EigoPro 2級読解 — Saving Endangered Animals

Saving Endangered Animals Throughout history, animal species have appeared and disappeared as a natural part of life on Earth. Today, however, plants and animals are vanishing far faster than they would naturally, and the main reason is human activity. Scientists warn that we may be living through one of the greatest waves of extinction the planet has ever seen. The causes are closely linked to the way modern societies live. As forests are cleared for farms and cities, countless creatures lose the habitats they need to survive. Hunting and fishing, when done carelessly, can reduce animal numbers faster than they can recover. Pollution poisons rivers and seas, and a warming climate forces many species to move or die. Often, several of these pressures act on the same animal at the same time. Some people ask why this matters. After all, they say, species have always died out. The answer lies in how living things are connected. Plants and animals depend on one another in complex ways, like threads in a single web. When one species disappears, others that relied on it may suffer too. Healthy natural systems also give humans enormous benefits, from clean water and fertile soil to medicines first discovered in wild plants. There is, however, real reason for hope. When people act in time, endangered animals can recover. Some species that were once close to extinction, such as certain whales and large birds, have slowly increased in number thanks to careful protection. Setting aside protected areas, controlling hunting, and restoring damaged habitats all work. Saving these animals, conservationists remind us, ultimately means protecting the living world that supports us all.

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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?

Species are disappearing only at a slow, natural rate.
Species are vanishing fast mainly because of human activity, but they can still be saved.
Human activity has no effect on animal species.
Nothing can ever be done to save endangered animals.

Phrase

vanishing far faster than they would naturally, and the main reason is human activity

自然以上に速く消え、主因は人間活動

2級読解保護記事主旨

⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「種は自然より遥かに速く消えつつあり主因は人間活動、その理由・重要性・希望を論じる」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Species are vanishing fast mainly because of human activity, but they can still be saved.」

正解

第1段落 "plants and animals are vanishing far faster than they would naturally, and the main reason is human activity" と第4段落 "real reason for hope ... can recover" が主旨。記事は原因 → なぜ守るか → 希望と展開。vanish = 「消える」、a wave of extinction = 「絶滅の波」。

「Species are disappearing only at the slow, natural rate seen throughout the past.」
= 自然な遅い速度でのみ消える ━ 本文 "far faster than they would naturally" と矛盾。
「Human activity has no effect on how fast animal species disappear.」
= 人間活動は種に無影響 ━ 本文 "the main reason is human activity" と逆。
「Nothing can ever be done to save animals that are already endangered.」
= 絶滅危惧種は決して救えない ━ 本文 "endangered animals can recover" と矛盾。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
vanish	消える	vanishing far faster
a wave of extinction	絶滅の波	waves of extinction
die out	絶滅する	species have always died out
the main reason	主な理由	the main reason is human activity
live through ~	〜を生き抜く・経験する	living through ... extinction

❝例文

Species are vanishing very fast.
種はとても速く消えつつある。
The main reason is human activity.
主因は人間活動だ。
But they can still be saved.
だがまだ救える。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― 第1段落の原因 + 第4段落の希望を併せる。誤答は本文と矛盾 (自然な速度のみ / 人間無関係 / 救えない) で誘導。原因 (人間活動) + 救える可能性を含む選択肢が正解。

問 2

What are the main causes of species disappearing?

Only a single cause ever affects each animal.
Animals are disappearing because there are too few humans.
Habitat loss, careless hunting, pollution, and climate change, often acting together.
Clearing forests actually gives animals more habitats.

Phrase

forests cleared, careless hunting, pollution, warming climate; several pressures at once

森林伐採・無謀な狩猟漁獲・汚染・温暖化、複数が同時に作用

2級読解保護記事詳細 (原因)

⚡ひとことで

原因は現代社会の生き方と密接。農地・都市のため森が切られ生息地を失い、無謀な狩猟・漁獲が回復より速く数を減らし、汚染が川海を毒し、温暖化が移動か死を強いる。複数の圧力が同じ動物に同時に作用することも多い。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Habitat loss, careless hunting, pollution, and climate change, often acting together.」

正解

第2段落 "forests are cleared ... lose the habitats ... Hunting and fishing, when done carelessly, can reduce animal numbers ... Pollution poisons rivers ... a warming climate forces many species to move or die ... several of these pressures act on the same animal at the same time" より、原因 = 生息地喪失 + 無謀な狩猟漁獲 + 汚染 + 温暖化 (同時作用)。clear forests = 「森を切り開く」、act on ~ = 「〜に作用する」。

「Animals are disappearing because there are too few humans to protect them.」
= 人が少なすぎて消える ━ 本文 "human activity" が原因、人不足ではない。
「Clearing forests actually gives wild animals more habitats to live in.」
= 森林伐採が生息地を増やす ━ 本文 "lose the habitats" と逆。
「Only a single cause ever affects each endangered animal species.」
= 各動物に作用する原因は1つだけ ━ 本文 "several of these pressures ... at the same time" と矛盾。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
clear forests	森を切り開く	forests are cleared
lose habitats	生息地を失う	lose the habitats
reduce numbers	数を減らす	reduce animal numbers
act on ~	〜に作用する	act on the same animal
at the same time	同時に	at the same time

❝例文

Forests are cleared for farms and cities.
森は農地や都市のため切られる。
Pollution poisons rivers and seas.
汚染が川と海を毒する。
Several pressures act at once.
複数の圧力が同時に作用する。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

原因設問の鉄則 ―― "The causes are closely linked ..." 以下の列挙 (habitat/hunting/pollution/climate) を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (人不足 / 伐採が生息地を増やす / 単一原因) で誘導。

問 3

Why does the loss of species matter, according to the passage?

The loss of species gives humans no real disadvantage.
Living things are interconnected, so losing one species harms others and humans too.
Wild plants have never been the source of any medicine.
Each species lives completely alone and affects no others.

Phrase

living things are connected like threads in a web; when one disappears, others suffer

生物は網の糸のようにつながり、一つ消えると他も苦しむ

2級読解保護記事詳細 (なぜ守るか)

⚡ひとことで

なぜ重要か。答えは生物のつながりにある。動植物は一枚の網の糸のように複雑に依存し合い、一種が消えると依存していた他種も苦しむ。健全な自然は人間にも清浄な水・肥沃な土・野生植物由来の薬など莫大な恩恵を与える。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Living things are interconnected, so losing one species harms others and humans too.」

正解

第3段落 "how living things are connected. Plants and animals depend on one another ... like threads in a single web. When one species disappears, others ... may suffer too. Healthy natural systems also give humans enormous benefits" より、なぜ守るか = 生物は相互依存し、一種の喪失が他種と人間に害を及ぼす。depend on one another = 「互いに依存する」、rely on ~ = 「〜に頼る」。

「Each species lives completely alone and affects no other living things.」
= 各種は完全に孤立し他に影響しない ━ 本文 "depend on one another" と矛盾。
「The loss of species gives humans no real disadvantage of any kind.」
= 種の喪失は人間に不利益なし ━ 本文 "enormous benefits" を失うことと矛盾。
「Wild plants have never been the source of any medicine used by people.」
= 野生植物は薬の源になったことがない ━ 本文 "medicines first discovered in wild plants" と矛盾。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
be connected	つながっている	living things are connected
depend on one another	互いに依存する	depend on one another
like threads in a web	網の糸のように	like threads in a single web
rely on ~	〜に頼る	others that relied on it
enormous benefits	莫大な恩恵	enormous benefits

❝例文

Living things depend on one another.
生物は互いに依存する。
Losing one species harms others.
一種の喪失は他種を害する。
Nature gives humans clean water and medicines.
自然は人に清浄な水や薬を与える。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

理由設問の鉄則 ―― "The answer lies in how living things are connected" 以下 (web / suffer / human benefits) を拾う。誤答は本文と逆 (孤立 / 不利益なし / 薬の源でない) で誘導。

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この単元の講義を見る 2級の単元一覧 2級の用語集

EigoPro 2級 読解 — Saving Endangered Animals

この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

vanishing far faster than they would naturally, and the main reason is human activity

forests cleared, careless hunting, pollution, warming climate; several pressures at once

living things are connected like threads in a web; when one disappears, others suffer

EigoPro 2級読解 — Saving Endangered Animals