準1級解答・解説

第37回の解答

テーマ：森林火災　正解は緑、解説・和訳・スクリプト・模範解答つき

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解答一覧

(1) ④(2) ③(3) ③(4) ①(5) ③(6) ②(7) ①(8) ②(9) ①(10) ②

🎧 リスニング音声

語彙・熟語（大問1形式）

目安 2分30秒

空所に入れるのに最も適切なものを1つ選びなさい。

(1)As the wildfire spread rapidly toward the valley, residents were ordered to () their homes immediately and move to shelters in the next town.

正解：④ vacate「明け渡す・立ち退く」。避難所へ移るよう命じられた＝家を「立ち退く」。誤答：① renovate「改装する」　② inhabit「住む」　③ inherit「相続する」

訳：山火事が谷に向かって急速に広がる中、住民は直ちに自宅を離れ、隣町の避難所へ移動するよう命じられた。

(2)Decades of () fire suppression allowed dead trees and dry brush to accumulate, making modern wildfires far more intense.

正解：③ zealous「熱心な・熱狂的な」。徹底的に火を消し続けた結果、燃料がたまった。「熱心な」消火活動。誤答：① frugal「倹約的な・質素な」　② tentative「仮の・ためらいがちな」　④ candid「率直な」

訳：何十年にもわたって熱心に消火活動を行ってきたことで枯れ木や乾いた低木がたまり、現代の山火事ははるかに激しいものになった。

(3)Smoke from the fires traveled thousands of kilometers, and residents far from the flames were warned that the air quality had reached () levels.

正解：③ perilous「危険な」。were warned「警告された」ので「危険な」水準。誤答：① trivial「ささいな」　② pristine「汚れのない・原始のままの」　④ modest「控えめな・適度な」

訳：火災の煙は数千キロ離れた場所まで流れ、炎から遠く離れた住民も、大気の質が危険なレベルに達したと警告を受けた。

(4)Fire officials believe a single spark from a power line () the disaster, which eventually destroyed more than 1,000 homes.

正解：① touched off「引き起こした・誘発した」。a single spark「一つの火花」が災害を「引き起こした」。誤答：② turned out「～と判明した」　③ came across「偶然見つけた」　④ called off「中止した」

訳：消防当局は、送電線から出たたった一つの火花がこの災害の引き金となり、最終的に1,000棟を超える家屋が焼失したと考えている。

(5)Emergency crews dug wide trenches and cleared vegetation in an effort to () the fire's advance toward the town until reinforcements arrived.

正解：③ stave off「食い止める・防ぐ」。until reinforcements arrived「応援到着まで」持ちこたえる＝「食い止める」。誤答：① give away「手放す・漏らす」　② set up「設置する」　④ bring about「引き起こす」

訳：救急隊は、応援が到着するまで火が町へ迫るのを食い止めようと、幅の広い溝を掘り、草木を取り除いた。

長文読解（大問3形式）

目安 4分30秒

Fire Seasons Grow Longer

Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems, and some plant species even depend on fire to release their seeds or to clear space for new growth. In recent decades, however, fires in places such as California, Australia, and Canada appear to have become larger and more destructive. Scientists attribute this trend to several interacting factors. Rising temperatures dry out vegetation and extend the season during which fires can occur, while changing rainfall patterns can leave forests parched for longer periods. Once a large fire begins, hot and windy conditions can allow it to spread faster than firefighters are able to respond.

Human activity has also played a role. More people are building homes near forests and grasslands, increasing both the chances that fires will be accidentally started and the damage they cause when they do. Management practices are another factor. For much of the twentieth century, authorities in the United States tried to put out every fire as quickly as possible. Although well-intentioned, this policy allowed dead branches and dense undergrowth to accumulate on forest floors, providing fuel that can turn ordinary fires into intense, uncontrollable ones.

Many experts now advocate prescribed burns, carefully controlled fires set during safe weather conditions to reduce the amount of fuel. Indigenous communities in Australia and North America used similar techniques for thousands of years. Yet such burns are often opposed by residents who fear smoke and the risk that flames may escape, and they can be carried out on only a limited number of suitable days each year. As a result, some researchers argue that adapting communities to fire, for example through fire-resistant building materials and stricter planning rules, is just as important as managing forests.

(6)According to the passage, how does climate contribute to larger wildfires?

正解：②。第1段落で、気温上昇が植物を乾燥させ、火災が起こり得る季節を長くし、降雨パターンの変化が森林を長期間乾いた状態にすると述べている。これを「より暖かく乾いた条件で、一年のより長い期間燃えやすくなる」とまとめた選択肢が正解。

(7)What was the result of the twentieth-century policy in the United States?

正解：①。第2段落で、あらゆる火災をすぐに消し止める方針は善意によるものだったが、枯れ枝や茂った下草が林床に蓄積し、普通の火災を激しい制御不能な火災に変える「燃料」になったと述べている。

(8)Why do some researchers believe prescribed burns alone are not enough?

正解：②。第3段落で、計画的な野焼きは煙や延焼を恐れる住民に反対されることが多く（社会的障害）、実施できる適した日も年に限られている（実際的障害）とあり、そのため地域社会を火災に適応させることも同様に重要だと述べている。

リスニング（Part2 文章形式）

目安 2分

🎧 音声は1回だけ（本番と同じ）。質問も音声で流れます。 ▶ 音声はQRコードからアプリで再生： https://www.haradaeigo.com/scbt/asakatsu/p1-37/

(9)No. 1

正解：①。「強い熱にさらされたときにだけ開く松かさを作り、種を放出する」と述べられている。

(10)No. 2

正解：②。最後の文「若木が育つ前に再び火災が起きると、森林が草原や低木地に永久に置き換わる可能性がある」。最後の選択肢は逆。

📜 スクリプト

🎙 After a large forest fire, it is natural to assume that the landscape has been destroyed. However, research shows that burned forests often recover in surprising ways. Some pine trees produce cones that open only when exposed to intense heat, releasing seeds onto ground that has been cleared of competing plants. Woodpeckers and certain beetles also thrive in burned areas, feeding on dead trees. That said, scientists warn that extremely frequent or severe fires can overwhelm this natural ability to recover. When fires return before young trees have matured, forests may be replaced permanently by grassland or shrubs.

スピーキング（面接No.4形式）

40秒

Large forest fires have become more common around the world in recent years.

Should governments spend more money on preventing natural disasters rather than responding to them?

💡 whereas（～である一方）を使って2つの選択肢を対比させると、論理がはっきりする。

模範解答

Yes, I think so. First, prevention is usually much cheaper than rebuilding homes and infrastructure after a disaster. Second, measures such as managing forests and strengthening buildings can save many lives, whereas emergency responses often come too late for victims.

はい、そう思います。第一に、予防は災害後に住宅やインフラを再建するよりも、たいていずっと安上がりです。第二に、森林管理や建物の強化といった対策は多くの命を救えますが、緊急対応は被災者にとって手遅れになることが多いのです。