N1 Reading · Test 3

The passage describes diaries as extremely private records that the writer does not want others to read. Yet the diarist themselves acts as a 'strange reader' who, from a different standpoint, makes various considerations—worrying about what would happen if the diary were stolen and read by others or exposed after death. The contradiction (矛盾) is that the writer of a supposedly purely private diary is already anticipating the possibility of others reading it. Option 2, '日記の筆者が他人に読まれることを想定すること' (the diarist anticipating being read by others), correctly identifies this contradiction.

• 1他人に読まれる可能性のある日記に秘密を書き残すこと means 'leaving secrets written in a diary that might be read by others.' The contradiction is not about the act of writing secrets, but about the diarist imagining a readership in the first place, which contradicts the premise that a diary has no readers.
• 3日記は筆者しか読まないのに、他人にも読みやすく書くこと means 'although only the writer reads the diary, writing it in a way that is easy for others to read.' The passage never says the diarist writes in a way that is easy for others to read; this is not supported by the text.
• 4日記は私的なものなのに、他人に自由に読まれるかもしれないこと means 'although the diary is private, it might be freely read by others.' This describes a factual situation, not the contradiction the author points out. The contradiction lies in the diarist's own mental stance of anticipating readers, not in the mere possibility of the diary being read.

• 限りなく私的な記録（かぎりなくしててきなきろく） — an extremely private record
• 配慮を働かす（はいりょをはたらかす） — to exercise consideration/care
• 盗み読む（ぬすみよむ） — to read secretly (someone else's diary, letter, etc.)
• 矛盾むじゅん — contradiction

The passage states: '最初のうちは、筆が多くなるものなんです。描きたいという気持ちが強いだけに、まだ足りない、まだ足りないという気になって、どんどん描きだしてしまう。' This means that when the author first started painting, the desire to paint was so strong that they kept feeling 'not enough, not enough' and kept adding more and more brushstrokes. Option 4, '描きたいという感情に任せて描き足していた' (kept adding to the painting driven by the desire to paint), accurately captures this description.

• 1筆の進め方を身につけようと思って描いていた means 'painting with the intention of mastering brush technique.' The passage does not mention trying to learn brush technique; it describes being driven by the strong desire to paint.
• 2筆を進めすぎないように心掛けて描いていた means 'painting while being careful not to overdo the brushwork.' This is the opposite of what the passage describes—the author says they did NOT try to hold back ('それを無理してセーブすることはない').
• 3描きたい気持ちを抑えながらも描き足していた means 'adding to the painting while suppressing the desire to paint.' The passage explicitly says the author did not force themselves to hold back, so suppressing the desire is incorrect.

• 筆の止めどころ（ふでのとめどころ） — the right place to stop the brush; knowing when to stop painting
• セーブする（せーぶする） — to hold back; to restrain oneself
• とことん — to the very end; as far as one can go

The passage explains the reasoning with the analogy of eating: '一回とことんやってみることで、抑えることや、行きすぎないことの良さが初めてわかるものですからね' (By going all the way once, you can for the first time understand the value of restraining yourself and not going too far). The reason to go all the way (とことん行く) is that only by experiencing the extreme can you learn the importance of moderation. Option 3, '描きすぎないことの大切さがわかるから' (because you come to understand the importance of not over-painting), matches this reasoning.

• 1描きたい気持ちがどのくらいかがわかるから means 'because you understand how strong your desire to paint is.' The passage does not mention measuring the intensity of one's desire; it focuses on learning moderation.
• 2描きたいものが何なのかがわかるから means 'because you understand what it is you want to paint.' The passage does not discuss discovering what you want to paint; it discusses learning when to stop.
• 4描き加えることの楽しさがわかるから means 'because you understand the joy of adding to the painting.' The passage's point is the opposite—it is about learning the value of restraint, not the pleasure of adding more.

• とことん行く（とことんいく） — to go all the way; to push to the limit
• 加減かげん — moderation; the right degree
• 満腹感まんぷくかん — feeling of fullness
• 行いきすぎない — not going too far; not overdoing

The passage explains that when the painter objectively views the work and thinks 'here is not enough, there is not enough' and keeps adding, it becomes different from honestly expressing how they saw and felt. This results in '絵を説明してしまう' (ending up explaining the painting), making the painting 'うるさい' (noisy/cluttered). The author also says one must not '解説する' (provide commentary on) one's straightforward feelings. Option 4, '絵を客観的に見て描き足しすぎるので、感じたままの気持ちが表現されなくなる' (because one looks at the painting objectively and adds too much, the feelings as experienced are no longer expressed), captures the author's negative view of this phenomenon.

• 1絵を思いのままに描き足しすぎるので、絵に面白みがなくなる means 'because one adds too much to the painting as one pleases, the painting loses its interest.' The passage does not mention '面白みがなくなる' (losing interest); it says the painting becomes 'うるさい' (cluttered/noisy), and the core issue is that honest expression is lost, not that interest disappears.
• 2絵を描きたいという気持ちを抑えるので、表現が素直でなくなる means 'because one suppresses the desire to paint, the expression becomes less honest.' The passage is not about suppressing the desire to paint; it is about over-adding through objective judgment, which is a different issue.
• 3絵を客観的な視点で描くので、見る人にあまり感動を与えられなくなる means 'because one paints from an objective viewpoint, one cannot move the viewer much.' The passage does not discuss the viewer's emotional response (感動); it focuses on the painter's own honest feelings not being expressed.

• 対峙たいじする — to face; to confront
• モチーフ（もちーふ） — motif; subject matter
• うるさくなる — to become noisy/cluttered (visually busy)
• 解説かいせつする — to provide commentary; to explain