Whether we like it or not, the world we live in has changed a great deal in the last hundred years, and it is likely to change even more in the next hundred. Some people would like to stop these changes and go back to what they see as a purer and simpler age. But as history shows, the past was not that wonderful. It was not so bad for (1) a privileged minority, though even they had to do without modern medicine, and childbirth was highly risky for women. But for the vast majority of the population, life was nasty and short.
Anyway, even if one wanted to, one couldn’t put the clock back to an earlier age. Knowledge and techniques can’t just be ( A ). Nor can one prevent further advances in the future. Even if all government money for research were cut ( あ ), the force of competition would still bring about advances in technology. Not only that, but also one cannot stop inquiring minds from thinking about basic science, whether or not they were paid for it.
If we accept that we cannot prevent science and technology from changing our world, we can at least try to (2) ensure that the changes they make are in the right directions. In a democratic society, this means that the public needs to have a basic understanding of science, so that (3) it can make informed decisions and not leave them in the hands of experts. At the moment, the public has a rather ambivalent attitude ( い ) science. It has come to expect the steady increase in the standard of living that new developments in science and technology have ( B ) to continue, but it also distrusts science because it doesn’t understand it. This distrust is evident in the cartoon figure of the mad scientist ( C ) in his laboratory to produce a Frankenstein. But the public also has a great interest in science, as is shown by the large audiences for science fiction.
What can be done to harness this interest and give the public the scientific background it needs to make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering? Clearly, the basis must lie in what is ( D ) in schools. But in schools science is often presented in a dry and uninteresting manner. Children must learn it by rote to pass examinations, and they don’t see its relevance to the world around them. ( う ), science is often taught in terms of equations. Although equations are a concise and accurate way of describing mathematical ideas, they frighten most people.
Scientists and engineers tend to express their ideas in the form of equations because they need to know the precise value of quantities. But for the rest of us, a qualitative grasp of scientific concepts is sufficient, and (4) this can be conveyed by words and diagrams, without the use of equations.
The science people learn in school can provide the basic framework. But the rate of scientific progress is now so rapid that there are always new developments that have occurred ( え ) one was at school or university. I never learned about molecular biology ¹ or transistors ² at school, but genetic engineering and computers are two of the developments most likely to change the way we live in the future. Popular books and magazine articles about science can help to (5) put across new developments, but even the most successful popular book is read by only a small proportion of the population. There are some very good science programs on TV, but others present scientific wonders simply as magic, without explaining them or showing how they fit into the framework of scientific ideas. Producers of television science programs should realize that they have a responsibility to educate the public, not just entertain it.
What are the science-related issues that the public will have to make decisions on in the near future? ( お ) the most urgent is that of nuclear weapons. Other global problems, such as food supply or the greenhouse effect, are relatively slow-acting, but a nuclear war could mean the end of all human life on earth within days. The relaxation of East-West tensions has meant that (6) the fear of nuclear war has receded from public consciousness. But the danger is still there as long as there are enough weapons to kill the entire population of the world many times ( か ). Nuclear weapons are still ready to strike all the major cities in the Northern Hemisphere. It would only take a computer error to trigger a global war.
If we manage to avoid a nuclear war, there are still other dangers that could destroy us all. There’s a sick joke that the reason we have not been contacted by an alien civilization is that civilizations tend to destroy themselves when they reach our (7) stage. But I have sufficient faith in the good sense of the public to believe that we might prove this wrong. 【825 words】
語注 １ 分子生物学 ２ トランジスタ
【設問】
問１ 空欄（あ）～（か）に入る最も適切な語を１つずつ選びなさい。
（あ） 1 across 2 off 3 through 4 up
（い） 1 around 2 behind 3 over 4 toward
（う） 1 Coincidentally 2 However 3 Instead 4 Moreover
（え） 1 because 2 since 3 supposing 4 whereas
（お） 1 At last 2 By far 3 Just in case 4 Out of hand
（か） 1 below 2 beyond 3 over 4 through
問２ 空欄 ( A )～( D )には、以下の動詞のいずれかが入る。それぞれに最も適切なものを選び、必要な場合は文意が通るように語形を変えて記しなさい。
bring forget teach work
問３ 下線部(1)～(7)について、最も適切なものをそれぞれ１つ選びなさい。
(1) a privileged minority とは
1 恵まれた少数 2 社会的弱者 3 少数民族 4 西洋人
(2) この ensure に最も意味が近いのは
1 confirm 2 guess 3 hope 4 predict
(3) 下線部が示す内容として、最も適切なものは
1 大衆が自分で情報を集め、専門家に尋ねる。 2 国民自ら専門家となり、情報発信する。 3 専門家任せにせず、大衆が自分で判断する。 4 専門家が情報を集め、多数決で決める。
(4) この this とは
1 a mathematical awareness 2 a precise definition 3 an imaginary object 4 an overall understanding
(5) put across new developments とは
1 explain the reason for unknown mathematical equations
2 give information about recent scientific discoveries
3 tell the location of unused science laboratories
4 test the latest advances in scientific theories
(6) the fear of nuclear war has receded from public consciousness とは
1 nuclear war concerns have been completely replaced by personal ambitions
2 nuclear war is without a doubt no longer a matter of concern for anyone
3 people no longer think about nuclear war as often as they used to
4 people only consider nuclear war when conflicts arise in the world
(7) この stage と同じ意味で使われている stage を含むものは
1 It is no use at this stage to think about all of the mistakes you made.
2 Personal computer development set the stage for the Internet.
3 The boy was afraid to go on stage and speak before the large audience.
4 The politician held the stage with confidence throughout the debate.
問４ 以下の各群について、本文の内容と一致するものを１つ選びなさい。
Ａ群
1 People are generally wary of science because they do not fully comprehend it.
2 Preventing the progress of science leads to higher standards of living.
3 The mad scientist created a Frankenstein to generate interest in science fiction.
4 The public would prefer to have nothing to do with science whatsoever.
Ｂ群
1 The author considers television producers to be the geniuses of our time.
2 The author desires for the general public to improve its mathematical skills.
3 The author detests it when jokes are made at the expense of alien civilizations.
4 The author wishes for increased scientific awareness by the public as a whole.
Ｃ群
1 Many global problems are slow-acting because they can be explained as new developments in books and magazines.
2 Science education in public schools is not fully trusted because students are not trained to apply their learning.
3 Science and technology improve because only intelligent people engage in government research.
4 The general public is scared of equations because they are exceedingly precise.
