英検1級 新傾向問題（英文要約問題）サンプル問題の解説
先程のブログでは、新傾向対策について述べ、準1級の題材を取り上げました。今回は1級の題材を扱います。英文の難度は準1級の内容一致と同レベルとさほど高くはありませんが、2級や準1級と比べると全体の構成がつかみにくくなっています。英検協会のサイトで公開されている以下の題材を色塗り部分を意識しながら読んでみましょう。
Poyang Lake is China’s biggest freshwater lake. Although people have fished it for generations, these days, a new resource is being removed ― sand. Up to 10,000 tons of sand are dug up from the lake floor per hour, making this the world’s largest sand mine. Much of the sand is shipped to Shanghai ― a city whose population has risen by 7 million since 2007 ― where it is used in the construction of high-rises, roads, and other structures. Massive mining operations exist not only in China but also in other nations, including Australia and the United States. Globally, the largest importer of sand is Singapore, which has used the resource to increase its territorial landmass by 20 square miles.
The consequences of sand mining are a major concern. Removing sand from water bodies increases water sediment, blocking out sunlight; this interferes with underwater plants’ production of oxygen, making survival for fish and other organisms difficult. In the case of Poyang Lake, sand removal has made the channels leading out of the lake much deeper and wider, doubling the amount of water flowing outward. Consequently, the lake’s water level has dropped dramatically. This threatens the water supply to neighboring wetlands, which are home to numerous bird species and other wildlife.
Many countries are becoming increasingly aware of the damage caused by sand mining. Demand for the resource has taken a toll on Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia, which have banned sand exports in efforts to preserve local ecosystems. However, increasing demand means that when mining stops in one area, other areas take on the burden of supply. China’s Yangtze River, for example, was formerly a major sand-mining site, but by the late 1990s so much had been removed that bridges collapsed along with large sections of the riverbank. When sand mining was banned on the Yangtze in 2000, operations shifted to Poyang Lake.
まとめると、以下のようになります。
■第一段落の要旨
中国の鄱陽湖（はようこ）では、湖底の砂が世界最大の採掘地となり、主に上海などの建設用に運ばれる。他国でも砂の採掘が広がり、シンガポールは国土を砂を使って拡大している。
☞上海、シンガポールなどで砂の需要があることが第三段落に関係してくる。
■第二段落の要旨
砂の採掘には大きな懸念がある。水中の砂を取り除くと、光の遮断や水路の変化が生じ、それが水中植物の生産に影響し、湖の水位の低下につながる。そして、周辺の生態系に悪影響を及ぼす。
■第三段落の要旨
多くの国が、砂の採掘がもたらす悪影響を意識している。一部の国は輸出を禁止しているが、（上海やシンガポールなどで）需要があるために採掘が他の地域に移動するという結果になるに過ぎない。例えば、中国の長江での採掘が禁止され、採掘が鄱陽湖に移行した経緯がある。
解答例は、以下のようになります。
＜解答例＞
Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater lake, faces a new challenge as sand mining has surged, reaching up to 10,000 tons per hour, making it the world’s largest sand mine. Shanghai is a major consumer of this sand for constructing high-rises and infrastructure. The global implications of sand mining affects nations like Australia and the United States. Singapore, the largest global sand importer, has expanded its landmass by 20 square miles using this resource. However, the environmental consequences are alarming, disrupting aquatic ecosystems, reducing water levels, and endangering wetlands and wildlife. Some countries have banned sand exports to safeguard local ecosystems, but the demand persists, causing environmental shifts and ecological challenges. 110 words
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