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本文
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a significant event in American history that played a crucial role in the lead-up to the American Revolution. The act, imposed by the British Parliament, required that various legal and commercial documents in the American colonies be printed on paper bearing an official stamp purchased from the authorities. The stamps were designed to generate revenue for the British government and help cover the costs of maintaining British troops stationed in the colonies.
The Stamp Act was met with widespread opposition and protest throughout the American colonies. Many colonists saw it as a direct violation of their rights as British subjects, particularly because they had no representation in Parliament and therefore no say in the imposition of such taxes. This sentiment was encapsulated by the famous slogan “No taxation without representation.”
Colonial opposition to the Stamp Act took various forms. The most notable was the organization of the Stamp Act Congress, which convened in New York in October 1765. Representatives from nine of the thirteen colonies gathered to draft a unified response to the act. The resulting “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” asserted that only colonial legislatures had the right to tax the colonies and that the Stamp Act was unconstitutional.
In addition to political resistance, the colonies also implemented economic boycotts of British goods. Merchants and businessmen refused to import British products, and many consumers pledged to abstain from purchasing British goods altogether. These non-importation agreements were highly effective in putting economic pressure on the British government and merchants.
The protests and boycotts eventually led to the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766. However, the British Parliament simultaneously passed the Declaratory Act, which asserted its authority to pass laws binding on the American colonies “in all cases whatsoever.” This move further escalated tensions between Britain and the colonies and set the stage for future conflicts.
The Stamp Act and the subsequent events surrounding it played a pivotal role in shaping colonial attitudes toward British rule and fueling the growing movement for independence. It demonstrated the colonists’ commitment to their rights and liberties and laid the groundwork for future acts of resistance against British authority. The lessons learned from the Stamp Act would resonate throughout the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.
In conclusion, the Stamp Act of 1765 was a tax imposed by the British Parliament on the American colonies that generated widespread opposition and protest. It ignited a sense of resistance and resentment among the colonists, who believed it violated their rights. The Stamp Act Congress and economic boycotts were key forms of opposition, leading to the eventual repeal of the act. However, the event set the stage for further conflicts and ultimately contributed to the path to American independence.
設問
- What was the main purpose of the Stamp Act imposed by the British Parliament?
A. To assert British authority over the American colonies
B. To encourage trade between Britain and the colonies
C. To generate revenue for the British government
D. To promote unity among the colonies - Why did many American colonists oppose the Stamp Act?
A. They believed it violated their rights as British subjects.
B. They wanted to assert their authority over the British government.
C. They saw it as an opportunity to generate revenue for their own governments.
D. They wanted to promote trade with other European countries. - What was the significance of the Stamp Act Congress?
A. It declared the colonies’ independence from Britain.
B. It drafted a unified response to the Stamp Act.
C. It organized economic boycotts of British goods.
D. It repealed the Stamp Act and established new taxation policies. - According to the “Declaration of Rights and Grievances,” who had the right to tax the colonies?
A. The British Parliament
B. The colonial legislatures
C. The Stamp Act Congress
D. The British monarch - How did the colonies respond economically to the Stamp Act?
A. They implemented economic boycotts of British goods.
B. They increased trade with other European countries.
C. They raised taxes on their own citizens.
D. They established their own printing presses. - What was the outcome of the protests and boycotts against the Stamp Act?
A. The British government increased taxation on the colonies.
B. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766.
C. The British Parliament granted representation to the American colonies.
D. The colonies declared independence from Britain. - What was the purpose of the Declaratory Act passed by the British Parliament?
A. To assert British authority over the American colonies
B. To repeal the Stamp Act and end taxation in the colonies
C. To grant representation to the American colonies in Parliament
D. To establish economic cooperation between Britain and the colonies - How did the Stamp Act contribute to the growing movement for American independence?
A. It demonstrated the colonists’ commitment to their rights and liberties.
B. It led to the establishment of colonial legislatures in the colonies.
C. It prompted the British government to increase taxation on the colonies.
D. It resulted in the formation of a unified colonial government. - What long-term impact did the Stamp Act have on American history?
A. It led to the immediate declaration of independence from Britain.
B. It laid the groundwork for future acts of resistance against British authority.
C. It established a strong alliance between Britain and the colonies.
D. It increased trade and economic prosperity in the American colonies. - What was the main goal of the American colonists in their opposition to the Stamp Act?
A. To gain representation in the British Parliament
B. To promote economic cooperation with Britain
C. To establish their own printing presses
D. To assert their rights and protest against taxation without representation
解答・解説
- What was the main purpose of the Stamp Act imposed by the British Parliament?
A. To assert British authority over the American colonies
B. To encourage trade between Britain and the colonies
C. To generate revenue for the British government
D. To promote unity among the colonies
Answer: C. To generate revenue for the British government
Explanation: The passage states that the Stamp Act was designed to generate revenue for the British government and help cover the costs of maintaining British troops stationed in the colonies.
- Why did many American colonists oppose the Stamp Act?
A. They believed it violated their rights as British subjects.
B. They wanted to assert their authority over the British government.
C. They saw it as an opportunity to generate revenue for their own governments.
D. They wanted to promote trade with other European countries.
Answer: A. They believed it violated their rights as British subjects.
Explanation: According to the passage, many colonists viewed the Stamp Act as a direct violation of their rights as British subjects, particularly because they had no representation in Parliament and therefore no say in the imposition of such taxes.
- What was the significance of the Stamp Act Congress?
A. It declared the colonies’ independence from Britain.
B. It drafted a unified response to the Stamp Act.
C. It organized economic boycotts of British goods.
D. It repealed the Stamp Act and established new taxation policies.
Answer: B. It drafted a unified response to the Stamp Act.
Explanation: The passage mentions that the Stamp Act Congress convened in New York in October 1765, and representatives from nine of the thirteen colonies gathered to draft a unified response to the act.
- According to the “Declaration of Rights and Grievances,” who had the right to tax the colonies?
A. The British Parliament
B. The colonial legislatures
C. The Stamp Act Congress
D. The British monarch
Answer: B. The colonial legislatures
Explanation: The passage states that the “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” asserted that only colonial legislatures had the right to tax the colonies.
- How did the colonies respond economically to the Stamp Act?
A. They implemented economic boycotts of British goods.
B. They increased trade with other European countries.
C. They raised taxes on their own citizens.
D. They established their own printing presses.
Answer: A. They implemented economic boycotts of British goods.
Explanation: The passage mentions that the colonies implemented economic boycotts of British goods as a form of opposition to the Stamp Act.
- What was the outcome of the protests and boycotts against the Stamp Act?
A. The British government increased taxation on the colonies.
B. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766.
C. The British Parliament granted representation to the American colonies.
D. The colonies declared independence from Britain.
Answer: B. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766.
Explanation: The passage states that the protests and boycotts eventually led to the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766.
- What was the purpose of the Declaratory Act passed by the British Parliament?
A. To assert British authority over the American colonies
B. To repeal the Stamp Act and end taxation in the colonies
C. To grant representation to the American colonies in Parliament
D. To establish economic cooperation between Britain and the colonies
Answer: A. To assert British authority over the American colonies
Explanation: The passage mentions that the British Parliament passed the Declaratory Act, which asserted its authority to pass laws binding on the American colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”
- How did the Stamp Act contribute to the growing movement for American independence?
A. It demonstrated the colonists’ commitment to their rights and liberties.
B. It led to the establishment of colonial legislatures in the colonies.
C. It prompted the British government to increase taxation on the colonies.
D. It resulted in the formation of a unified colonial government.
Answer: A. It demonstrated the colonists’ commitment to their rights and liberties.
Explanation: The passage states that the Stamp Act and its subsequent events played a pivotal role in shaping colonial attitudes toward British rule and fueling the growing movement for independence. It demonstrated the colonists’ commitment to their rights and liberties.
- What long-term impact did the Stamp Act have on American history?
A. It led to the immediate declaration of independence from Britain.
B. It laid the groundwork for future acts of resistance against British authority.
C. It established a strong alliance between Britain and the colonies.
D. It increased trade and economic prosperity in the American colonies.
Answer: B. It laid the groundwork for future acts of resistance against British authority.
Explanation: The passage mentions that the Stamp Act and its lessons resonated throughout the American Revolution and the formation of the United States, indicating that it laid the groundwork for future acts of resistance against British authority.
- What was the main goal of the American colonists in their opposition to the Stamp Act?
A. To gain representation in the British Parliament
B. To promote economic cooperation with Britain
C. To establish their own printing presses
D. To assert their rights and protest against taxation without representation
Answer: D. To assert their rights and protest against taxation without representation
Explanation: The passage highlights that the colonists’ opposition to the Stamp Act was based on their belief that it violated their rights as British subjects and their slogan “No taxation without representation” captures their goal of protesting against taxation without having a say in the matter.
本文の日本語訳
1765年の印紙条例は、アメリカ史において重要な出来事であり、アメリカ独立戦争への道筋を形作る上で重要な役割を果たしました。この法律は、イギリス議会によって課され、アメリカ植民地でのさまざまな法的および商業的文書が公的なスタンプが押された紙に印刷されることを義務付けました。これらのスタンプは、イギリス政府の収入を生み出し、植民地に駐留するイギリス軍の維持費用を賄うために設計されました。
印紙条例はアメリカ植民地全体で広範な反対と抗議を引き起こしました。多くの植民地人は、イギリスの被治者としての権利の直接的な侵害と見なしました。特に、彼らは議会に代表がおらず、そのためこのような税金の課され方に関与することができないという点でそのように考えました。この考えは「代表なき課税は許されない」という有名なスローガンに表現されました。
印紙条例への植民地の反対は、さまざまな形で現れました。最も注目すべきは、1765年10月にニューヨークで開催された印紙条例会議の組織です。13植民地のうち9つの植民地から代表が集まり、法律に対する統一した反応を起草しました。その結果として生まれた「権利と苦情宣言」は、植民地議会だけが植民地に課税する権利を持ち、印紙条例は違憲であると主張しました。
政治的な抵抗に加えて、植民地はイギリス製品の経済的なボイコットも実施しました。商人やビジネスマンはイギリス製品の輸入を拒否し、多くの消費者はイギリス製品の購入を避けることを誓いました。これらの非輸入協定は、イギリス政府と商人に経済的な圧力をかける効果的な手段でした。
抗議とボイコットは最終的に1766年に印紙条例の廃止につながりました。しかし、イギリス議会は同時に「宣言法」を可決しました。この法律は、イギリス議会が「いかなる場合でも」アメリカ植民地に適用される法律を制定する権限を主張しました。これにより、イギリスと植民地の間の緊張が一層高まり、将来の紛争の舞台が設定されました。
印紙条例とそれに続く出来事は、植民地のイギリス支配に対する態度を形作り、独立への成長する運動を助長する上で重要な役割を果たしました。これは、植民地人の権利と自由へのコミットメントを示し、イギリスの権威に対する抵抗の行動の基礎を築きました。スタンプ法から得られた教訓は、アメリカ独立戦争とアメリカ合衆国の形成において重要な影響を与えました。
結論として、1765年の印紙条例は、イギリス議会によってアメリカ植民地に課された税金であり、広範な反対と抗議を引き起こしました。これは、植民地人の権利を侵害するものだと考えられました。印紙条例会議と経済的なボイコットは反対の主要な形態であり、最終的に法律の廃止につながりました。しかし、この出来事はさらなる紛争の舞台を設定し、アメリカ独立の道に貢献しました。
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