昨日の続きです。
具体的な解法への解説をします。
まず、単語ですが
覚えにくいものが出てきたら
語源を調べてみるとよいでしょう。
電子辞書に語源が出ているものがあります。
これを有効に使ってください。
unanimous
nu- 1つ
animous 心
心を一つにする→全員一致、満場一致
anonymous
an-ない
oymous 名前
名前がない→匿名の 没個性の
このように紛らわしい単語も
語源を調べると容易に覚えられます。
Tiger Shark Meals
Tiger sharks, the fourth-largest type of shark on the planet, are known to consume not only fish, turtles, and mammals such as seals but also an extremely wide variety of other sea creatures. Even manmade objects that end up in the sea, such as rubber tires and car license plates, are routinely on the menu for these large predators. (1), they seem to deserve their nickname, the “garbage cans of the sea.”
Ecologist Marcus Drymon of Mississippi State University recently discovered that the diet of tiger sharks (2).The animals are known to make meals of seabirds, such as gulls or pelicans, so when a tiger shark that Drymon caught during a routine tracking program happened to vomit some feathers onto his boat, he was not particularly shocked. However, analysis revealed the feathers belonged to a so-called backyard bird. These are birds that live on land and are often seen in people’s gardens, such as sparrows and wrens. Analysis of the stomach contents of more tiger sharks confirmed that backyard birds were in fact regularly meeting this fate.
The cause of this phenomenon likely lies in the backyard birds’ habit of migrating. Migrating birds are often knocked into the sea by storms. Unaccustomed to the water, they are usually unable to return to the air once their feathers become soaked. This explains how the sharks (3). Drymon suspects tiger sharks purposely give birth in areas that migrating birds fly over. The fallen animals provide an easy meal for the baby sharks, who are not yet able to hunt prey that is more difficult to catch.
(1) 1 In short 2 In spite of this
3 Alternatively 4 Furthermore
(2) 1 could mean trouble for humans 2 contains an unexpected addition
3 is less varied than previously thought 4 leads them to swim in dangerous areas
(3) 1 were able to travel so far 2 select individual birds
3 gained access to these animals 4 could survive in such rough conditions
赤のキーワードに注目して、緑色のセンテンスから判断すれば回答できます。
The Hebridean Ark Tree Project
On the Outer Hebrides, a group of islands near the Scottish mainland, an ambitious tree-planting project has started. Called the Hebridean Ark Tree Project, it aims to return the islands to their ancient state of thick forest cover. Getting trees to grow on the islands is a challenge, however. The climate is harsh, with low average temperatures and strong winds that spray the land with saltwater, which harms trees if it is absorbed through their roots. In addition, much of the ground consists of peat, a nutrient-poor mixture of organic materials. Peat forms when low temperatures, water, and a lack of oxygen result in organic matter, such as dead plants, failing to decay completely. Furthermore, animals, such as deer and sheep, will almost certainly feed on young trees. To deal with the peat problem, instead of growing trees on top of the peat, the project will grow them on the edges. Keeping animals away is less straightforward, however, as fencing may be impractical, and reducing their numbers would cause controversy.
Despite the various challenges, those involved in the project believe it can succeed. Evidence shows that forests on the islands grew well thousands of years ago. Although the climate has cooled since then, it was primarily human activity that led to the current situation. Firstly, Viking invaders who arrived from nearby Scandinavia around AD 800 cut down trees to make sure the native people could not use wood for boat building. After settling on the islands, the invaders cleared even more trees for raising animals and growing crops. After a battle on the island of Lewis in 1098, the Vikings introduced a slash-and-burn policy that severely damaged local tree populations. Once the forests on the Outer Hebrides were gone, peat growth began to take over.
A major issue facing the project is selecting which trees to plant. The focus is on native trees, such as aspen and birch, but the origin of the seeds is critical. Project supporter David Mackay recalls a previous reforestation plan on the Shetland Islands, where environmental conditions resemble those on the Outer Hebrides. That plan initially used young trees brought over from the Scottish mainland, but eventually, seeds and trees from the nearby Faroe Islands had to be introduced. Mackay notes that the genetic makeup of trees from the mainland does not enable them to deal with harsh island conditions. For the Hebridean Ark Tree Project, seeds are being taken from trees that currently remain on the Outer Hebrides and grown into some 100,000 young tree saplings before being transferred back to the islands.
(1) What is true of environmental conditions on the Outer Hebrides?
1 Rising temperatures have made it difficult for plant and animal populations to grow significantly.
2 The high salt content in the soil has destroyed large areas of peat deposits, preventing the growth of plants.
3 The failure of organic matter to decay fully has resulted in the ground lacking nutrients.
4 Strong winds blow trees down too quickly for them to develop in numbers large enough for a forest to form.
(2) One of the main causes of tree loss on the Outer Hebrides in the past was that
1 native people allowed their animals to eat young trees in an attempt to make living conditions difficult for the Vikings.
2 the Vikings destroyed forested areas because they wanted to utilize the land for agricultural purposes.
3 native people attempted to escape the Vikings by cutting down large areas of forest to build boats for themselves.
4 the Vikings’ heavy use of peat in certain activities led forested areas to eventually be taken over by peat growth.
(3) According to David Mackay, what should the Hebridean Ark Tree Project learn from previous efforts?
1 Only a few types of seeds should be planted on the Outer Hebrides, as many species can damage the local environment.
2 Locals should lead the project, as experts from the mainland are not familiar with growing patterns on the Outer Hebrides.
3 Older trees should be used instead of young ones since they can better withstand the environmental threats on the Outer Hebrides.
4 The seeds of trees taken from the Outer Hebrides or from similarly harsh environments are the most likely to grow successfully.
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このような勉強をしていけば、
回答率が上がり
合格できるようになるでしょう。
試してみてください。
もう少し詳し解説をしたいのですが、
文章だと長くなり
読んでいるほうも飽きてきますので、
ここまでにしておきます。
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