N3 Reading · Test 16

Option 1 is correct. The passage states two facts right before ①この状態: (1) the number of farmers has dropped to less than one-third (3分の1以下) compared to 40 years ago — a large decrease (大きく減って); and (2) over 60% of farmers are 65 or older (65歳以上のお年寄り) — more than half (半分以上). Option 1 accurately summarizes both points: farmers have greatly decreased, and more than half are elderly.

• 2This option says 'more than half are young people (若者),' which contradicts the passage. The passage clearly states 60%+ are elderly (お年寄り), not young people.
• 3This option says the number 'slightly decreased (少し減って),' but the passage says the number fell to less than one-third (3分の1以下), which is a drastic reduction, not a slight one.
• 4This option has two errors: it says 'slightly decreased' (should be a large decrease) and says 'the proportion of young people is increasing' (the passage says elderly people dominate, not young people).

• 状態じょうたい — state, condition, situation
• 減へる — to decrease, to be reduced
• お年寄り（おとしより） — elderly person, old person
• 3分の1（さんぶんのいち） — one-third

Option 4 is correct. The passage's third 工夫 (innovation) is '農業を教えること' (teaching agriculture): '土に触ったことが全然ないような人には、経験者が農業を一からきちんと教える' (experienced people properly teach agriculture from scratch to those who have never touched soil). Option 4, '経験がない人には、農業の基礎から教えるようにする' (teach the basics of agriculture to people with no experience), matches this perfectly. '一から' = '基礎から' (from the basics).

• 1This option describes the first 工夫 but is subtly wrong. The passage says the innovation is paying a FIXED/SAME salary every month (毎月同じ給料が払えるようにする). Option 1 only says '給料が払えるようにする' (can pay salary), omitting the crucial point that the salary amount is the same (同じ/決まった) each month. Without 'same/fixed,' it fails to capture the actual innovation.
• 2This option says 'grow only one kind of vegetable all year round (一種類の野菜を作り続ける),' but the passage says the opposite: they grow 'いろいろな種類の野菜' (various kinds of vegetables) so that if one fails, others can cover the loss.
• 3This option says 'everyone can rest on Saturdays and Sundays (土曜日と日曜日に休める),' but the passage says employees take different days off (みんな違う日に休みを取る) in rotation (順番に), not all on weekends together.

• 工夫くふう — device, innovation, clever method
• 一いちから — from the very beginning, from scratch
• 基礎きそ — basics, foundation
• 経験者けいけんしゃ — experienced person

Option 4 is correct. The passage states that あおぞら uses various innovations (いくつかの工夫) to create '若者も働きやすい環境' (an environment where young people can also work easily). The sentence immediately before the underlined portion says 'このような工夫は若者にも伝わり' (these innovations spread to/reached young people too), and the result is that many young people come to try agriculture. The fundamental reason is that あおぞら has built a work-friendly environment. Option 4, '仕事がしやすい環境を作っているから' (because they have created an environment where it is easy to work), captures this overall reason.

• 1This option says 'because you can take a lot of days off (休みをたくさん取ることができる).' The passage says employees take turns resting and that the days off are 'それほど多くはない' (not that many), but everyone can rest properly. So 'lots of days off' is inaccurate.
• 2This option says 'because they teach you company management methods (会社経営の方法を教えてもらえる).' The passage says あおぞら teaches agriculture (農業を一から教える), not company management. This is a misreading of the third 工夫.
• 3This option says 'because あおぞら protects the old way of doing agriculture (昔からの農業のやり方を守っている).' The passage says the opposite: あおぞら is a NEW form of agriculture (今までにない工夫, 新しい農業の形), not preserving traditional methods.

• チャレンジ（ちゃれんじ） — challenge, to take on a challenge
• 伝つたわる — to spread, to be conveyed, to become known
• 働はたらきやすい — easy to work (in/at)

Option 2 is correct. The passage begins by describing the current problematic state of Japanese agriculture (declining and aging workforce), then introduces a new company-based farming model with innovations that attract young people. The final sentence — 'そして、それは新しい農業の形として期待されている' (And it is expected as a new form of agriculture) — makes clear that the overall theme is about the future direction of agriculture. Option 2, 'これからの農業' (agriculture going forward / agriculture of the future), best captures this theme.

• 1'お年寄りと農業' (elderly people and agriculture) only covers the problem described in the first paragraph. The rest of the passage focuses on solutions and a new model, so this is too narrow.
• 3'家族で行う農業' (family-run agriculture) is mentioned only as the OLD model that あおぞら is moving away from (これまでのように家族で農業をするのではなく). It is not the theme of the passage.
• 4'経験者に教わる農業' (agriculture learned from experienced people) refers to just one of the three 工夫 (the third one). It is a detail, not the overall theme.

• テーマ（てーま） — theme, main topic
• これから — from now on, the future
• 期待きたいされる — to be expected, to be looked forward to