picture.
④ Because she thought it would spoil his image of her. - How did the author feel when he saw Margaret’s photograph?
① He felt that she looked just as he had imagined.
② He felt that she looked just as she had described herself in her letters.
③ He felt that she was too old for a high school boy.
④ He felt that she was very lovely though much older than he had expected.
