※甲南大學で2012年に出題された 4 題のうち 1 題めの問題です。
次の英文を読んで、後の問に答えよ。
Energy plays a (1) fundamental role in shaping human life. It is essential for survival, and thus energy production and (2) consumption are considered some of the most important activities of human life. Indeed, it has been argued that energy is the key “to the advance of civilization,” that (イ) the evolution of human societies is dependent on the ability to make use of energy sources. Few people have questioned the long-held assumption that (3) the standard of living and the quality of civilization are proportional to the quantity of energy a society uses.
Before the modern era, people relied for power on their own muscles, on the muscles of domesticated animals, such as horses and oxen, and on water and wind. These types of energy are obtained by (4) utilizing natural resources. (ロ) Since the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century, fossil fuels have instead become the essential resources for energy generation. Fossil fuels are also natural resources, because they are formed from the remains of dead animals and plants over millions of years. However, there is one important aspect that (5) distinguishes fossil fuels from water and wind: they are not “renewable,” while wind and water are.
Renewable resources are so called because they are usually (6) restored within a relatively short time. They include solar rays, tides, winds, the Earth’s internal heat, and so on. Non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels, on the other hand, cannot be quickly generated again once they are consumed. Thus energy sources such as gasoline, coal, natural gas, diesel and other raw products derived from fossil fuels are considered non-renewable.
Humans have been relying on non-renewable fossil fuels as the main energy source since the Industrial Revolution. However, because such energy resources are not renewable, it is predicted that they will eventually be ( 7 ) in the future. Therefore, humans will need to find other sources of energy, and the significance of renewable resources is becoming greater and greater these days.
The technology of obtaining energy from renewable resources such as solar and wind is, at present, relatively unstable and inefficient compared with the technology of making use of non-renewable resources. However, a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that (8) they could supply up to 80 percent of the world’s energy needs by 2050 and play a significant role in fighting global warming and energy crisis. The report concluded that the use of renewable resources is on the rise, their prices are (9) declining, and with the right policies, they will be an important tool both in tackling climate change and helping poor countries develop their economies. The report reviewed bio-energy, solar energy, the Earth’s heat, waterpower, ocean energy and wind. It did not consider nuclear, but the IPCC chairman said that the nuclear accident in Japan was not discussed nor did it have any impact on the report’s conclusions.
The report shows that from 2009 to 2010, investment in renewable resources has gone from $186 billion to $243 billion with China alone seeing a 30 percent increase, as a result of “record growth.” The technological possibilities are increasing, the costs are coming down, and the likelihood of investment in renewable energy is gradually getting higher. The business opportunities are tremendous.
But the IPCC warns that in order to further develop the technology of renewable resources, much larger investment will be required in the next (10) two decades ―― of as much as $1.5 trillion (=$1,500 billion) by 2020 and up to $7.2 trillion from 2020 to 2030. In addition to the financial issues, the IPCC also points out that governments will have to introduce policies that combine renewable resources with existing power systems and promote their benefits in terms of reducing air pollution and improving public health.
注 domesticated 家畜の fossil 化石
1. 下線部 (1), (2), (4), (5), (6), (9), (10) の意味として最も近いものを選択肢から選べ。
(1) fundamental
A. creative B. final C. suitable D. vital
(2) consumption
A. choice B. recycling C. sale D. use
(4) utilizing
A. bringing about B. making use of C. purchasing D. wasting
(5) distinguishes
A. emphasizes B. employs C. produces D. separates
(6) restored
A. brought back B. exhausted C. reused D. sold again
(9) declining
A. denying B. falling C. increasing D. offering
(10) two decades
A. twelve months B. twenty years C. two generations D. two centuries
2. 下線部(3)の内容と最も近いものを選択肢から選べ。
A. A society that uses a large amount of energy should consider lowering the standard of living.
B. A society that uses a large amount of energy tends to be highly civilized.
C. In an advanced and civilized society, the standard of living tends to be very high.
D. In an advanced and civilized society, the energy problems is very serious.
3. 空所（ 7 ）に入る最も適切な語句を選択肢から選べ。
A. easier to obtain
B. less available and very costly
C. less and less renewable
D. more important and substantial
4. 下線部(8)が何を指すか、選択肢から選べ。
A. humans
B. non-renewable resources
C. IPCC members
D. renewable resources
5. 本文全体の内容と一致するものを選択肢から四つ選べ。
A. Before the Industrial Revolution, people used to rely on various types of renewable energy resources.
B. When the Industrial Revolution happened, people stopped using natural resources and started to use fossil fuels instead.
C. Fossil fuels are not regarded as renewable, because it would take millions of years for them to be formed again.
D. The IPCC reported that obtaining energy from renewable resources is not stable and not efficient so that it is too early for us to rely on them.
E. The IPCC suggested that in about 20 years, renewable resources could replace non-renewable ones.
F. The IPCC stated that the use of renewable resources should be good for the prevention of global warming and for the development of economies in poor countries.
G. The IPCC did not consider nuclear power because they thought it was too risky, as proved by the nuclear accident inJapan.
H. About 186 billion dollars were invested inChina’s renewable resources in 2010 alone.
I. According to the IPCC, the investment in renewable energy is certain to exceed $1.5 trillion by 2020 and at least $7.2 trillion by 2030.
J. The IPCC argues that political support from governments is necessary in order to promote the benefits of renewable energy resources.
6. 下線部（イ）,（ロ）を和訳せよ。
