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（高校生レベル）
Class ____ No. ____ Name ____________________
カフェインと子どもの睡眠・脳の関係は？よく飲む子ほど睡眠が短め、約9600人の研究
Children Who Have More Caffeine Sleep Less, Study Finds
1Children who consume more caffeine tend to sleep less and have less surface area in parts of the brain, a study has found. Researchers at King's College London published the study on Oct. 15. The study's senior author said earlier research shows that about two in three teenagers have caffeine at least weekly.
2The team used data on 9,632 children aged nine to 11 from the ABCD Study, a large brain study in the U.S. The children reported how many caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, tea and soft drinks, they usually had in a week. Their parents reported how long the children slept on average. MRI scans measured the thickness and surface area of the cortex, the folded outer layer of the brain.
3Children who had more caffeine tended to have a smaller surface area over the whole cortex. The pattern appeared in 22 areas, which were spread over all four main sections, or lobes, of the brain. It remained after the researchers took into account family factors such as parents' education and income. Having even one caffeinated drink a week, rather than none, was linked to differences in overall surface area.
4Children who had more caffeine also slept less, and shorter sleep was itself connected with smaller surface area. The team also checked for problems with the children's attention, mood and behavior six and 18 months later. At six months, shorter sleep and lower surface area partly explained the link between caffeine and these problems. At 18 months, only the link through surface area was still there.
5Soft drinks provided more caffeine than any other drink and drove most of the results. The researchers said they cannot comment on cause and effect. Soft drinks are high in sugar and often come with other risky habits, so the role of caffeine cannot yet be separated, they said. Scientists who were not involved said the study only observed children, so it cannot prove that caffeine changes their brains.
Words 単語
| consumeB1 | 動 | （食べ物・飲み物を）とる、消費するto eat, drink or use something |
| researchA2 | 名 | 研究careful study to find new facts |
| caffeinated外 | 形 | カフェイン入りのhaving the stuff in coffee that keeps you awake |
| on averageA2 | 熟 | 平均でwhen you add all and divide by how many |
| thicknessB2 | 名 | 厚さhow far it is from one side to the other |
| took into accountA2 | 熟 | ～を考えに入れたthought about something when deciding |
| incomeB1 | 名 | 収入money you get from work |
| behaviorA2 | 名 | ふるまい、行動the way a person acts |
| providedB1 | 動 | 与えた、もとになったgave something that was needed |
| observedB1 | 動 | 観察したwatched carefully to learn something |
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
Where did the children in the study live?
A. In BritainB. In JapanC. In the U.S.D. In many countries
Who reported how long the children slept?
A. Their parentsB. The childrenC. Their teachersD. Doctors
In how many areas of the brain did the pattern appear?
A. FourB. NineC. 18D. 22
What was still there at 18 months?
A. Only the link through sleepB. Only the link through surface areaC. Both linksD. Neither link
Why can't the role of caffeine be separated yet?
A. Because the children drank no coffeeB. Because the MRI scans were brokenC. Because soft drinks are high in sugar and often come with other risky habitsD. Because the parents did not answer
2. True or False 正しければ T、違っていれば F
( ) The pattern disappeared after family income was taken into account.
( ) Soft drinks provided more caffeine than any other drink in the study.
( ) The study proved that caffeine changes children's brains.
( ) The children reported how many caffeinated drinks they usually had in a 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）
Researchersconsumeincomecaffeinatedbehaviorthickness
The team also checked for problems with the children's attention, mood and _____ six and 18 months later.
It remained after the researchers took into account family factors such as parents' education and _____.
The children reported how many _____ drinks, such as coffee, tea and soft drinks, they usually had in a week.
_____ at King's College London published the study on Oct. 15.
MRI scans measured the _____ and surface area of the cortex, the folded outer layer of the brain.
Children who _____ more caffeine tend to sleep less and have less surface area in parts of the brain, a study has found.
4. Word Order 語を並べかえて正しい文にしよう
( on / Their / average / children / reported / parents / slept / the / how / long ) .
( The / cannot / cause / on / researchers / said / and / comment / they / effect ) .
( link / 18 / the / through / only / there / was / At / surface / still / area / months, ) .
5. Think and Write 英語で答えてみよう
Should stores stop selling caffeinated drinks to children? Give your opinion and reasons.（お店は子どもにカフェイン入りの飲み物を売るのをやめるべきだと思いますか。意見と理由を答えましょう。）
Why is it important to know the difference between a link and a cause when we read about a study?（研究のニュースを読むとき、「関係がある」と「原因である」のちがいを知ることはなぜ大切でしょうか。）
Answers 解答
1. (1) C (2) A (3) D (4) B (5) C
2. (1) F (2) T (3) F (4) T
3. (1) behavior (2) income (3) caffeinated (4) Researchers (5) thickness (6) consume
4.
- Their parents reported how long the children slept on average.
- The researchers said they cannot comment on cause and effect.
- At 18 months, only the link through surface area was still there.
全文訳
1カフェインを多くとる子どもは、眠る時間が短く、脳の一部で表面の面積が小さい傾向があることが、新しい研究でわかりました。キングス・カレッジ・ロンドンの研究者たちが、10月15日にこの研究を発表しました。研究をまとめた中心の研究者は、10代の約3人に2人が毎週1回以上カフェインをとっているという研究があると話しています。
2チームは、アメリカの大規模な脳の研究「ABCDスタディ」に参加した、9〜11歳の子ども9,632人のデータを使いました。子どもたちは、コーヒーやお茶、炭酸飲料などのカフェイン入りの飲み物を、ふだん1週間に何杯飲むかを答えました。親は、子どもが平均で何時間眠っているかを答えました。MRIで、脳のしわしわの外側の層である「大脳皮質」の厚さと表面の面積をはかりました。
3カフェインを多くとる子どもは、大脳皮質全体で表面の面積が小さい傾向がありました。この傾向は22か所で見られ、それは脳の4つの大きな部分（葉）すべてに広がっていました。親の学歴や収入など、家庭の条件を考えに入れても、この傾向は残りました。週にたった1杯でもカフェイン入りの飲み物をとることは、まったく飲まない場合とくらべて、全体の表面の面積の差と結びついていました。
4カフェインを多くとる子どもは眠る時間も短く、睡眠が短いこと自体も、表面の面積が小さいことと結びついていました。チームは、6か月後と18か月後に、子どもたちの注意力や気分、ふるまいに問題がないかも調べました。6か月後には、睡眠の短さと表面の面積の小ささが、カフェインとこうした問題の結びつきを一部説明していました。18か月後に残っていたのは、表面の面積を通した結びつきだけでした。
5炭酸飲料は、ほかのどの飲み物よりも多くのカフェインのもとになっていて、結果の大部分も炭酸飲料によるものでした。研究者たちは、原因と結果の関係については何も言えないと話しています。炭酸飲料は砂糖が多く、ほかの危ない習慣といっしょのことも多いため、カフェインだけの役割はまだ切り分けられない、とのことです。研究に関わっていない科学者たちは、この研究は子どもを観察しただけなので、カフェインが脳を変えるとは証明できないと話しています。
文法ポイント：同格のコンマ（名詞, 名詞 = 言いかえ・説明）
名詞のあとにコンマを打って、別の名詞で説明を足す。本文の the cortex, the folded outer layer of the brain は「大脳皮質、つまり脳のしわしわの外側の層」。the ABCD Study, a large brain study in the U.S. も同じ形。むずかしい言葉を説明するときに入試の長文でよく使われる。
出典：King's College London、Medical Xpress、Science Media Centre 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/2026-10-18-caffeine-kids-sleep-brain/