EigoPro 2級 読解 — Why Forests Matter

Why Forests Matter Forests cover about a third of the world's land, and they do far more for us than provide wood and pleasant places to walk. In fact, the health of the world's forests is closely tied to the health of the entire planet. Scientists sometimes call them the "lungs of the Earth," and the comparison is more accurate than many people realise. Like all green plants, trees take in carbon dioxide and release the oxygen that animals, including humans, need to breathe. Just as importantly, by absorbing carbon dioxide, forests help to control the gas that is a major cause of climate change. They also do quiet, practical work: their roots hold the soil in place and prevent it from being washed away, while their leaves slow heavy rain and reduce the risk of floods. On top of this, forests are home to a huge variety of living things — more than half of all land animals and plants are thought to live in them. Despite all these benefits, forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Every year, large areas are cut down to create farmland, to produce timber, or to make space for towns and roads. When a forest is destroyed, the animals that depend on it lose their homes, the soil is quickly worn away, and the carbon the trees once stored is released back into the air, making climate change worse. The good news is that forests can recover if we give them a chance. Around the world, governments and ordinary people are planting millions of new trees and protecting the forests that remain. Such efforts will not bring back what has already been lost overnight, but they show that the damage can be slowed and, in time, even reversed. Protecting forests, scientists remind us, is not only about saving trees — it is about protecting the future of life on Earth.

5問合格 60%以上普通

新規登録 または ログイン が必要です

この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

2級 · 読解 · 全5問

問 1

What is the main idea of the passage?

  • Forests are growing larger almost everywhere today.
  • Forests have almost no effect on the wider environment.
  • Forests are vital to the whole planet, so their loss is a serious problem we must address.
  • Forests are only useful as places for people to walk.
Phrase

the health of the world's forests is closely tied to the health of the entire planet

森の健康は地球全体の健康に密接に結びつく

2級読解環境記事主旨
⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「森は木材や散歩の場以上に、酸素・気候・土壌・生物多様性で地球全体に不可欠であり、その消失は深刻な問題」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Forests are vital to the whole planet, so their loss is a serious problem we must address.」

正解

第1段落 "the health of the world's forests is closely tied to the health of the entire planet" と "lungs of the Earth" が主旨。記事は森の役割 → 脅威 → 回復の希望、と展開。be tied to ~ = 「〜に結びつく」、do more than ~ = 「〜以上のことをする」。

  • 「Forests are only useful as quiet places where people can go walking and relax.」

    = 散歩の場としてだけ有用 ━ 本文 "far more for us than ... pleasant places to walk" と矛盾。

  • 「Forests have almost no effect on the wider environment or on the climate.」

    = 広い環境にほぼ無影響 ━ 本文 "closely tied to the health of the entire planet" と逆。

  • 「Forests are growing larger almost everywhere, so their loss is not a problem.」

    = 今やほぼ全地で拡大中 ━ 本文 "disappearing at an alarming rate" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
do more than ~〜以上のことをするdo far more ... than
be tied to ~〜に結びつくtied to the health of the planet
the lungs of the Earth地球の肺the 'lungs of the Earth'
cover ~ of the land陸地の〜を覆うcover about a third of the land
more accurate than ~〜より正確more accurate than ... realise
❝例文

  • Forests do more than provide wood.

    森は木材を供給する以上のことをする。

  • Their health is tied to the planet's.

    その健康は地球の健康に結びつく。

  • They are called the lungs of the Earth.

    それらは地球の肺と呼ばれる。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― "do far more ... than X" + "tied to the health of the entire planet" が主旨。誤答は本文が否定する点 (散歩の場だけ / 無影響) や逆 (拡大中) で誘導。地球全体への重要性 + 消失問題を含む選択肢が正解。

問 2

According to the passage, what do forests do for the planet?

  • Very few animals or plants can live in forests.
  • They release carbon dioxide and take in oxygen.
  • Their roots wash the soil away during heavy rain.
  • They make oxygen, absorb CO2, hold soil, reduce floods, and shelter many species.
Phrase

release oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, roots hold soil, leaves slow rain, home to living things

酸素放出・CO2吸収・根が土を保持・葉が雨を弱め・生物の住処

2級読解環境記事詳細 (森の役割)
⚡ひとことで

森の役割: CO2を吸収し酸素を放出、気候変動の原因ガスを抑制、根が土壌を保持し葉が豪雨を弱め洪水を防ぎ、陸上生物の半数以上の住処。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「They make oxygen, absorb CO2, hold soil, reduce floods, and shelter many species.」

正解

第2段落 "take in carbon dioxide and release the oxygen" / "absorbing carbon dioxide, forests help to control the gas ... of climate change" / "their roots hold the soil ... their leaves slow heavy rain and reduce the risk of floods" / "home to a huge variety of living things" より、役割 = 酸素放出・CO2吸収・土壌保持・洪水抑制・生物の住処。take in ~ = 「〜を取り込む」、hold ~ in place = 「〜を固定する」。

  • 「They release carbon dioxide into the air and take in oxygen from the soil.」

    = CO2を放出し酸素を取り込む ━ 本文 "take in carbon dioxide and release ... oxygen" と逆。

  • 「Their roots wash the soil away and cause floods whenever heavy rain falls.」

    = 根が豪雨で土を流す ━ 本文 "hold the soil ... prevent it from being washed away" と逆。

  • 「Very few animals or plants are able to live inside the world's forests.」

    = 森に住む動植物はごく僅か ━ 本文 "more than half of all land animals and plants" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
take in ~〜を取り込むtake in carbon dioxide
release ~〜を放出するrelease the oxygen
hold ~ in place〜を固定するhold the soil in place
reduce the risk of ~〜の危険を減らすreduce the risk of floods
be home to ~〜の住処であるhome to a huge variety
❝例文

  • Trees take in CO2 and release oxygen.

    木はCO2を吸い酸素を出す。

  • Roots hold the soil in place.

    根は土壌を固定する。

  • Forests are home to many species.

    森は多くの種の住処だ。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

役割設問の鉄則 ―― 第2段落の働きの列挙 (oxygen/CO2/soil/floods/habitat) を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (CO2放出/酸素吸収、土を流す、僅かしか住めない) で誘導。take in CO2 / release oxygen の方向に注意。

問 3

What happens when forests are destroyed?

  • Forests are now protected everywhere and never cut down.
  • Destroyed forests give animals better and safer homes.
  • Forests are cut down, so animals lose homes, soil erodes, and stored carbon is released.
  • Cutting forests has no effect on the world's climate.
Phrase

cut down for farmland, timber, towns; animals lose homes, soil worn away, carbon released

農地・木材・町のため伐採、動物が住処を失い土壌流失、炭素放出

2級読解環境記事詳細 (脅威影響)
⚡ひとことで

脅威: 毎年広大な森が農地・木材・町や道路のため伐採される。破壊されると動物が住処を失い、土壌が流失し、蓄えた炭素が大気に戻り気候変動を悪化させる。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Forests are cut down, so animals lose homes, soil erodes, and stored carbon is released.」

正解

第3段落 "large areas are cut down to create farmland, to produce timber, or to make space for towns" と "the animals ... lose their homes, the soil is quickly worn away, and the carbon the trees once stored is released ... making climate change worse" より、脅威と影響 = 伐採 → 住処喪失・土壌流失・炭素放出 (気候変動悪化)。cut down = 「伐採する」、be worn away = 「侵食される」。

  • 「Cutting down forests has no effect on the world's climate or on the soil beneath.」

    = 伐採は気候に無影響 ━ 本文 "making climate change worse" と矛盾。

  • 「Destroyed forests give the animals that lived there better and safer homes.」

    = 破壊された森は動物に良い住処を与える ━ 本文 "lose their homes" と逆。

  • 「Forests are now protected everywhere in the world and are never cut down at all.」

    = 森は今やどこでも保護され伐採されない ━ 本文 "disappearing at an alarming rate" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
cut down伐採するcut down to create farmland
make space for ~〜のための場所を作るmake space for towns
be worn away侵食されるthe soil is ... worn away
be released into ~〜に放出されるreleased back into the air
make ~ worse〜を悪化させるmaking climate change worse
❝例文

  • Forests are cut down for farmland.

    森は農地のため伐採される。

  • Animals lose their homes.

    動物は住処を失う。

  • Stored carbon is released into the air.

    蓄えられた炭素が大気に放出される。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

脅威設問の鉄則 ―― "disappearing at an alarming rate" 以下の原因 (farmland/timber/towns) + 影響 (homes/soil/carbon) を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (無影響 / 良い住処 / 伐採されない) で誘導。

残り2問は、解いて確かめられます

全5問すべてに、この形式の解説が付いています。 間違えた問題は記録され、あとから復習できます。

無料で登録して続きを解く

インストール不要・カード登録なし・いま全機能無料

この単元の講義を見る2級の単元一覧2級の用語集