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【2】次の英文を読んで, 下の(1)~ (5)の英文の(
を書きなさい。
)に当てはまる最も適当なものを, それぞれア~エの中から1つずつ選び, その記号
*Ogasawara Islands are a group of islands in *the Pacific Ocean, about. 1000 kilometers south of Tbkyo. There are more than 30
islands, and about 3000 people live on the two largest islands. They are sometimes called “Tolyo's *Hidden Islands' or **the Galapagos of
the East". When Ogasawara people go to Tbkyo, they have to take a ferryboat for 24 hours because there is no airport. Ogasawara
Islands are far from the main islands, so there are many kinds of *unique plants and animals.They are called *endemic species. Thirty -
six percent of the plants on the islands'are endemic species. We can see those plants only in Ogasawara Islands. Because only plants
and animals that have *adapted to Ogasawara *environment could *survive, unique *ecosystems were developed.
This is a story about people who saved two kinds of animals on Ogasawara Islands. One is a red-headed wood pigeon,
Karasu Bato".: This is one of the endemic species on Ogasawara Islands. Birds usually live on trees and *protect themselves from their
*enemies. But red-headed wood pigeons on the islands have no enemies, so they live on the ground. Their living environment has
changed since people brought cats to the islands as pets. Some of them *went wild and became *stray cats. Amother cat usually has
about 20 babies a year, so the number of the stray cats *kept increasing and a lot of pigeons were eaten by them. In 2002, the number of
the pigeons was only about 40. People began to think they should do something to protect this endemic species and natural environment
on Ogasawara Islands.
In 2008, people on the islands, Japanese and *overseas researchers, *public officials and animal doctors met together and started a
project to save the pigeons. At thé meeting, they decided to *get rid of the stray cats, but they didn't know what to do. So after the
meeting, they asked *the Tbkyo Veterinary Medical Association for advice. Animal doctors in this association *cooperated with a lot of
volunteers and started a project to save the stray cats. They said, “The pigeons can't survive outside the islands, but cats can live in Tokyo.
We want to save both kinds of animals,” The stray cats were *caught and carried to Tbkyo by ship. Animal doctors and volunteers took
care of them and looked for their new fanmilies. From 2008 to 2018, about 800 stray cats were sent to Tokyo to start their new ife. Also,
the number of pigeons has increased to about 400 now. This story shows that people may have a bad *influence on the natural
environment, but we can protect and make it better by cooperating with each other. A person who took part in this project said, “It is
important for us to think how we can keep the natural environment for the future."
“Aka-gashira
*the Pacific Ocean 太平洋
*unique 独特の
*environment 環境
*went wild 野生化した
*Hidden 隠された
*endemic species 固有種
*ecosystems 生態係
(注)
*Ogasawara Islands 小笠原諸島
*the Galapagos ofthe East 東洋のガラパゴス
*adapted adapt 「適応する」 の過去形·過去分詞
*protect~ ~を守る
*kept increasing 増え続けた
*get rid of ~
*suIvive 生き残る
*stray cats ノラネコ
*public officials 公務員
*enemies 敵
*overseas researchers 海外の研究者
*c0operated 協力した
~を駆除する
*caught catch 「~をつかまえる」の過去形·過去分詞
*the Tokyo Veterinary Medical Association 東京都獣医師会
*influence 影響
