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 ____________________
ヘビが転がって逃げる！ふつうに進むより約4倍速い、東邦大学が動きを調べた
Snakes That Roll Like Wheels
1Scientists in Japan have studied how some tiny snakes roll like a wheel. Rolling is about four times faster than their usual way of moving.
2The snakes are called dwarf reed snakes. They live in Southeast Asia and are less than 30 centimeters long. When they are in danger, they make a loop with their bodies and roll away.
3A team at Toho University filmed the snakes with several cameras on a small track. The fastest snake rolled at about 3.7 meters per second. That is about 13 kilometers per hour.
4While the snakes roll, their heads stay pointed forward. This may help them move in the right direction. The study was published in the science journal Current Biology.
Words 単語
| rollA2 | 動 | 転がるto move by turning over and over |
| wheelA1 | 名 | 車輪、タイヤa round thing that turns under a car or bike |
| usualA2 | 形 | いつもの、ふだんのthe same as most times |
| dangerA2 | 名 | 危険a chance that something bad will happen |
| loop外 | 名 | 輪a round shape made by a line or string |
| filmedA2 | 動 | 撮影した（film の過去形）made a video of something |
| directionA2 | 名 | 方向、向きthe way something goes or faces |
| journalB1 | 名 | （専門の）雑誌a magazine about one kind of study |
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 much faster is rolling than the snakes' usual way of moving?
A. About two timesB. About four timesC. About ten timesD. About 30 times
Where do dwarf reed snakes live?
A. In JapanB. In AfricaC. In South AmericaD. In Southeast Asia
When do the snakes roll?
A. When they are in dangerB. When they eatC. When they sleepD. When it rains
What happens to the snakes' heads while they roll?
A. They turn around and around.B. They hit the ground.C. They stay pointed forward.D. They hide inside the loop.
2. True or False 正しければ T、違っていれば F
( ) Dwarf reed snakes are about 3 meters long.
( ) The team used several cameras to film the snakes.
( ) The fastest snake rolled at about 13 kilometers per hour.
( ) The study was done by a team in Southeast Asia.
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）
filmeddirectionusualdangerrolljournal
When they are in _____, they make a loop with their bodies and roll away.
Scientists in Japan have studied how some tiny snakes _____ like a wheel.
A team at Toho University _____ the snakes with several cameras on a small track.
This may help them move in the right _____.
Rolling is about four times faster than their _____ way of moving.
The study was published in the science _____ Current Biology.
4. Word Order 語を並べかえて正しい文にしよう
( are / dwarf / reed / snakes / The / called / snakes ) .
( hour / about / 13 / That / kilometers / per / is ) .
( forward / snakes / While / heads / their / pointed / roll, / the / stay ) .
5. Think and Write 英語で答えてみよう
If you could move like an animal for one day, which animal would you choose?（1日だけ動物のように動けるなら、どの動物を選びますか？）
What other animals do you know that move in a surprising way?（ほかに、びっくりするような動き方をする動物を知っていますか？）
Answers 解答
1. (1) B (2) D (3) A (4) C
2. (1) F (2) T (3) T (4) F
3. (1) danger (2) roll (3) filmed (4) direction (5) usual (6) journal
4.
- The snakes are called dwarf reed snakes.
- That is about 13 kilometers per hour.
- While the snakes roll, their heads stay pointed forward.
全文訳
1日本の科学者が、タイヤのように転がる小さなヘビの動き方を調べました。転がると、ふだんの進み方より約4倍速く動けます。
2このヘビは「ドワーフ・リード・スネーク」と呼ばれます。東南アジアにすみ、長さは30センチもありません。危ないときには体で輪を作り、転がって逃げます。
3東邦大学のチームが、小さなコースの上のヘビを、いくつものカメラで撮りました。いちばん速いヘビは、1秒に約3.7メートル転がりました。これは時速約13キロです。
4転がっている間も、ヘビの頭は前を向いたままです。そのおかげで、正しい向きに進めるのかもしれません。この研究は、科学の雑誌 Current Biology にのりました。
文法ポイント：比較級 + than（〜より…）と「〜倍」
faster than ... で「…より速い」。本文の Rolling is about four times faster than their usual way of moving. のように、比較級の前に four times（4倍）を置くと「4倍速い」になる。
出典：東邦大学（Mirage News）、Smithsonian Magazine、Popular Science、IFLScience 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/2026-10-25-dwarf-reed-snakes-roll/