センター試験物語文を速読する-2020年

　2020年センター試験の第5問です。語数はおよそ650語。単語も文章も平易で分かりやすい長文です。５分以内に読んでみましょう。

　A couple of weeks ago, I was hiking with my dog on a mountain when something unexpected happened and I lost sight of him. I looked and looked but couldn’t find him. He had been with me for so long that it was like I was missing part of my soul.
　Ever since that day, I had a strange feeling. It was beyond sadness – a feeling that I didn’t quite understand, as if something were pulling me to go back to the mountain. So every chance I got, I grabbed my backpack to see if the mountain could offer me some sense of relief.

　One sunny morning, I stood at the foot of the mountain. Something felt different this day. “Please forgive me,” I said out loud. “I’ll find you!” I took a deep breath and began my journey with this mysterious pull growing stronger. After making my way along paths I thought I knew well, I realized I was somehow in an unfamiliar place. I panicked a little, lost my footing, and slipped. From out of nowhere, an elderly man came running towards me and helped me up.

　Looking at his gentle, smiling face, I felt a sense of ease. The old man said he was looking for a way to the top of the mountain, so we decided to climb together.

　Soon the path began to feel familiar again. We talked about many things, including my dog. I told him that he was a German shepherd. When he was younger, he served briefly as a police dog but had to stop due to an injury. The man let out a laugh saying he had been a police officer for a short time, but he quit. He didn’t say why. Later, he spent a long time as a bodyguard. He also had German roots. We laughed at these similarities.

　Before we knew it, we reached a large open area and took a break. I told the man what had happened to my dog. “He had a tiny bell on his collar to scare away bears. We came to this very spot and saw a bear. It was looking back at us. I should have held my dog because, sensing danger, he chased after the bear. I couldn’t find him after that. I should have been more careful.”

　As I was telling the story, the man’s expression changed. “It wasn’t your fault. Your dog just wanted to keep you safe,” he said. “I’m sure Tomo would want to tell you this. Also, thank you for not giving up.” Tomo is my dog’s name. Did I tell him this? The old man’s comment rang in the air.

　Before I could ask anything, the man proposed we hurry to get to the top of the mountain. I was planning to do this with my dog a few weeks ago. After two more hours of hiking, we reached the peak. I set down my backpack and we sat taking in the magnificent view. The old man looked at me and said, “Mountains offer truly magical experiences.”

　I looked around for a place to rest. I guess I was pretty tired, because I fell asleep right away. When I woke up, I noticed that the old man had disappeared. I waited, but he never returned.

　Suddenly, in the sunlight, something caught my eye. I walked over and saw a small metal tag beside my backpack. It was the same silver name tag that my parents originally gave to my dog. Tomo it said.

　It was then that I heard a familiar noise behind me. It was the ringing of a tiny bell. I turned around. What I saw caused so many emotions to rush over me.

　After a while on the mountaintop, I attached the name tag to my old friend and carefully made my way home with the mountain’s gift beside me. My soul felt very much complete.