EigoPro 2級 読解 — The Problem of Food Waste

The Problem of Food Waste Around the world, an enormous amount of food is thrown away every day. Experts estimate that roughly a third of all the food produced for people is never eaten. This is a shocking fact at any time, but it is especially troubling when millions of people still do not have enough to eat. Food waste is now recognised as one of the great challenges of our age. Waste happens at every stage between the farm and the table. On farms, crops may be left to rot because they are the wrong shape or size to sell in shops. During transport and storage, food can spoil before it reaches the market. In wealthy countries, however, the biggest problem is often the home. Families buy more than they need, forget about food at the back of the fridge, or throw away perfectly good meals simply because a date on the packaging has passed. The effects go far beyond the food itself. Growing, transporting, and storing food uses huge amounts of water, energy, and land. When that food is wasted, all of those resources are wasted too. Rotting food also produces gases that contribute to climate change. In other words, reducing food waste is not only about feeding people; it is also one of the simplest ways to protect the environment. The encouraging news is that this is a problem ordinary people can do something about. Planning meals before shopping, storing food correctly, and learning that "best before" dates are often only a guide can all make a real difference. Some shops and restaurants now donate unsold food rather than throwing it away. Small actions, repeated by millions of people, can add up to an enormous saving.

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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?

  • There is more than enough food, so waste does not matter.
  • Almost none of the food produced in the world is wasted.
  • Food waste only matters to farmers, not to anyone else.
  • About a third of food is wasted, a serious problem for both people and the planet.
Phrase

roughly a third of all food produced is never eaten ... one of the great challenges of our age

生産食料の約3分の1が食べられず、現代の大きな課題

2級読解社会記事主旨
⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「世界で生産食料の約3分の1が廃棄され、飢餓が残る中で深刻な、現代の大きな課題である食品ロス」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「About a third of food is wasted, a serious problem for both people and the planet.」

正解

第1段落 "roughly a third of all the food produced for people is never eaten ... Food waste is now recognised as one of the great challenges of our age" が主旨。記事は規模 → どこで → なぜ問題 → 解決策と展開。throw away ~ = 「〜を捨てる」、a third of ~ = 「〜の3分の1」。

  • 「Almost none of the food produced in the world is ever wasted.」

    = 生産食料はほとんど廃棄されない ━ 本文 "roughly a third ... is never eaten" と矛盾。

  • 「Food waste only matters to farmers and shops, not to ordinary families.」

    = 農家だけの問題 ━ 本文 "a problem ordinary people can do something about" と矛盾。

  • 「There is more than enough food in the world, so waste does not matter.」

    = 食料は十分なので廃棄は問題でない ━ 本文 "millions ... do not have enough to eat" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
throw away ~〜を捨てるthrown away every day
a third of ~〜の3分の1a third of all the food
be never eaten食べられないis never eaten
a great challenge大きな課題one of the great challenges
enough to eat食べるのに十分enough to eat
❝例文

  • A third of food is never eaten.

    食料の3分の1は食べられない。

  • Yet millions go hungry.

    それでも何百万人も飢えている。

  • Food waste is a great challenge.

    食品ロスは大きな課題だ。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― "a third ... never eaten ... one of the great challenges of our age" が主旨。誤答は本文と矛盾 (ほぼ廃棄なし / 農家だけ / 問題でない) で誘導。規模 + 深刻さを含む選択肢が正解。

問 2

Where does food waste happen, according to the passage?

  • Food is only wasted after it is safely eaten.
  • All food waste happens only on farms, never in homes.
  • Waste occurs at every stage, but in rich countries the home is often the biggest source.
  • In wealthy countries, families never waste any food.
Phrase

waste happens at every stage; in wealthy countries the biggest problem is the home

全段階で廃棄、富裕国では家庭が最大

2級読解社会記事詳細 (どこで起きるか)
⚡ひとことで

廃棄は農場から食卓までの全段階で起きる。農場では形・大きさで売れず腐り、輸送・保管中に傷む。だが富裕国では最大の問題はしばしば家庭 ─ 買いすぎ、冷蔵庫の奥で忘れ、日付が過ぎただけで良い食事も捨てる。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Waste occurs at every stage, but in rich countries the home is often the biggest source.」

正解

第2段落 "Waste happens at every stage between the farm and the table ... In wealthy countries, however, the biggest problem is often the home. Families buy more than they need, forget about food ..., or throw away perfectly good meals ... because a date ... has passed" より、どこで = 全段階 + 富裕国では家庭が最大。at every stage = 「全段階で」、buy more than ~ need = 「必要以上に買う」。

  • 「All food waste happens on farms and in factories, never in people's homes.」

    = 全て農場だけで起き家庭では起きない ━ 本文 "the biggest problem is often the home" と矛盾。

  • 「In wealthy countries, families never waste any of the food they buy.」

    = 富裕国の家庭は一切廃棄しない ━ 本文 "Families buy more than they need ... throw away" と矛盾。

  • 「Food is only wasted after it has been safely cooked and eaten.」

    = 安全に食べた後だけ廃棄 ━ 意味不明、本文は食べられず廃棄。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
at every stage全段階でat every stage
between A and BAとBの間between the farm and the table
buy more than ~ need必要以上に買うbuy more than they need
at the back of the fridge冷蔵庫の奥でat the back of the fridge
a date has passed日付が過ぎたa date ... has passed
❝例文

  • Waste happens at every stage.

    廃棄は全段階で起きる。

  • In rich countries, the home is the biggest source.

    富裕国では家庭が最大の発生源。

  • Families buy more than they need.

    家庭は必要以上に買う。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

詳細設問の鉄則 ―― "at every stage ... however, the biggest problem is ... the home" の however 以降が富裕国の核。誤答は極端化 (農場だけ / 家庭は廃棄しない) で誘導。

問 3

Why is food waste a problem beyond the food itself?

  • Food waste affects only the food, nothing else.
  • Wasting food uses no resources and is good for nature.
  • Rotting food cleans the air and cools the planet.
  • Wasting food also wastes water, energy, and land, and harms the climate.
Phrase

wasted food wastes water, energy, land; rotting food produces gases for climate change

廃棄は水・エネルギー・土地も無駄に、腐敗は気候変動のガスを出す

2級読解社会記事詳細 (なぜ問題か)
⚡ひとことで

影響は食料自体を超える。食料の生産・輸送・保管は大量の水・エネルギー・土地を使い、廃棄するとそれらも全て無駄に。腐った食料は気候変動の一因となるガスも出す。だから食品ロス削減は環境保護の最も簡単な方法の一つ。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Wasting food also wastes water, energy, and land, and harms the climate.」

正解

第3段落 "Growing, transporting, and storing food uses huge amounts of water, energy, and land. When that food is wasted, all of those resources are wasted too. Rotting food also produces gases that contribute to climate change" より、なぜ問題 = 水・エネルギー・土地の浪費 + 気候変動のガス。contribute to ~ = 「〜の一因となる」、huge amounts of ~ = 「大量の〜」。

  • 「Wasting food uses no water or energy at all and is good for nature.」

    = 資源を使わず自然に良い ━ 本文 "all of those resources are wasted" と矛盾。

  • 「Rotting food cleans the air and helps to cool the planet.」

    = 腐敗食料が空気を浄化し地球を冷やす ━ 本文 "produces gases that contribute to climate change" と逆。

  • 「Food waste affects only the food itself and nothing else.」

    = 食料だけに影響 ━ 本文 "The effects go far beyond the food itself" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
huge amounts of ~大量の〜huge amounts of water
be wasted無駄になるresources are wasted
contribute to ~〜の一因となるcontribute to climate change
go beyond ~〜を超えるgo far beyond the food itself
rotting food腐った食料Rotting food
❝例文

  • Wasted food wastes water and energy.

    廃棄食料は水とエネルギーを無駄にする。

  • Rotting food produces harmful gases.

    腐った食料は有害ガスを出す。

  • It contributes to climate change.

    それは気候変動の一因となる。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

理由設問の鉄則 ―― "The effects go far beyond the food itself" 以下 (water/energy/land + gases) を拾う。誤答は本文と逆 (資源を使わない / 空気を浄化 / 食料だけ) で誘導。

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