Year 2024
Otsuma Nakano Junior High School
Entrance Exam
October 21, 2023

EnglishAttention:
1. This test has two reading tasks and one essay writing task.
2. Write your name and your application ID number on the booklet and your answer sheet.
3. The test duration time is 40 minutes.
4. Write your answers on your answer sheet.
5. The full score scale of this test is 60 points.

Application

Name inID. No.

Kanji

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1-A. Reading
Instructions: Read the passage carefully. Answer each question by choosing the correct letter.

The Greek Philosopher, Aristotle

Aristotle lived long ago. He was born in a colony controlled by Greece approximately 350 B.C.
His father, Nichomachus, was a physician for the king Macedonia. Unfortunately, Nichomachus
died when Aristotle was quite young. He was sent to Athens when he was seventeen years ofage. Athens was a center of learning and he joined the Academy and studied for twenty years
under Plato, who was the foremost philosopher and teacher of that time. When Plato died
Aristotle left Athens and went to Mysia, where he taught for three years in the king’s court andmarried the king’s daughter Pythias. They had a daughter and Pythias died when she was ayoung woman. Some writers claim that Philip, king of Macedonia, invited him to come and teachhis son Alexander, who was thirteen years old at that time. He tutored him for five years. Thissame Alexander would later go on to conquer the then-known world. He returned to Athens.
Aristotle set up his own school, the Lyceum, he would teach there for thirteen years. The school
he started continued for more than two hundred years. Aristotle was a genius. He studied
several different subjects such as science, vegetation, animals, the human body, weather, theearth, the heavens, politics, government, ethics, and philosophy. He taught moderation, urging
his students to follow the middle of the road between extremes. He defined morality as theattitude of the mind that promotes human growth. Aristotle thought common men of goodness
were able to control themselves. He died soon afterward in 322 B.C. at 62 years of age.

1.

In which Greek colony was Aristotle born?
a.
Macedoniab.
Mysiac.
Athensd.
The colony isn’t stated.

22. What was his occupation in Mysia?
a.
He was a teacher for three years.
b.
He played on a court in Mysia.
c.
He became friends with the king.
d.
He studied under Plato.

3.

In line 7 what does the pronoun they refer to?
a.
b.
c.
d.

4.

Aristotle and Plato
Aristotle and his wife
Aristotle’s wife and the child
The king and Pythias

In which city did Aristotle establish his school?
a.
b.
c.
d.

5.

LyceumMysia
AthensThe king’s court

Aristotle urged his students to follow___.
a.
b.
c.
d.

a few subjects
moderationcommon men
promotion3

1-B. Reading
Instructions: Read the passage carefully. Answer each question by choosing the correct letter.

Once in a Blue Moon
Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “once in a blue moon?” People use thisexpression to describe something that they do not do very often. For example, someone might
say that he tries to avoid eating sweets because they are unhealthy, but will eat chocolate “oncein a blue moon.” Or someone who does not usually like to go to the beach might say “I visit theshore once in a blue moon.” While many people use this phrase, not everyone knows themeaning behind it.
The first thing to know is that the moon itself is never actually blue. This is just an expression.
The phrase “blue moon” actually has to do with the shape of the moon, not the color.
As the moon travels around the earth, it appears to change shape. We associate certain nameswith certain shapes of the moon. For example, when we can see a small part of the moon, it iscalled a crescent moon. A crescent is a shape that looks like the tip of a fingernail. When wecannot see the moon at all, it is called a new moon. When we can see the entire moon, it is calleda full moon. Usually, there is only one full moon every month. Sometimes, however, there will be
two full moons in one month. When this happens, the second full moon is called a “blue moon.”Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons. As you can see, a blue moon is a veryrare event. This fact has led people to use the expression “once in a blue moon” to describe othervery rare events in their lives.

1. Which of the following would be a good example of someone doing something “once in a bluemoon”?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Mary likes to go to the mountains every weekend.
Tom rarely remembers to take out the trash.
Cindy hates to wash the dishes, nevertheless, she does it every day.
Mike sometimes forgets to do his homework.

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2.

When does a blue moon happen in nature?
a.
b.
c.
d.

3.

Using the passage as a guide, which of the following sentences does NOT contain an
idiomatic expression?
a.
b.
c.
d.

4.

when there are two full moons in one monthwhen the moon has a blue color
when we cannot see the moon at allwhen we can only see a small part of the moonThomas has lost his mind.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
I’ll paint the house this summer.
The English exam was a piece of cake.

In the final paragraph, the author says: “During the next 20 years, there will be only 15 bluemoons.” This means that during the next 20 years, a blue moon will happen___.
a.
b.
c.
d.

5.

once a year
less than once a year
more than once a year
not enough information is provided

In the final sentence, which is the opposite of rare?
a.
b.
c.
d.

infrequent
strangecolorfulcommon52. Writing
The purpose of this essay is to test your ability to write in English.
Instructions:
Read the following writing prompt and answer the question in English (100-150 words):
If you could be any animal for a day, which animal would you choose to be and why?
Please give three reasons.

You may use the space below to plan your essay.

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