長文読解（物語・対話）

Story 1: The Lost Map（約145語）

Maya found an old folded map in her grandmother’s desk drawer. The ink was pale, but she could still read a tiny park drawn near the station. When she walked there after school, she saw only shops and a narrow street where children once played. Disappointed, she asked a shop owner who was arranging flowers outside. The woman smiled and said, “That park became this flower shop many years ago. Your grandmother used to sit under the tree that stood here and share snacks with neighbors.” Maya bought a small plant, placed it by the window at home, and wrote a short note: “The park lives here.” Looking at the green leaves, she felt less sad. The map had not lied; the place had simply changed its shape, and now Maya could keep a piece of that memory alive in her daily life.

Dialogue 1: Piano Practice（約125語）

Ken: I practiced the piano for two hours yesterday, but I still make the same mistakes in the middle of the song. I feel like the practice is useless.
Lia: Mistakes are not the end. They show you what to fix next. Why don’t you record one song and listen carefully?
Ken: That sounds scary. I don’t want to hear my own errors on a recording.
Lia: Start with only thirty seconds. Small steps work better than long, tired practice that leaves you discouraged.
Ken: Thirty seconds… all right. I’ll try tonight, but only if you promise not to laugh.
Lia: I won’t laugh. I’ll help you mark the difficult bars with a pencil. Then tomorrow we can practice those parts slowly together before the next lesson.

Story 2: Night Bus（約145語）

On a crowded night bus, Riku gave his seat to an elderly man who was holding a thin fishing bag. The man thanked him softly and began talking about fishing with his grandson by the river every summer. Riku listened, even though he felt sleepy after club practice and wanted only to close his eyes. When Riku’s stop came, the man pressed a small paper crane into his hand and whispered, “For your kindness.” Riku kept the crane in his wallet for years. Whenever he opened it before a difficult test or a long trip, he remembered that quiet conversation and the man’s gentle voice. He did not become famous for that night, but he often chose to stand so that someone else could sit. The crane was light, yet it reminded him that a small choice can travel farther than one bus ride.

Story 3: The Spare Key（約240語）

After the school festival, Hana stayed late to wash paintbrushes in the art room. When she finally locked the door, she realized her house key was missing. She searched her bag twice, then checked the hallway floor. Nothing. Her phone battery was almost dead, so she could not call for long. Feeling her face grow hot, she walked to the staff room and explained the situation to Mr. Sato, the teacher on duty.

Mr. Sato did not scold her. He lent her the office phone and waited while she spoke to her mother. “There is a spare key under the flowerpot,” her mother said, “but come home carefully.” On the way, Hana kept thinking about how careless she had been. Near the gate she found her own key stuck between two textbooks in a side pocket she rarely used. She laughed once, then felt embarrassed again.

The next morning she returned early, thanked Mr. Sato, and offered to help clean the art sinks for a week. He smiled and said, “Learning to ask for help is also part of growing up.” Hana still felt shy, but she wrote the words in her notebook. Weeks later, when a younger student lost a train pass, Hana walked with him to the office instead of saying only “That’s too bad.” The spare key at home had solved one night, yet the real change was that Hana stopped treating trouble as something she had to hide.