太古の昔、生命は海で誕生しました。現在、海洋環境は危機にさらされています。温室効果ガスによって閉じ込められた熱の約９割が海に吸収されており、海水温度上昇に繋がっています。また、大気中に増えた二酸化炭素は海水に溶け酸性化を引き起こしたり、貝類の殻の形成を阻害したりしています。世界的に増加している魚の消費により、巨大トロール船による曳網の漁業は多くの魚種の乱獲に繋がっており、北大西洋のタラは従来の1％にまで減ってしまいました。他にも海洋プラスティックゴミの問題や海底での採鉱プロジェクトなどが海洋の生態系を脅かしています。どのようにして海洋環境と海洋資源の保護のための国際的な枠組みが交渉されているのでしょうか。

次の語句に最も適切な定義や同義語を選んで記号で答えましょう。

conference (a)  壊す、混乱させる

treaty (b)ゴミ捨て場

ambition (c)外交使節

dire (d) つぎはぎ、寄せ集め

jurisdiction (e)魚のとりすぎ

envoy (f) 熱望

brink (g)縁（ふち）、瀬戸際

spawn (h)会議

bereft (i) ~にとって立ち入り禁止の

rubbish dump (j) 条約

patchwork (k)恐ろしい、災難を予告する（ような）

regulatory (l) 指定する

robust (m)がっしりとしている、強い

operable (n) 産む、引き起こす

overfishing　 (o) 裁判権

designate  (p) （形）規制する

off-limits to ~ (q) 奪われて、失って（bereaveの過去分詞）

disrupt　 (r)操作可能な、実施可能な

torrent (s)略奪

plunder　 (t) 激流

Reading Page:

https://www.voanews.com/a/un-urges-ambitious-action-to-protect-oceans-/6641959.html

(1) What are the high seas? 

（a） Part of the seas where you have big waves.

（b） Part of the oceans where the water has got warm.

（c） Those international waters where you have many earthquakes.

（d） Those international waters beyond national jurisdiction.

(2) What role do oceans play in the Earth’s environment? Choose one that’s untrue.

（a） Oceans produce half the oxygen we breathe.

（b） Oceans provide humanity’s single largest source of protein. 

（c） Oceans absorb a quarter of CO2 pollution.

（d） Ocean currents cool down the whole Earth.

(3) Which statement on marine environment is true, according to the article?

（a） Sea water has turned alkaline.

（b） Coral reefs are surviving by migrating to cooler waters.

（c） Some parts of the seas do not have enough oxygen to support marine life.

（d） Japanese people will lose their own distinctive food culture that features seafood.

(4) Which statement is true regarding the current situation of the politics around the seas?  

（a） One comprehensive international law governs the shipping, fishing, and mining in the seas.

（b） The inland countries that have no coastal regions have stayed uninterested in signing a treaty on protecting the high seas.

（c） Some countries are selling the right to dump trash into the oceans just as the right to emit CO2.

（d） The newly negotiated treaty does not necessarily guarantee the improvement in the sea protection.

(5) When U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “The ocean is not a rubbish dump. It is not a source of infinite plunder,” what does he mean? Choose one that’s inappropriate.

（a） We should stop letting a truckful of plastic pour into the oceans every minute.

（b） We need to designate parts of the oceans as protected zones so that the fishing industry will not deplete the fish stock.

（c） Seabed mining for rare metals should not be permitted without any regulation.

（d） Developed countries should stop conducting underwater nuclear test.

Video やReadingで紹介されている事象に対して、どのように思うか自分なりに考えて意見を発表してみよう。

1)日本語で意見を言ってみよう。

2) 英語で意見を聞いてみよう。

What are the pros and cons of ~~~?  ~~~の賛成意見と反対意見はなんですか？

What are the advantages of ~~~? ~~~の利点はなんですか？

What are the disadvantages of ~~~? ~~~の不利な点はなんですか？

One advantage/benefit/pro is that~~~~~~.

Another advantage/benefit/pro is that~~~~~~.

One disadvantage/drawback/con is that~~~~~~.

Another disadvantage/drawback/con is that~~~~~~.

3) グループやペアを組んで、相手に英語で意見を言ってもらおう。

Today’s topic is protection of marine environment. What are the pros and cons of marine protected areas (MPAs)?

Dialogue sample

A: The disadvantages of large MPAs include difficulties of surveillance, enforcement and monitoring of vast offshore areas, as well as high total costs. While the cost per unit area may be lower for large MPAs, conducting surveillance and monitoring in such vast areas requires much more expensive technologies. Shouldn’t we spend our tax money on tackling the causes of global warming, rather than on taking care of its repercussions? 

B: Well, MPAs wouldn’t be just monetary burden. They can generate income through tourism and sustainable fishing. There are many other benefits too. Marine protected areas help protect important habitats and representative samples of marine life and can assist in restoring the productivity of the oceans and avoid further degradation. They are also sites for scientific study.