The passage states: 「私がいちばん大切にしているのは、表紙だ。絵や柄で選ぶ人もいるが、私は色で選ぶ。」(What I value most is the cover. Some people choose by design or pattern, but I choose by color.) The author explicitly says the cover (表紙) is most important, and specifically chooses by its color (色). Option 4, 「表紙の色」(the color of the cover), matches this perfectly.
1書きやすさ、見やすさ (ease of writing, ease of seeing) are mentioned as generally important factors, but the author says 「だが、私がいちばん大切にしているのは…」(But what I value most is…), shifting away from these. These are what people in general consider important, not what '私' values most.
2大きさ (size) is mentioned as 「大きさも大切な点だ」(size is also an important point), but again this is a general consideration, not what the author values most.
3表紙の絵や柄 (the design/pattern on the cover) is close but wrong. The passage says 「絵や柄で選ぶ人もいるが、私は色で選ぶ」(some people choose by design or pattern, but I choose by color), explicitly contrasting this with the author's own criterion.
表紙 — cover (of a book/notebook)
柄 — pattern, design
一般的に — generally, in general
2.「私」にとって、手帳はどのようなものか。
1いつも身近にあって、自分が家族や親友の次に大切にしているもの
2いつも身近にあって、自分の気持ちに影響を与えるもの
3いつも身近にあって、自分にきちんとした生活をさせてくれるもの
4いつも身近にあって、自分の生き方を示してくれるもの
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Answer: 2. いつも身近にあって、自分の気持ちに影響を与えるもの
The passage says: 「いつも手帳を持ち歩く私は、手帳の色に影響を受けていると感じることがある」(I, who always carry my planner around, sometimes feel that I am influenced by the planner's color). The author always keeps the planner close (いつも身近にあって) and is affected by its color (自分の気持ちに影響を与える). Option 2 captures both of these points accurately.
1The passage compares the planner to family and close friends in terms of time spent together (「手帳は家族や親友より、一緒にいる時間も長い」), but it never says the planner is the next most important thing after family/friends. This option distorts the comparison, which was only about time, not about importance.
3The passage never mentions that the planner helps the author live a well-organized or proper (きちんとした) life. This is not supported by the text.
4The passage does not say the planner shows or guides the author's way of life (生き方). The planner influences the author's mood through its color, but it does not serve as a model for how to live.
持ち歩く（もちあるく） — to carry around
影響を受ける（えいきょうをうける） — to be influenced/affected
身近 — close at hand, familiar
3.今年は手帳選びに時間がかかっているのはなぜか。
1時間に対する考え方が少し変わってきたから
2仕事に対する気持ちが少し変わってきたから
3ストレスに対する姿勢が少し変わってきたから
4色に対する感覚が少し変わってきたから
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Answer: 2. 仕事に対する気持ちが少し変わってきたから
The passage explains: 「30歳になり、もっと落ち着いた気持ちで仕事をしたいと思うようになってきたのだ」(I turned 30, and I've come to want to work with a calmer mindset). This is the reason the author is taking longer to choose a planner this year — their feelings about work have changed, wanting a calmer approach. Option 2, 「仕事に対する気持ちが少し変わってきたから」(because feelings about work have changed a little), matches this directly.
1The passage does not discuss any change in the author's thinking about time (時間). The phrase 「時間がかかっている」refers to taking a long time to choose, not a change in attitude toward time itself.
3The passage mentions the job is stressful (「ストレスのたまる仕事」), but it does not say the author's attitude or posture toward stress (ストレスに対する姿勢) has changed. The stressfulness of the job is presented as an ongoing fact, not something the author's stance on has shifted.
4The author is debating between energetic colors (red/yellow) and calming colors (black/brown), but the passage does not say their sensory perception of color (色に対する感覚) has changed. The dilemma stems from a change in work-related feelings, not a change in color perception.
落ち着いた（おちついた） — calm, settled
ストレスがたまる（すとれすがたまる） — stress builds up / to be stressed
なかなか〜ない — cannot easily / hard to (do something)
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