第46回 の解答
テーマ：3Dプリンター 正解は緑、解説・和訳・スクリプト・模範解答つき
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。
訳：3Dプリンターを使えば、メーカーは新製品の試作品を速く安く作れるので、設計者は大量生産を始める前にアイデアを試して改良できる。
訳：医師たちは今や医療用スキャンをもとに患者の心臓の模型を印刷でき、外科医はかつてない精度で複雑な手術を計画できるようになった。
訳：批判する人々は、プリンターと適切なデータがあれば誰でも自宅で使用可能な銃を作れるため、その技術は公共の安全にとって脅威になると警告している。
訳：重要な機械部品が壊れたとき、技術者たちは3Dプリンターを使って急ごしらえの代替部品を作り、工場は数時間以内に生産を再開できた。
訳：そのCEOは会社の財政問題について従業員に率直に話すことにし、3Dプリンター部門が3年間赤字だったことを認めた。
長文読解（大問3形式）
目安 4分30秒Printing the Future
Three-dimensional printing, also known as additive manufacturing, builds objects layer by layer from digital designs. Unlike traditional methods that cut material away from a solid block, it uses only the material needed, which can significantly reduce waste. It also makes it possible to create complex internal structures, such as lightweight honeycomb patterns, that would be difficult or even impossible to produce by conventional means. Initially used mainly to make prototypes, the technology is now employed to produce aircraft parts, dental implants, and even small houses.
One of its greatest advantages is customization. Because each item is printed from a digital file, producing a unique object costs little more than producing a standard one. This has transformed fields such as medicine, where hearing aids and artificial limbs can be tailored to the shape of individual patients' bodies. The technology may also change how goods are distributed. Instead of shipping spare parts around the world and storing them in warehouses, companies could send digital files to be printed near where the parts are needed, reducing storage costs and delays.
Nevertheless, 3D printing is unlikely to replace mass production entirely. For large quantities of identical items, conventional factories remain much faster and cheaper, and printed parts sometimes require additional finishing or testing to ensure that they are strong enough. The technology's accessibility has also raised concerns, since people can print items such as untraceable firearms at home, which has prompted some governments to tighten regulations. Most experts therefore expect the two approaches to coexist, with 3D printing used where flexibility and customization matter more than speed and volume.
リスニング（Part1 会話形式）
目安 2分W Look at this. My dentist made my new crown with a 3D printer. It took less than an hour.
M Really? When I had one done a few years ago, I had to wait two weeks and come back for a second appointment.
W That's what I expected. But she scanned my tooth, designed the crown on a computer, and printed it right there in the clinic.
M Was it more expensive?
W Actually, it was about the same price. She said the printer was costly at first, but it saves on lab fees.
M I might switch to your dentist, then. Mine still does everything the old way.
スピーキング（面接No.3形式）
40秒Do you think new technologies like 3D printing will create more jobs than they eliminate?
💡 「新しい職種が生まれる」「起業しやすくなる」など、雇用が増える仕組みを具体的に示す。
模範解答
はい、そう思います。第一に、新しい技術はデジタル製品の設計やプリンターの保守のように、以前は存在しなかった産業を生み出します。第二に、3Dプリンターは生産コストを下げることで小規模事業者や個人が起業できるようにし、それが多くの新しい雇用につながる可能性があります。
💡 「新しい職種が生まれる」「起業しやすくなる」など、雇用が増える仕組みを具体的に示す。