EigoPro 2級読解 — The Problem of Space Junk

The Problem of Space Junk When we look up at the night sky, space seems endless and empty. Around our own planet, however, it is becoming surprisingly crowded — and not only with working satellites. Since the first launch in 1957, thousands of rockets have carried equipment into orbit, and much of what went up never came back down. Dead satellites, used rocket stages, lost tools, and countless fragments from past collisions now circle the Earth. Scientists call this growing cloud of rubbish "space junk," and they are increasingly worried about it. The danger comes from speed. Objects in orbit travel at around eight kilometres per second — many times faster than a bullet. At such speeds, even a fleck of paint can crack the window of a spacecraft, and a fragment the size of a coin could destroy a satellite completely. Astronauts on the International Space Station have had to shelter in their return capsules several times when large pieces of debris passed dangerously close. What worries experts most is a chain reaction. Every collision between objects in orbit creates hundreds of new fragments, and each of those fragments can cause further collisions. In the worst case, scientists warn, some orbits could one day become so filled with debris that they would be too dangerous to use at all. That would threaten services modern life quietly depends on: weather forecasts, navigation systems, international communications, and much of scientific research. Solutions are being developed, though none is simple. New satellites are increasingly designed to burn up safely in the atmosphere at the end of their working lives. Several companies and space agencies are testing vehicles that can capture old satellites with nets, robotic arms, or magnets and drag them out of orbit. Perhaps most importantly, space agencies around the world are discussing common rules, because space belongs to no single country. The sky above us, experts say, is a shared resource — and like any shared resource, it stays usable only if everyone helps keep it clean.

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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?

Space around the Earth is completely empty.
Orbiting junk threatens satellites and modern services, so solutions and rules are needed.
Everything launched into space always returns to Earth.
Space junk is too small to cause any harm.

Phrase

a growing cloud of rubbish circles the Earth

増え続けるゴミの雲が地球を回る

2級読解宇宙技術主旨

⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「地球の軌道は死んだ衛星や破片 (スペースデブリ) で混雑しつつあり、超高速ゆえ小片でも危険で、連鎖衝突が起これば現代生活を支える衛星サービスが脅かされるため、対策と国際ルールが進められている」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Orbiting junk threatens satellites and modern services, so solutions and rules are needed.」

正解

第1段落 "Scientists call this growing cloud of rubbish 'space junk,' and they are increasingly worried" + 第3-4段落の脅威と対策が主旨。orbit = 「軌道」、debris = 「破片・デブリ」。

「The space around the Earth is completely empty of anything ever made by people.」
= 地球周辺の宇宙は完全に空 ━ 本文 "becoming surprisingly crowded" と矛盾。
「Everything that is launched into space always returns safely to the Earth.」
= 打ち上げた物は必ず地球に戻る ━ 本文 "much of what went up never came back down" と矛盾。
「The pieces of space junk are all far too small to cause any harm at all.」
= スペースデブリは小さすぎて無害 ━ 本文 "even a fleck of paint can crack the window" と矛盾。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
in orbit	軌道上に	carried equipment into orbit
a dead satellite	機能停止した衛星	Dead satellites
a fragment	破片	countless fragments
circle the Earth	地球を周回する	now circle the Earth
be worried about ~	〜を懸念する	increasingly worried about it

❝例文

Orbit is becoming crowded with junk.
軌道はゴミで混雑しつつある。
Much of what went up never came down.
打ち上げた物の多くは戻らなかった。
Scientists worry about space junk.
科学者はスペースデブリを懸念する。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― 「混雑する軌道 + 危険 + 対策」を覆う選択肢が正解。誤答は本文と矛盾 (完全に空 / 必ず戻る / 無害) で誘導。導入の "seems endless and empty ... however" の逆接が主旨の合図。

問 2

Why is space junk so dangerous?

Only objects larger than a car are dangerous.
Objects orbit so fast that even tiny pieces can cause serious damage.
Objects in orbit move more slowly than cars.
Astronauts have never needed to take shelter from debris.

Phrase

objects travel at eight kilometres per second; even a fleck of paint can crack a window

秒速8キロ、塗料の小片でも窓を割る

2級読解宇宙技術詳細 (危険性)

⚡ひとことで

危険の源は速度だ。軌道上の物体は秒速約8キロ ━ 弾丸の何倍も速い ━ で移動する。この速度では塗料の小片でも宇宙船の窓にひびを入れ、コイン大の破片なら衛星を完全に破壊しうる。国際宇宙ステーションの飛行士は大きなデブリが危険なほど接近した際、帰還カプセルへの退避を何度も強いられた。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Objects orbit so fast that even tiny pieces can cause serious damage.」

正解

第2段落 "The danger comes from speed. Objects in orbit travel at around eight kilometres per second ... even a fleck of paint can crack the window of a spacecraft" より、危険性 = 超高速ゆえ微小片でも重大な損傷。a fleck of ~ = 「〜の小片」、shelter = 「退避する」。

「Objects in orbit move much more slowly than cars on a road.」
= 軌道上の物体は車より遅い ━ 本文 "many times faster than a bullet" と矛盾。
「Only objects that are larger than a car are dangerous in orbit.」
= 車より大きい物だけが危険 ━ 本文 "even a fleck of paint" と矛盾。
「Astronauts have never once needed to take shelter from debris.」
= 飛行士がデブリから退避した例はない ━ 本文 "have had to shelter ... several times" と矛盾。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
come from ~	〜に由来する	The danger comes from speed
per second	毎秒	eight kilometres per second
a fleck of paint	塗料の小片	even a fleck of paint
crack a window	窓にひびを入れる	crack the window of a spacecraft
pass close	接近して通過する	passed dangerously close

❝例文

Orbital objects move faster than bullets.
軌道上の物体は弾丸より速い。
A paint fleck can crack a spacecraft window.
塗料の小片が宇宙船の窓を割りうる。
Astronauts sheltered when debris came close.
デブリ接近時、飛行士は退避した。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

危険性設問の鉄則 ―― "The danger comes from speed" が段落の主題文。速度の数字 + 小片の被害例を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (遅い / 大物のみ危険 / 退避例なし) で誘導。

問 3

What chain reaction do experts fear most?

Collisions create fragments that cause more collisions, until some orbits become unusable.
Collisions in orbit make the debris disappear completely.
Losing satellites would have no effect on daily life.
Experts say a chain reaction is impossible in space.

Phrase

every collision creates new fragments, causing further collisions

衝突が新たな破片を生み、さらなる衝突を招く

2級読解宇宙技術詳細 (連鎖反応)

⚡ひとことで

専門家が最も恐れるのは連鎖反応だ。軌道上の衝突は1回ごとに数百の新たな破片を生み、その破片それぞれがさらなる衝突を起こしうる。最悪の場合、一部の軌道はデブリで埋まり使用不能になると科学者は警告する。それは天気予報・ナビ・国際通信・科学研究など、現代生活が静かに依存するサービスを脅かす。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Collisions create fragments that cause more collisions, until some orbits become unusable.」

正解

第3段落 "Every collision ... creates hundreds of new fragments, and each of those fragments can cause further collisions. In the worst case ... some orbits could one day become ... too dangerous to use at all" より、懸念 = 衝突 → 破片 → 衝突の連鎖で軌道が使用不能に。a chain reaction = 「連鎖反応」、threaten = 「脅かす」。

「Collisions in orbit make the pieces of debris disappear completely for good.」
= 衝突でデブリは完全消滅 ━ 本文 "creates hundreds of new fragments" と逆。
「Losing the satellites in orbit would have no effect at all on daily life.」
= 衛星喪失は日常生活に無影響 ━ 本文 "threaten services modern life ... depends on" と矛盾。
「Experts say that such a chain reaction is quite impossible in space.」
= 連鎖反応は宇宙では不可能と専門家 ━ 本文 "What worries experts most is a chain reaction" と矛盾。

▦Collocation

パターン	意味	例
a chain reaction	連鎖反応	a chain reaction
a collision	衝突	Every collision between objects
in the worst case	最悪の場合	In the worst case
too ~ to V	〜すぎて…できない	too dangerous to use at all
depend on ~	〜に依存する	modern life quietly depends on

❝例文

One collision creates hundreds of fragments.
1回の衝突が数百の破片を生む。
Fragments cause further collisions.
破片がさらなる衝突を招く。
Unusable orbits would threaten daily services.
使えない軌道は日常サービスを脅かす。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

連鎖反応設問の鉄則 ―― "What worries experts most is ..." の強調構文が主題文。衝突→破片→衝突のループと "too dangerous to use" の帰結を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (消滅 / 無影響 / 不可能) で誘導。

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EigoPro 2級 読解 — The Problem of Space Junk

この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

a growing cloud of rubbish circles the Earth

objects travel at eight kilometres per second; even a fleck of paint can crack a window

every collision creates new fragments, causing further collisions

EigoPro 2級読解 — The Problem of Space Junk