先日、今年の共通テストのリーディング第5問について批判的な記事を書きましたが、私はセンター試験の問題に戻せなどとは全く考えていないので、共通テストを批判する人を十把一絡げにしてラベルを貼るのは勘弁してくださいね。
拙ブログでも、第5問を取り上げていますが、苦言を呈しているのは、長文化でもスキスキ大好きでもありませんから。https://t.co/SQ52IVel3G
— Takashi “即時停戦” Matsui (@tmrowing) 2024年1月22日
ムダに長い物語文や説明文も、語彙や構文をコントロールしなければならない制約を考えると仕方がないとは思いますが、
- 長かったけど、まあ、面白かった。
- 今まで、知らなかったことが知れて良かった。
くらいのお土産がないと、辛抱してお付き合いする甲斐がない気がします。
ということで、ChatGPTとコラボで、ムダに長い「お話」を作りましたので、精神衛生の良い状態のときに読むことをお奨めします。
- 怒り心頭
という事態は避けたいので。よろしくお願いします。
設問はつけていませんが、センター試験や共通テストの長文化を意識して、それらのテストでこれまでに出題されていないくらいムダに長くしています。
- 約1300語！
ChatGPTさんとは、何度もやりとりしてこの形に落ち着きました。
CambridgeのTextInspectorでのスコアカードでは、リーディングの文章としては、全体でCEFRのB1レベルとのことです。
いまは無きセンター試験の2019年本試験の第5問はこんなスコアでした。
リーダビリティの指標などはこちら。
EVPでの語彙レベルをCEFRのランクで。 我ながらというかChatGPTながらというか、良いバランスに納めたと思いますよ。
参考までに2019本試験第5問は…
メタディスコース。語彙レベルを抑えると、語彙的結束性に頼り難くなる分、過剰使用を余儀なくされるつなぎ語が出てきます。
という先入観をしっかりと持ってもらった上で、以下の「お話」をお読みください。
2024年1月26日の Ver.1です。今後進化するChatGPTとの共同作業で改訂版としてよりよい「お話」に育てていければと思っています。
本日のBGM： Tonya Harding (Sufjan Stevens)
Different countries and regions have different ways of speaking English, but the way they write English is mostly the same. However, there are some important differences in spelling between British and American English. For example, the British word “vapour” is spelled as “vapor” in American English. This is also true for other words like “favour” and “favor,” “flavour” and “flavor,” “endeavour” and “endeavor,” and “rumour” and “rumor.”
Because of these spelling differences, it makes sense to think that VapoRub is a product of an American company. Despite its current ownership by the American company P&G, the story of how VapoRub was made is more complicated than that.
VapoRub, first launched in 1905, was the product of Richardson-Vicks, Inc., a family-owned business based in North Carolina. In 1985, the company was bought by Procter & Gamble, a multinational corporation whose founders, William Procter and James Gamble, emigrated from England and Ireland respectively.
Today, the name Richardson no longer remains even in the product name. One would have to look at the background and accomplishments of Richardson to see how an American company came up with the naming of the VapoRub.
In Selma, North Carolina, there was a young man who worked as a pharmacist. His name was Lunsford Richardson, and he loved to make new medicines for common problems. He had learned from his teacher, Jules Bengué, a French pharmacist who had made Ben-Gay, a popular cream for pain relief. Lunsford admired Jules' skill and creativity, and wanted to follow in his footsteps.
One day, Lunsford got a letter from his brother-in-law, Joshua Vick, a physician who worked in a nearby town. Joshua wrote that he had heard of a new invention that could change medicine: a machine that could make electric sparks and heat. Joshua invited Lunsford to come and see the machine for himself.
Lunsford was curious about the invitation, and decided to go to Joshua's laboratory. Joshua's workshop was full of machines and noise. There, he saw a big metal coil. Joshua called him to come closer.
Joshua: Lunsford, my friend, look at this amazing thing - the Tesla coil. It was made by Nikola Tesla, an incredibly smart Serbian-American scientist.
Lunsford: (curious) Tesla coil?
Joshua: Yes. It makes electricity that changes very fast, and it can be used for many things in medicine and science.
Lunsford was very interested, and he wanted to know more.
Lunsford: Joshua, this is wonderful. Can I use it for my experiments?
Joshua: (smiling) Sure, Lunsford. My lab is yours.
Lunsford started to explore with excitement. He thought about what the Tesla coil could show him about his own things. Ben-Gay, for example.
In the quiet lab, Lunsford put some cream on a cloth, and put it near the Tesla coil.
Lunsford: Let's find out the secrets.
The machine started to work, and the air smelled like menthol. Lunsford, with big eyes, felt a nice warmth in his senses.
Lunsford: (astonished) Joshua, it's changing the menthol into gas!
Joshua: (proudly) Exactly! The Tesla coil has turned the menthol into vapor, making a calming effect on your breathing system.
Lunsford took a deep breath, and understood the Tesla coil's magic - a relaxing mist, a beautiful mix of invention, medicine and science.
Lunsford was amazed by what he found, and wondered if he could use it to make a new medicine for colds and coughs. He decided to mix some menthol with petroleum jelly, a thing that he had used to make candles. He hoped that the petroleum jelly would help the menthol get into the skin or the air. He called his new product Richardson's Croup and Pneumonia Cure Salve, and started to sell it in his pharmacy.
The salve was very popular among his customers, who said it worked well and was easy to use. Lunsford got many messages from people who had used his salve to help their symptoms, and said that it had made them better. Lunsford was very happy with the good feedback, and decided to make his business bigger.
Lunsford turned to Joshua for help. He held a small tin in his hand, containing his homemade cream.
Lunsford: Joshua, I need your help. I have a great product here, but I don't know how to sell it. It's a salve that can help with colds and coughs. It has menthol and other natural ingredients.
Joshua: Let me see. (He takes the tin and opens it. He smells the cream and nods.) It smells good. What do you call it?
Lunsford: Well, I don't have a good name for it yet. I just call it Lunsford's Salve.
Joshua: (shakes his head) No, no, no. That won't do. You need a catchy name, something that people will remember and trust. Something that sounds American.
Lunsford: American? Why?
Joshua: Because we are in America, my friend. And Americans love things that are made in America. They are proud of their country and their culture. They want to buy things that reflect that.
Lunsford: I see. But what kind of name should I use?
Joshua: Well, how about using my last name, Vick? It's short and simple, and it sounds good. It's easy to say and spell. And it has a nice ring to it.
Lunsford: Vick? Hmm, I like it. But what about the salve part?
Joshua: Oh, that's another thing. You should change that word too. Salve sounds old-fashioned and boring. You should use something more modern and exciting. Something that shows how to use it and what it does.
Lunsford: Like what?
Joshua: Like rub. Rub is a good word. It's a verb, so it shows action and movement. It's also a noun, so it describes the product. And it implies relief and comfort. When you rub something, you make it feel better.
Lunsford: Rub. I see. That does sound better.
Joshua: So, let's put them together. Vick's Rub. How does that sound?
Lunsford: (thinks for a moment) It sounds good, but it's missing something. It needs a little more flair.
Joshua: Flair? What do you mean?
Lunsford: Well, you know how the cream has menthol in it, right? And how it makes a vapor when you heat it up?
Joshua: Yes.
Lunsford: Well, how about adding that word to the name? Vapor. It sounds cool and mysterious. And it shows the effect of the product. It makes you breathe easier and feel refreshed.
Joshua: Vapor. I like it. It adds some spice to the name. So, let's see. Vick's Vapor Rub. How does that sound?
Lunsford: (smiles) It sounds perfect. It's catchy, easy to remember, and American. It's the best name for the best product.
Joshua: (smiles back) I'm glad you like it. Now, let's go and sell it. I'm sure people will love it.
Lunsford: Thank you, Joshua. You're a genius.
Joshua: No, thank you, Lunsford. You're a friend.
Then, Lunsford made the name official, and started to make Vicks VapoRub in large quantities. He also made a special blue jar with a red lid, which became the famous look of the product. He sent Vicks VapoRub to pharmacies and shops across the country, and soon, it became a name that everyone knew.
Vicks VapoRub was a success story that spanned decades and continents. It was a product that was born from a combination of curiosity, innovation, and collaboration. It was a product that was inspired by a French pharmacist, a Serbian-American engineer, and a North Carolina physician. It was a product that was made by an American pharmacist, who had a dream to make a medicine that could help millions of people. It was a product that was named after a family, who had a legacy of excellence and generosity. It was a product that was Vicks VapoRub.
