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 ____________________
北極の海氷、冬のピークが2年連続で過去最小 平年より日本3.5個分少なく
Less Ice in the Arctic Winter
1Arctic sea ice hit a record low at its winter peak in March 2026, scientists said. Every winter, the sea ice grows until about March. This year, it grew to only 14.29 million square kilometers.
2That is almost the same as the record low in 2025. The difference was too small to say which year was lower. The ice was about 1.35 million square kilometers smaller than the average from 1981 to 2010. That is about three and a half times the size of Japan.
3Sea ice sends a lot of the sun's heat back into space. Scientists say it works like a giant air conditioner for the Earth.
4A small winter peak gives the summer melt a head start, scientists said. Some scientists think Arctic summers could have no ice as early as about 2050.
Words 単語
| sea iceA1 | 名 | 海氷（海の水がこおった氷）ice that forms when ocean water freezes |
| peakB2 | 名 | ピーク、最高点the highest or biggest point of something |
| square kilometersA2 | 名 | 平方キロメートルa unit for measuring the size of an area |
| differenceA1 | 名 | ちがい、差the way two things are not the same |
| averageA2 | 名 | 平均the usual or middle amount of a group of numbers |
| heatA2 | 名 | 熱the energy that makes things warm or hot |
| giantB1 | 形 | 巨大なmuch bigger than usual |
| head startA1 | 名 | 有利なスタート、先行an early start that puts you ahead of others |
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
When did Arctic sea ice hit a record low at its winter peak?
A. In September 2025B. In March 2026C. In January 2010D. In March 1981
How did the 2026 peak compare with 2025?
A. It was almost the same.B. It was twice as big.C. It was much bigger.D. There was no ice in 2025.
How big is the missing ice compared with Japan?
A. Half the size of JapanB. The same size as JapanC. About ten times the size of JapanD. About three and a half times the size of Japan
What do scientists say sea ice works like?
A. A giant heaterB. A giant mirror ballC. A giant air conditionerD. A giant fan
2. True or False 正しければ T、違っていれば F
( ) Arctic sea ice grows every winter until about March.
( ) The 2026 peak was much bigger than the 1981 to 2010 average.
( ) Sea ice sends a lot of the sun's heat back into space.
( ) All scientists say the Arctic will have more ice in the future.
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）
peakgiantaverageheatdifference
Scientists say it works like a _____ air conditioner for the Earth.
The _____ was too small to say which year was lower.
The ice was about 1.35 million square kilometers smaller than the _____ from 1981 to 2010.
Arctic sea ice hit a record low at its winter _____ in March 2026, scientists said.
Sea ice sends a lot of the sun's _____ back into space.
4. Word Order 語を並べかえて正しい文にしよう
( grows / winter, / about / until / ice / March / sea / the / Every ) .
( the / record / That / in / the / is / same / almost / low / as / 2025 ) .
( heat / ice / of / a / lot / the / Sea / back / into / sun's / space / sends ) .
5. Think and Write 英語で答えてみよう
What animals live on or near Arctic sea ice?（北極の海氷の上やその近くには、どんな動物がすんでいますか？）
What can you do at home to save energy?（エネルギーを節約するために、家でできることは何ですか？）
Answers 解答
1. (1) B (2) A (3) D (4) C
2. (1) T (2) F (3) T (4) F
3. (1) giant (2) difference (3) average (4) peak (5) heat
4.
- Every winter, the sea ice grows until about March.
- That is almost the same as the record low in 2025.
- Sea ice sends a lot of the sun's heat back into space.
全文訳
1北極の海氷が、2026年3月の冬のピークで記録上最も小さくなったと、科学者たちが発表しました。海氷は毎年冬になると、3月ごろまで広がっていきます。今年は、1429万平方キロメートルまでしか広がりませんでした。
2これは、2025年の過去最小の記録とほとんど同じです。差が小さすぎて、どちらの年が少なかったとは言えないほどでした。氷は、1981年から2010年の平均より約135万平方キロメートル小さくなっていました。これは日本の面積のおよそ3.5倍です。
3海氷は、太陽の熱の多くを宇宙へはね返しています。科学者たちは、海氷は地球の巨大なエアコンのようなはたらきをしていると言います。
4冬のピークが小さいと、夏に氷がとけるのが早く進むと、科学者たちは話しています。早ければ2050年ごろには、北極の夏に氷がなくなるかもしれないと考える科学者もいます。
文法ポイント：倍数表現（～ times the size of ...）
～ times the size of ... で「…の～倍の大きさ」。本文の about three and a half times the size of Japan がその例。「2倍」は twice the size of ... と言う。
出典：CIRES, University of Colorado Boulder、Eos、NSIDC 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/2026-03-26-arctic-sea-ice-record-low/