Western clothes have buttons on the right for men. This is convenient because the majority of men are right-handed*. It is easier for them to use the right hand when buttoning up. Why, then, do women’s clothes have buttons on the left, even though most women are also right-handed? Is this a kind of discrimination? In fact, there is a reason why women’s buttons are on that side. In the past, buttons were quite expensive and only very rich people could afford them. Women in such wealthy families had servants who dressed them. Therefore, to make it easier for the servants, buttons were put on the left.

問1　Why do women’s western clothes have buttons on the left?

Western clothes have buttons on the right for men. This is convenient because the majority of men are right-handed*. It is easier for them to use the right hand when buttoning up. Why, then, do women’s clothes have buttons on the left, even though most women are also right-handed? Is this a kind of discrimination? In fact, there is a reason why women’s buttons are on that side. In the past, buttons were quite expensive and only very rich people could afford them. Women in such wealthy families had servants who dressed them. Therefore, to make it easier for the servants, buttons were put on the left.

問2　Which two of the sentences below are true?

When English-speaking people talk about “hot” food, are they saying the food is spicy like curry, or are they talking about its temperature, as in “hot” coffee? These two different meanings of “hot” may seem confusing to Japanese students, but as a matter of fact, the word is the right one for describing the way the body responds to spice and heat. A simple explanation would go something like this: when we eat or drink, the same nerves in the mouth react both to spicy chemicals in the food and to a rise in temperature. The English expression, therefore, reflects this fact about the human body.

問1　Which selection below is an example of the two different meanings of “hot?”