神奈川県公立高等学校入学者選抜 英語 練習問題

Hello, everyone. I'm Kenta. Today, I want to talk about renewable energy and why it's important for our future. When I was in junior high school, I didn't care about where our electricity came from. Every day, I used my smartphone, watched TV, and played video games without thinking about energy. I just thought that electricity would always be available when I needed it. I believed that if I turned on a light switch, the light would come on. If I wanted to charge my phone, I could just plug it into the wall. However, last summer, something happened that completely changed my thinking about energy.

During summer vacation, my family visited my grandmother in Hokkaido. She lives in a small town near the mountains, and the town is very different from Tokyo. There are only about 3,000 people living there, and you can see beautiful nature everywhere. One morning, my grandmother asked us if we wanted to see something special. She said it was a place that gives power to many houses in her town. At first, I didn't understand what she meant, but I was curious, so I said yes.

We drove for about 30 minutes through beautiful countryside. Then, suddenly, I saw something amazing. There were many large wind turbines standing in a wide field. I counted them—there were more than 20 turbines, and each one was taller than a ten-story building! The white blades were turning slowly in the wind, and they looked very beautiful against the blue sky. I had seen pictures of wind turbines before in textbooks, but seeing them in real life was completely different. I was so surprised that I couldn't speak for a few minutes.

My grandmother told me that these turbines provide clean electricity to many houses in her town. She explained that each turbine can make enough electricity for about 500 houses. She also said that ten years ago, her town bought most of its electricity from a power company that used coal and natural gas. But now, about 60% of the town's electricity comes from these wind turbines. The town also has some solar panels on the roofs of public buildings like schools and the city hall. My grandmother looked very proud when she told me this. She said that using renewable energy was important for our future because                 .

After listening to my grandmother, I started to think more deeply about energy. I realized that I had never really thought about how electricity is made or where it comes from. That night, I couldn't sleep well because I kept thinking about what I had seen. The next day, I decided to do some research on the Internet. I wanted to learn more about renewable energy and energy sources in Japan.

Let me show you some information about energy in Japan that I found. Please look at Graph 1 and Graph 2. Graph 1 shows what kinds of energy sources Japan used to make electricity in 2010 and 2020. In 2010, about 25% came from coal, 29% from natural gas, 29% from nuclear power, and only 9% from renewable energy. Eight percent came from other sources like oil. However, in 2020, the situation changed significantly. Coal increased a little to 31%, and natural gas increased to 37%. This was partly because of the earthquake in 2011 and the problems at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Because of this disaster, many nuclear power plants in Japan were stopped. So nuclear power decreased to only 4% in 2020. The good news is that renewable energy increased to 20%—more than double what it was in 2010.

Now, let me show you another important piece of information. Graph 2 shows the cost of making electricity from different energy sources. This data is very interesting because many people think that renewable energy is too expensive. In 2015, the cost of solar power was about 16 yen per kilowatt hour. Wind power cost about 14 yen per kilowatt hour. At that time, coal power cost about 12 yen, and nuclear power cost about 10 yen. So, renewable energy was more expensive than traditional energy sources. However, look at what happened by 2023! Solar power decreased to about 8 yen per kilowatt hour—that's only half of what it was in 2015! Wind power also decreased to about 9 yen. But coal power and nuclear power didn't change much. Coal power increased a little to 13 yen, and nuclear power increased to 11 yen. From these graphs, I learned that      ①     .

This surprised me a lot. Technology is improving very fast, and renewable energy is becoming affordable for more people. I think this is very good news for Japan and for the world.

After visiting the wind farm, I wanted to learn more about renewable energy, so I spent many hours reading articles and watching videos online. I found that there are different types of renewable energy, and each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let me explain the main types.

First, there is solar energy, which comes from the sun. Solar panels on roofs or in large solar farms collect sunlight and change it into electricity. Japan has been installing more and more solar panels in recent years. I learned that Japan is actually one of the top countries in the world for solar power. Many houses in Japan now have solar panels on their roofs. My neighbor's house has solar panels, and he told me that his electricity bill is now very low. Sometimes, his panels make more electricity than his family needs, and he can sell the extra electricity back to the power company.

Second, there is wind energy, which comes from the wind. Wind turbines have large blades that turn when the wind blows. This turning motion creates electricity. Wind farms can be built on land, like the one I saw in Hokkaido, or they can be built in the ocean. Japan is starting to build more offshore wind farms because Japan is surrounded by the ocean and has strong ocean winds.

Third, there is hydroelectric energy, which comes from water. Japan has many mountains and rivers, so hydroelectric power has been used in Japan for a long time. In fact, hydroelectric power is Japan's largest source of renewable energy. Dams hold water in large lakes, and when the water flows down through the dam, it turns turbines to make electricity.

Fourth, there is geothermal energy, which comes from heat inside the Earth. Japan sits on a volcanic area, so there is a lot of geothermal energy available. However, Japan is not using much of this energy yet. I read that Iceland, another volcanic country, gets about 25% of its electricity from geothermal energy, but Japan only gets about 1%. I think Japan should try to use more geothermal energy in the future.

Finally, there is biomass energy, which comes from plants and other organic materials. For example, we can burn wood or use food waste to create energy. Some farmers in Japan are using biomass energy to power their farms.

These energy sources are called "renewable" because ( ② ). The sun will keep shining, the wind will keep blowing, and rivers will keep flowing for millions of years. We will never run out of these resources. Also, they don't produce much pollution. When we burn coal or oil, it releases carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the air. These gases cause air pollution and contribute to climate change. But renewable energy doesn't release these gases, so it's much better for our environment and our health.

However, I also learned that renewable energy has some problems and challenges. We need to understand these problems so we can work to solve them. For example, solar power doesn't work well when it's cloudy or at night. In Japan, we have a rainy season in June and July, and during this time, solar panels don't produce much electricity. Wind power also has problems. It needs strong wind to work well, but the wind doesn't blow strongly all the time. Sometimes the wind is too weak, and sometimes it's too strong and the turbines must be stopped to protect them from damage.

Some people also complain about wind turbines. They say that wind turbines are too noisy. When I was standing near the wind turbines in Hokkaido, I could hear a low sound as the blades turned. It wasn't very loud, but I could imagine that people living very close to wind turbines might find the sound annoying. Some people also say that wind turbines are not beautiful and that they ruin the scenery. In some places, people have opposed plans to build wind farms because they want to protect the natural beauty of their area. There is also a concern that wind turbines might harm birds. Birds sometimes fly into the spinning blades and die.

Another challenge is storage. When the sun is shining brightly and the wind is blowing strongly, renewable energy systems can make a lot of electricity. But what happens to this electricity if people don't need it right away? We need good batteries to store this energy so we can use it later when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing. Right now, batteries for storing large amounts of energy are expensive, and they don't last very long. Scientists and engineers around the world are working hard to develop better and cheaper batteries.

But I learned that scientists and engineers are working hard to solve these problems. They are making better batteries to store energy. New battery technology can store more energy and last longer than old batteries. They are also creating quieter turbines. New wind turbine designs make much less noise than old designs. Some engineers are even working on turbines that are safer for birds. These turbines have special sensors that can detect when birds are flying nearby, and the turbines can slow down or stop to protect the birds. Technology is always improving, and I believe that in the future, renewable energy will become even better and more efficient.

After doing all this research, I started to think about what Japan should do in the future. I think we should use more renewable energy in Japan. ( ③ ), we can help protect our planet for future generations. We can reduce air pollution, fight climate change, and create a cleaner, healthier world for our children and grandchildren.

So this is my message: We should all think about where our energy comes from and try to support renewable energy. Even small actions can make a big difference. Let's not wait for someone else to solve this problem. Let's start today, right now. We can save energy in our daily lives, we can learn more about renewable energy, and we can share this knowledge with our friends and family. Let's work together to create a sustainable future—a future with clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet for everyone. Our generation has the power to make a difference. Let's use that power to create a better world. Thank you for listening.

Mika and Jun are Kamome High School students who are in the same science class. Both of them are very interested in environmental issues. Ms. Johnson is their science teacher, and she has been teaching at Kamome High School for five years. She studied environmental science at university and worked as a researcher before becoming a teacher. Ms. Johnson is known for giving interesting projects to her students. This semester, she asked her students to work in groups to research environmental problems and present their findings to the class.

Mika and Jun decided to work together on a group project about climate change. They chose this topic because they both think it's one of the most important problems facing the world today. They have been researching for two weeks, reading articles online, watching videos, and looking at scientific data. One day after school, they are working in the science room, and they are looking at some graphs they found. They are a bit confused about how to interpret the data, so they decide to ask Ms. Johnson for help.

Ms. Johnson: Hi, Mika and Jun. I can see you're working hard on your project. How is it going? Have you found some interesting information?

Mika: Yes, we have, Ms. Johnson. We're researching climate change and its effects on Japan. We've found a lot of information, and it's really interesting, but also a little scary. We found some graphs with scientific data, but we're not completely sure how to interpret all of it correctly. Could you help us understand it better?

Ms. Johnson: Of course! I'd be happy to help. Climate change is a very important topic, and I'm glad you chose it. What kind of data did you find? Show me what you're looking at.

Jun: Well, first we found information about temperature changes in Japan over the past 120 years. Look at ① Graph 1. It shows the average temperature in Tokyo from 1900 to 2020. According to this graph, the temperature in 1900 was about 14.5°C. Then it stayed between 14.5°C and 15.5°C for many decades, from 1900 until about 1980. But after 1980, something changed. The temperature started to rise much more quickly. By 2000, it had risen to about 16.0°C, and by 2020, it reached about 16.5°C. That's an increase of about 1.0°C in just 40 years!

Ms. Johnson: That's very good observation, Jun. The data you found is accurate. Tokyo's temperature has indeed increased, especially in recent decades. This pattern is not unique to Tokyo—it's happening in many cities around the world. What do you think this means?

Mika: I think it means Tokyo is getting warmer over time. One degree might not sound like a lot, but I read in an article that even small changes in average temperature can have big effects on weather, plants, animals, and people's lives. But we're not sure if this warming is happening only in Tokyo, or if it's happening in other parts of Japan too. Tokyo is a huge city with millions of people, so maybe the temperature is rising faster there because of all the buildings, cars, and people. I learned about something called the "urban heat island effect," where cities are warmer than the countryside because of human activities.

Ms. Johnson: Excellent point, Mika! The urban heat island effect is real, and it does make cities like Tokyo warmer than rural areas. But let me ask you this: Did you find any more information about other cities in Japan?

Jun: Yes, we did! That's actually the next thing we wanted to show you. Look at ② Graph 2. This graph shows temperature changes in four different Japanese cities from 1980 to 2020. We looked at Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, and Fukuoka. These cities are in different parts of Japan—Tokyo is in the Kanto region, Osaka is in the Kansai region, Sapporo is in Hokkaido in the north, and Fukuoka is in Kyushu in the south. In Tokyo, the temperature increased by 1.2°C during these 40 years. In Osaka, another big city, it increased by 1.0°C. Sapporo is much farther north and much colder than Tokyo, but even there, the temperature increased by 1.3°C—that's even more than Tokyo! And in Fukuoka, it increased by 0.9°C.

Mika: So when we look at this data, we can conclude that ( ① ). This isn't just a problem for Tokyo. It's happening all across Japan, from north to south. Even Sapporo, which is in Hokkaido where it's very cold in winter, is getting warmer.

Ms. Johnson: Exactly! Climate change is a global problem, not just a local one. It's affecting the whole country, and in fact, it's affecting the whole planet. Now, let me ask you another question. Do you know what causes climate change? What makes the Earth's temperature increase?

Jun: Yes, I've been reading about this. I read that                 . When people burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas to make electricity, heat buildings, or run cars, trucks, and airplanes, they release a gas called carbon dioxide into the air. There are also other gases like methane and nitrous oxide that are released from farming and other activities. These gases go up into the atmosphere—the layer of air around Earth—and they trap heat. The heat from the sun comes down to Earth, and normally some of it would go back out into space. But these gases act like a blanket, keeping the heat close to Earth. This makes Earth's temperature go up.

Ms. Johnson: That's absolutely right, Jun! You explained it very clearly. This process is called the "greenhouse effect." It's called this because these gases work like the glass in a greenhouse. Have you ever been inside a greenhouse? The glass lets sunlight in, but it doesn't let the heat escape easily, so inside the greenhouse it gets very warm. The atmosphere works in a similar way. Carbon dioxide and other gases act like a blanket or like the glass in a greenhouse, keeping heat close to Earth. Without any greenhouse effect at all, Earth would actually be too cold for humans to live on—it would be about 30 degrees colder! But now we have too much of these gases because of human activities, and that's making Earth too warm.

Mika: That makes sense. So the problem isn't the greenhouse effect itself—we actually need some greenhouse effect. The problem is that we're making too much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels.

Ms. Johnson: Exactly! You've got it. Now, let me give you some more information that might help with your project. About 75% of the carbon dioxide that humans put into the atmosphere comes from burning fossil fuels. The other 25% comes mostly from deforestation—cutting down forests. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air, so when we cut down forests, there are fewer trees to absorb the carbon dioxide. This is a big problem in places like the Amazon rainforest in South America.

One week later, Mika and Jun have done much more research. They are meeting with Ms. Johnson again to discuss what they learned. They have prepared several pages of notes and more graphs to show her. They are excited to share their findings.

Ms. Johnson: Hi again, Mika and Jun! It's good to see you. Have you found more information for your project? You both look excited!

Mika: Yes, Ms. Johnson! We've been working really hard this week. We learned so much about the effects of climate change on Japan, and we're starting to understand why this is such a serious problem. We want to share what we learned with you.

Jun: We found information about several different effects. ( ② ), Japan is experiencing more extreme weather events. For example, we found data showing that there are more heavy rainstorms and stronger typhoons than before. In July 2018, there was a huge rainstorm in western Japan that caused terrible flooding. More than 200 people died in that disaster. Scientists say that climate change is making these extreme weather events more common and more severe.

Ms. Johnson: That's right. The 2018 flooding in western Japan was indeed a terrible disaster. I remember it well. When the atmosphere is warmer, it can hold more water vapor, which means there can be heavier rainstorms. This is one of the most dangerous effects of climate change.

Mika: We also found information about hot weather. The number of very hot days in summer is increasing across Japan. Look at this data we found. In Tokyo during the 1990s, there were about 10 days per year on average when the temperature went over 35°C. We call these days "extremely hot days" in English—in Japanese we say "猛暑日" (moushobi). But in the 2010s, from 2010 to 2019, there were about 20 days per year with temperatures over 35°C. That's twice as many! These extremely hot days are dangerous, especially for elderly people and small children. Many people get heatstroke and have to go to the hospital.

Jun: And it's not just Tokyo. We found that cities all across Japan are experiencing more extremely hot days. In Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka—everywhere is getting hotter in summer. Some days the temperature even goes over 40°C! That's almost as hot as a very hot bath. It's dangerous to be outside for too long on days like that.

Ms. Johnson: You're absolutely right. This is a very serious problem. The number of people who get heatstroke has been increasing every year. That's why on very hot days, the government sends out warnings telling people to stay inside in air-conditioned rooms and to drink lots of water. What other effects did you find?

Mika: Climate change is also affecting Japanese agriculture—the growing of food crops. We learned that many crops need specific temperature and weather conditions to grow well. Some crops like cool weather, and some like warm weather. Because of warmer temperatures, some crops that need cool weather are becoming difficult to grow in certain areas. For example, we learned about rice, which is Japan's most important crop. Rice grows better when it's cool during certain parts of the growing season, especially when the rice grains are forming. But because of warmer temperatures, ( ③ ). In some areas, the rice grains don't develop properly, or they become smaller. This affects both the amount of rice that farmers can produce and the quality of the rice.

Jun: We also learned that some areas that used to be too cold to grow certain fruits are now warm enough. For example, in some parts of Tohoku and Hokkaido, farmers are now starting to grow fruits like peaches and cherries that they couldn't grow before because it was too cold. So climate change has some effects that might seem positive, but overall, it's causing many more problems than benefits for Japanese agriculture.

Ms. Johnson: That's very thorough research. Agriculture is indeed being affected in complex ways by climate change. It's not just about temperature, either—changes in rainfall patterns also affect crops. Some areas are getting too much rain, and others are getting too little. What else did you learn?

Jun: We also learned that climate change is affecting the ocean around Japan and the fish that live in it. The water temperature in the seas around Japan is rising, and this is changing where different species of fish live. Fish like to live in water that has the right temperature for them—it's like how you prefer to take a bath that's not too hot and not too cold. When the ocean gets warmer, fish migrate to different areas to find water that has the temperature they prefer. Some fish that people in Japan like to eat, like salmon and mackerel, are moving to different areas than where they used to be found. This makes it harder for Japanese fishermen to catch these fish in their traditional fishing areas.

Mika: We also read about coral bleaching. Do you know about that, Ms. Johnson? Coral reefs are very beautiful and important ecosystems in the ocean. Many fish and other sea animals live around coral reefs. But when ocean water becomes too warm, the coral becomes stressed and it turns white. This is called "bleaching." If the water stays warm for too long, the coral dies. This is happening to coral reefs around Okinawa and other islands in southern Japan. It's very sad because coral reefs are so beautiful and important for ocean life.

Ms. Johnson: Yes, coral bleaching is a very serious problem, not just in Japan but all around the world. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, which is the world's largest coral reef, has also been seriously damaged by bleaching. You've done excellent research on the effects of climate change. Now, let me ask you the most important question: What can we do about climate change? What solutions did you find?

Mika: We've been thinking about that a lot. We found that there are many things that different groups can do. Governments can make laws to reduce carbon dioxide emissions—that means the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the air. For example, the government can make rules that say cars must produce less carbon dioxide, or that power plants must use cleaner energy sources. The Japanese government has set a goal to reduce emissions by a certain percentage by 2030 and 2050, but some people say the government should do even more.

Jun: Companies and businesses also have an important role to play. They can use more renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. Companies can install solar panels on their buildings, or they can buy electricity from wind farms. Some big Japanese companies like Toyota and Sony have already promised to use 100% renewable energy in the future. Companies can also make products that use less energy, like more efficient cars and appliances.

Mika: And individuals—regular people like us—can help too! There are actually many things we can do in our daily lives. For example, people can save energy by using LED lights instead of old incandescent light bulbs. LED lights use about 75% less energy than old bulbs, and they last much longer too. People can turn off lights and appliances when they're not using them. Even small things like unplugging your phone charger when you're not charging your phone can save energy.

Ms. Johnson: Those are all excellent ideas! I'm very impressed with your research. You've clearly put in a lot of effort, and you understand the problem and possible solutions very well. Remember, climate change is a big, complex problem, and there's no single easy solution. But if governments, companies, and individuals all work together, we can make a real difference. Every action counts, no matter how small it seems. Even just learning about climate change, like you've been doing, and sharing that knowledge with other people is valuable.

Mika: Thank you, Ms. Johnson! We feel much more confident about our project now. We want to make a good presentation so that we can share what we learned with our classmates and help them understand why climate change is important.

Jun: Yes! We're planning to make slides with graphs and pictures, and we'll explain everything clearly. We hope our presentation will help other students in our class learn about climate change and think about what they can do to help. Maybe some of them will start changing their daily habits to use less energy.

Ms. Johnson: That's a wonderful goal! I'm sure your classmates will learn a lot from your presentation. I'm really proud of both of you for choosing such an important topic and working so hard on it. Keep up the excellent work, and if you have any more questions as you prepare your presentation, please don't hesitate to ask me.

Mika: We will. Thank you so much for all your help, Ms. Johnson!

Jun: Yes, thank you! You've helped us understand everything much better.