原田英語の時事英語ジュニア｜英語ニュース ワークシート（中学生レベル）
Class ____ No. ____ Name ____________________
火星に生命の痕跡？探査車パーサビアランスの岩に「ヒョウ柄」の模様
A Leopard-Spotted Rock on Mars
1NASA said in September 2025 that its rover may have found signs of ancient life on Mars. The rover is called Perseverance. The signs are in a rock sample called Sapphire Canyon.
2The rover took the sample in July 2024 near an old river valley. The rock has small spots that look like the spots on a leopard.
3The spots contain two minerals with iron in them. On Earth, tiny living things called microbes can help make these minerals. So scientists say the spots may be a sign of life from billions of years ago.
4But the same minerals can also form without life. Scientists say they need to study the sample more to be sure. They would like to study it in labs on Earth. However, NASA did not have a firm plan in 2025 to bring it back.
Words 単語
| rover外 | 名 | 探査車a car-like robot that drives around on another planet |
| ancientA2 | 形 | 大昔のfrom a very long time ago |
| sampleA2 | 名 | サンプル、見本a small piece taken away to study |
| valleyA2 | 名 | 谷low land between hills, often with a river |
| leopardB2 | 名 | ヒョウa large wild cat with dark spots |
| mineralsB1 | 名 | 鉱物natural materials found in rocks and the ground |
| microbesB2 | 名 | 微生物living things so small that you cannot see them |
| formA1 | 動 | できる、形づくられるto be made naturally over time |
単語のレベル：CEFR-J（『CEFR-J Wordlist Version 1.6』 東京外国語大学投野由紀夫研究室. （URL: https://www.cefr-j.org/download.html より 2026年8月ダウンロード））
1. Reading Quiz 本文の内容に合うものを選ぼう
What is the name of the NASA rover?
A. Sapphire CanyonB. LeopardC. PerseveranceD. Mars Express
What do the spots on the rock look like?
A. The spots on a leopardB. The stripes on a zebraC. Stars in the skyD. Drops of water
On Earth, what can help make these minerals?
A. Big fishB. Tiny living things called microbesC. Ice at the North PoleD. Sunlight
Why are scientists not sure yet?
A. The rover broke.B. The rock was lost.C. Mars is too cold.D. The minerals can also form without life.
2. True or False 正しければ T、違っていれば F
( ) Perseverance took the sample near an old river valley.
( ) Scientists are sure that there was life on Mars.
( ) The spots contain minerals with iron in them.
( ) The sample is already in a lab on Earth.
3. Fill in the Blanks 下の語から選んで空らんをうめよう（形を変えずに）
mineralsroverleopardmicrobessamplevalley
The rock has small spots that look like the spots on a _____.
The spots contain two _____ with iron in them.
NASA said in September 2025 that its _____ may have found signs of ancient life on Mars.
The signs are in a rock _____ called Sapphire Canyon.
The rover took the sample in July 2024 near an old river _____.
On Earth, tiny living things called _____ can help make these minerals.
4. Word Order 語を並べかえて正しい文にしよう
( is / The / Perseverance / called / rover ) .
( can / the / also / without / life / same / form / But / minerals ) .
( study / labs / to / would / in / on / Earth / like / They / it ) .
5. Think and Write 英語で答えてみよう
Do you think there was life on Mars long ago? Why do you think so?（大昔の火星に生命はいたと思う？そう思う理由は？）
If people found life on another planet, how would the world change?（ほかの星で生命が見つかったら、世界はどう変わると思う？）
Answers 解答
1. (1) C (2) A (3) B (4) D
2. (1) T (2) F (3) T (4) F
3. (1) leopard (2) minerals (3) rover (4) sample (5) valley (6) microbes
4.
- The rover is called Perseverance.
- But the same minerals can also form without life.
- They would like to study it in labs on Earth.
全文訳
1NASAは2025年9月、火星探査車が大昔の生命の痕跡を見つけたかもしれないと発表しました。探査車の名前は「パーサビアランス」です。その手がかりは、「サファイア・キャニオン」という名前の岩のサンプルの中にあります。
2探査車は2024年7月、昔の川の谷のそばでこのサンプルを採りました。その岩には、ヒョウの模様のような小さな斑点があります。
3斑点には、鉄をふくむ2種類の鉱物が入っています。地球では、「微生物」という小さな生き物が、これらの鉱物ができるのを助けることがあります。そのため科学者たちは、斑点が何十億年も前の生命のしるしかもしれないと言っています。
4でも、同じ鉱物は生命がなくてもできることがあります。確かめるにはサンプルをもっと調べる必要があると、科学者たちは言っています。科学者たちは、地球の研究室でサンプルを調べたいと考えています。しかし2025年の時点で、NASAにはサンプルを地球に持ち帰るはっきりした計画がありませんでした。
文法ポイント：look like ～（～のように見える）
「look like + 名詞」で「～のように見える、～に似ている」。本文の small spots that look like the spots on a leopard は「ヒョウの模様のように見える小さな斑点」。
出典：NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory、Astronomy Magazine、NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory ほか（記事は原田英語の時事英語ジュニアのオリジナル）｜https://www.haradaeigo.com/jijieigo-junior/news/2025-09-11-mars-rock-possible-signs-of-life/