- Writer / 記事を書いた人
-
- Mikee
-
the Philippines（フィリピン）
Article
記事
The Lake That Breathes
息づく湖
▼ 記事の音声を再生
＜Let's learn!＞
・a complex of …
・what makes A special is B
・If you were to A, you would B
・as if …
=====================================
When people think of Cambodia, they often picture the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, a vast complex of stone ruins. But the country is also home to a unique natural wonder: the Tonlé Sap. This is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, and it is a center of Cambodian life and society, supporting millions of people.
What makes the Tonlé Sap special is its "pulse." During the dry season, the lake is relatively small and shallow. But in the rainy season, the mighty Mekong River pushes water backward up the Tonlé Sap River. This amazing reversal makes the lake grow to five times its normal size, flooding the surrounding forests and fields. If this natural event did not happen, the map of Cambodia and the lives of its people would look completely different.
※Image1
This pulse supports a unique culture. Many people live in "floating villages" that sit right on the lake. If you were to visit, you would see houses, shops, and schools all built on high stilts or floating on bamboo rafts. It is as if the whole community were breathing along with the changing water. People use boats to go everywhere, from visiting neighbors to going to the market. Some even grow vegetables in floating gardens. If they lived on dry land, their daily life would not be so connected to the seasons.
The lake is incredibly rich in fish, providing over half of the country's protein. However, this important ecosystem is now in danger from pollution, upstream dams, and climate change, which can make the seasonal pulse weaker. Many Cambodians look at the lake and wish it could be protected forever. If the lake were to lose its fish, the lifestyle of the floating villages would be in serious trouble. This "Great Lake" is more than just water; it is the living, beating heart of Cambodian society.
【出典】
※Image1
NASA/Johnson Space Center - Earth from Space - Image InformationGateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth, パブリック・ドメイン, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=874025による
※桐原書店発行 Heartening English Communication I New Editionとのコラボレーション記事のため、日本語訳を掲載しません。
Key Points
キーポイント
Repeat each word(s) and example sentence(s) after your teacher/tutor.
先生の後に続いて、各フレーズ、単語、例文を言ってみましょう。自習の場合はスピーカーボタンを押して聞いてみましょう。
Key Phrases 重要表現
- a complex of …
-
…の複合体、…の集合体
-
The problem is a complex of many small mistakes.
その問題は、多くの小さなミスの集合体です。
- what makes A special is B
-
Aを特別なものにしているのはB、Aの特別な点はB
-
What makes this restaurant special is their secret family recipe.
このレストランを特別なものにしているのは、彼らの秘密の家族のレシピです。
- If you were to A, you would B
-
もしAするとしたらBだろう、仮にAしてみればBだろう
-
If you were to ask him directly about the problem, he would tell you the truth.
仮にあなたがその問題について彼に直接尋ねたら、彼は真実を話すでしょう。
- as if …
-
まるで…であるかのように
-
He looked exhausted, as if he had run a full marathon.
彼は、まるでフルマラソンを走ったかのように、疲れ切っているように見えました。
Key Vocabulary 重要単語・熟語
- picture
-
ˈpɪk.tʃɚ
想像する、心に描く、写真に撮る
動詞
- to imagine something
-
Whenever I read this novel, I picture the hero's face in my mind.
この小説を読むたびに、私は主人公の顔を頭の中で想像します。
- wonder
-
ˈwʌn.dɚ
驚異、驚嘆、不思議なもの
名詞
- an object that causes a feeling of great surprise and admiration
-
We explore the hidden wonders of the deep ocean.
私たちは深海の隠された驚異を探索します。
- pulse
-
pʌls
脈動、鼓動、脈拍、波動
名詞
- the regular beating of the heart, or a short period of energy that is repeated regularly
-
Walking through the crowded market, you can truly feel the pulse of the city.
混み合った市場を歩くと、都市の脈動を肌で感じることができます。
- flood
-
flʌd
水浸しにする、氾濫させる
動詞
- to cause to fill or become covered with water, especially in a way that causes problems
-
Heavy rain often floods this road.
大雨はよくこの道路を水浸しにします。
Others その他
- vast
-
væst
広大な、莫大な、非常に広い
形容詞
- extremely large
-
The explorers traveled across a vast desert for almost three weeks.
探検家たちは広大な砂漠を横断しました。
- relatively
-
ˈrel.ə.t̬ɪv.li
比較的、相対的に
副詞
- quite good, bad, etc. in comparison with other similar things or with what you expect
-
The English exam was relatively easy for most students.
英語の試験は、ほとんどの生徒にとって比較的簡単でした。
- mighty
-
ˈmaɪ.t̬i
力強い、強力な、巨大な
形容詞
- very large and powerful, or showing great strength
-
The ship fought bravely against the mighty ocean waves.
その船は、力強い海の波に対して勇敢に立ち向かいました。
- reversal
-
rɪˈvɝː.səl
逆転、逆流、反転、逆行
名詞
- the act of changing or making something change to its opposite
-
The sudden reversal of the wind surprised me.
突然の風の逆転が私を驚かせました。
- stilt
-
stɪlt
支柱、竹馬、杭
名詞
- one of a set of long pieces of wood or metal used to support a building so that it is above the ground or above water
-
In this region, many traditional houses are built on wooden stilts.
この地域では、多くの伝統的な家が木製の支柱の上に建てられています。
- raft
-
ræft
いかだ、ゴムボート
名詞
- a flat floating structure for traveling across water, often made of pieces of wood tied roughly together
-
Local fishermen use simple bamboo rafts.
地元の漁師たちはシンプルな竹のいかだを使います。
- incredibly
-
ɪnˈkred.ə.bli
信じられないほど、非常に
副詞
- used for saying that something is very difficult to believe
-
She felt incredibly lucky to find her lost ring in the park.
彼女は公園で失くした指輪を見つけて、非常に幸運だと感じました。
Practice
練習
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.
空欄を埋めて文章を完成させましょう。
The new university is (___)(___)(___) many different buildings.
その新しい大学は、多くの異なる建物の複合施設です。
ヒント：a complex of …
- 回答を見る
The new university is (a)(complex)(of) many different buildings.
(___)(___) this movie (___)(___) its beautiful music.
この映画を特別なものにしているのは、その美しい音楽です。
ヒント：what makes A special is B
- 回答を見る
(What)(makes) this movie (special)(is) its beautiful music.
(___)(___)(___)(___) live in Hokkaido, (___)(___) enjoy winter sports every day.
もしあなたが北海道に住むとしたら、毎日ウィンタースポーツを楽しむでしょう。
ヒント：If you were to A, you would B
- 回答を見る
(If) (you) (were) (to) live in Hokkaido, (you) (would) enjoy winter sports every day.
It is (___)(___) the whole forest were singing.
それはまるで森全体が歌っているかのようです。
ヒント：as if …
- 回答を見る
It is (as) (if) the whole forest were singing.
Article
記事（英文のみ）
Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your teacher/tutor.
記事を自分で読む、または先生に続いて段落毎に読んでみましょう。
The Lake That Breathes
＜Let's learn!＞
・a complex of …
・what makes A special is B
・If you were to A, you would B
・as if …
=====================================
When people think of Cambodia, they often picture the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, a vast complex of stone ruins. But the country is also home to a unique natural wonder: the Tonlé Sap. This is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, and it is a center of Cambodian life and society, supporting millions of people.
What makes the Tonlé Sap special is its "pulse." During the dry season, the lake is relatively small and shallow. But in the rainy season, the mighty Mekong River pushes water backward up the Tonlé Sap River. This amazing reversal makes the lake grow to five times its normal size, flooding the surrounding forests and fields. If this natural event did not happen, the map of Cambodia and the lives of its people would look completely different.
※Image1
This pulse supports a unique culture. Many people live in "floating villages" that sit right on the lake. If you were to visit, you would see houses, shops, and schools all built on high stilts or floating on bamboo rafts. It is as if the whole community were breathing along with the changing water. People use boats to go everywhere, from visiting neighbors to going to the market. Some even grow vegetables in floating gardens. If they lived on dry land, their daily life would not be so connected to the seasons.
The lake is incredibly rich in fish, providing over half of the country's protein. However, this important ecosystem is now in danger from pollution, upstream dams, and climate change, which can make the seasonal pulse weaker. Many Cambodians look at the lake and wish it could be protected forever. If the lake were to lose its fish, the lifestyle of the floating villages would be in serious trouble. This "Great Lake" is more than just water; it is the living, beating heart of Cambodian society.
【出典】
※Image1
NASA/Johnson Space Center - Earth from Space - Image InformationGateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth, パブリック・ドメイン, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=874025による
※桐原書店発行 Heartening English Communication I New Editionとのコラボレーション記事のため、日本語訳を掲載しません。
Questions
質問
Answer the questions based on the article.
記事の内容から質問に回答しましょう。
What is the Tonlé Sap?
それは東南アジア最大の淡水湖です。
ヒント：This is the largest ～
- 回答を見る
It is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
Does the lake get bigger or smaller in the rainy season?
雨季になると、湖は大きくなりますか？それとも小さくなりますか？
ヒント：But in the rainy season, ～
- 回答を見る
It gets bigger. It grows to five times its normal size.
What is causing this ecosystem to be in danger?
何が、このエコシステムが危機に瀕することを引き起こしていますか？
ヒント：However, this important ecosystem is ～
- 回答を見る
Pollution, upstream dams, and climate change are causing it.
Discussion
ディスカッション
Let’s have a discussion about the theme with your teacher/tutor or classmates.
先生やクラスメートとテーマについて話し合いましょう。
With your teacher/tutor 先生とのディスカッション
The text says the lake is the "beating heart" of Cambodia. If the lake disappeared, how would the lives of Cambodian people change?
本文には、湖はカンボジアの「鼓動する心臓」だと書かれています。もし湖が消滅したら、カンボジアの人々の生活はどのように変わると思いますか？
I think they would lose ～. / Their lives would become ～.
Climate change makes the lake’s pulse weaker in Cambodia. Do you feel any changes of nature in Japan?
気候変動により、カンボジアでは湖の脈動が弱まっています。日本でも自然の変化を感じますか？
Yes, I do. For example, ～. / No, I don't.
How do you think the amount of rain affects people in Japan?
雨の量は日本の人たちにどのように影響すると思いますか？
I think ～.
With your classmates クラスメートとのディスカッション
If you were to visit the Tonlé Sap, which season would you choose, the rainy season or dry season?
もしトンレ・サップ湖を訪れるとしたら、雨季と乾季のどちらの季節を選びますか？
I would choose the [ rainy / dry ] season. Because ～.
If you lived in a floating village, what would you like to do?
もしあなたが水上村に住んでいたとしたら、何をしてみたいですか？
I would like to ～.
What can we do in our daily lives to protect ecosystems like the Tonlé Sap?
トンレ・サップのような生態系を守るために、私たちは日常生活で何ができるでしょうか？
I think we can ～.
