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 ____________________
月に新しいクレーター!幅222メートル、「100年に1度」の大きさをNASAが発見
A Big New Hole on the Moon
1NASA has found a new crater on the moon. It is about 222 meters wide and 43 meters deep. That is about as wide as two soccer fields placed end to end.
2The crater formed between April and May in 2024. A space rock about the size of a three to six-story building hit the moon. NASA says it is the largest new crater ever found in the solar system.
3A spacecraft called the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took pictures of the place before and after. In October 2025, a team member compared the pictures and saw the new crater.
4Scientists think a hit this big happens on the moon only about once every 100 years. The crater was named McGetchin, after a scientist who studied the moon.
Words 単語
| craterB2 | 名 | クレーター(丸いくぼみ)a large round hole in the ground |
| wideA2 | 形 | 幅が~の、広いmeasuring a certain distance from side to side |
| deepA2 | 形 | 深さが~の、深いgoing a long way down from the top |
| formedA1 | 動 | できた、形づくられた(form の過去形)began to exist or took shape |
| storyA1 | 名 | (建物の)階one level or floor of a building |
| spacecraft外 | 名 | 宇宙船、探査機a machine that travels in space |
| comparedA2 | 動 | くらべた(compare の過去形)looked at things to see how they are different |
| namedA1 | 動 | 名づけられた(name の過去分詞)given a name |
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
How wide is the new crater?
A. About 43 metersB. About 2 kilometersC. About 222 metersD. About 100 meters
When did the crater form?
A. Between April and May in 2024B. In October 2025C. About 100 years agoD. When the moon was born
How did a team member find the crater?
A. By walking on the moonB. By comparing pictures from before and afterC. By listening to a loud soundD. By looking through a toy telescope
How often does a hit this big happen on the moon?
A. Every dayB. Every yearC. Every ten yearsD. About once every 100 years
2. True or False 正しければ T、違っていれば F
( ) The new crater is about as wide as two soccer fields.
( ) A small stone the size of a ball made the crater.
( ) The spacecraft took pictures before and after the hit.
( ) Hits this big happen on the moon every week.
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)
comparedspacecraftformedwidestorycrater
A space rock about the size of a three to six-_____ building hit the moon.
A _____ called the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took pictures of the place before and after.
The crater _____ between April and May in 2024.
It is about 222 meters _____ and 43 meters deep.
In October 2025, a team member _____ the pictures and saw the new crater.
NASA has found a new _____ on the moon.
4. Word Order 語を並べかえて正しい文にしよう
( on / moon / crater / found / has / a / new / the / NASA ) .
( about / and / 43 / meters / is / wide / It / 222 / meters / deep ) .
( 2024 / in / between / crater / formed / and / The / April / May ) .
5. Think and Write 英語で答えてみよう
What would you like to see if you could visit the moon?(もし月に行けたら、何を見てみたいですか?)
Why do you think the moon has so many craters?(月にクレーターがたくさんあるのはなぜだと思いますか?)

Answers 解答
1. (1) C (2) A (3) B (4) D
2. (1) T (2) F (3) T (4) F
3. (1) story (2) spacecraft (3) formed (4) wide (5) compared (6) crater
4.
- NASA has found a new crater on the moon.
- It is about 222 meters wide and 43 meters deep.
- The crater formed between April and May in 2024.
全文訳
1NASAが、月に新しいクレーターを見つけました。幅は約222メートル、深さは43メートルです。これは、サッカー場を2つ縦に並べたくらいの幅です。
2このクレーターは、2024年の4月から5月のあいだにできました。3〜6階建てのビルくらいの大きさの宇宙の岩が、月にぶつかったのです。NASAによると、太陽系で見つかった新しいクレーターの中で、いちばん大きいものです。
3ルナー・リコネサンス・オービター(LRO)という探査機が、その場所の前とあとの写真をとっていました。2025年10月、チームの1人が写真をくらべて、新しいクレーターに気づきました。
4これほど大きな衝突は、月では100年に1度くらいしか起きないと、科学者たちは考えています。このクレーターは、月を研究した科学者にちなんで「マクゲッチン」と名づけられました。
文法ポイント:after ~(~にちなんで)
name A after B で「BにちなんでAと名づける」。受け身にすると A was named after B。本文の The crater was named McGetchin, after a scientist who studied the moon. は「月を研究した科学者にちなんでマクゲッチンと名づけられた」という意味。
出典:NASA Science、LROC (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera)、ScienceDaily 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/2026-09-16-moon-new-crater-mcgetchin/