大学入学共通テスト（英語） 過去問
令和5年度（2023年度）本試験
問134 (＜旧課程＞英語リーディング（第6問） 問11)
問題文
各問いの英文や図表を読み、解答番号にあてはまるものとして最も適当な選択肢を選びなさい。
You are in a student group preparing for an international science presentation contest. You are using the following passage to create your part of the presentation on extraordinary creatures.
Ask someone to name the world’s toughest animal， and they might say the Bactrian camel as it can survive in temperatures as high as 50℃、 or the Arctic fox which can survive in temperatures lower than −58℃. However， both answers would be wrong as it is widely believed that the tardigrade is the toughest creature on earth.
Tardigrades， also known as water bears， are microscopic creatures， which are between 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm in length. They live almost everywhere， from 6，000−meter−high mountains to 4，600 meters below the ocean’s surface. They can even be found under thick ice and in hot springs. Most live in water， but some tardigrades can be found in some of the driest places on earth. One researcher reported finding tardigrades living under rocks in a desert without any recorded rainfall for 25 years. All they need are a few drops or a thin layer of water to live in. When the water dries up， so do they. They lose all but three percent of their body’s water and their metabolism slows down to 0.01％ of its normal speed. The dried−out tardigrade is now in a state called ”tun，” a kind of deep sleep. It will continue in this state until it is once again soaked in water. Then， like a sponge， it absorbs the water and springs back to life again as if nothing had happened. Whether the tardigrade is in tun for 1 week or 10 years does not really matter. The moment it is surrounded by water， it comes alive again. When tardigrades are in a state of tun， they are so tough that they can survive in temperatures as low as −272℃ and as high as 151℃. Exactly how they achieve this is still not fully understood.
Perhaps even more amazing than their ability to survive on earth ― they have been on earth for some 540 million years ― is their ability to survive in space. In 2007， a team of European researchers sent a number of living tardigrades into space on the outside of a rocket for 10 days. On their return to earth， the researchers were surprised to see that 68％ were still alive. This means that for 10 days most were able to survive X−rays and ultraviolet radiation 1，000 times more intense than here on earth. Later， in 2019， an Israeli spacecraft crashed onto the moon and thousands of tardigrades in a state of tun were spilled onto its surface. Whether these are still alive or not is unknown as no one has gone to collect them ― which is a pity.
Tardigrades are shaped like a short cucumber. They have four short legs on each side of their bodies. Some species have sticky pads at the end of each leg， while others have claws. There are 16 known claw variations， which help identify those species with claws. All tardigrades have a place for eyes， but not all species have eyes. Their eyes are primitive， only having five cells in total ― just one of which is light sensitive.
Basically， tardigrades can be divided into those that eat plant matter， and those that eat other creatures. Those that eat vegetation have a ventral mouth ― a mouth located in the lower part of the head， like a shark. The type that eats other creatures has a terminal mouth， which means the mouth is at the very front of the head， like a tuna. The mouths of tardigrades do not have teeth. They do， however， have two sharp needles， called stylets， that they use to pierce plant cells or the bodies of smaller creatures so the contents can be sucked out.
Both types of tardigrade have rather simple digestive systems. The mouth leads to the pharynx（throat）、 where digestive juices and food are mixed. Located above the pharynx is a salivary gland. This produces the juices that flow into the mouth and help with digestion. After the pharynx， there is a tube which transports food toward the gut. This tube is called the esophagus. The middle gut， a simple stomach／intestine type of organ， digests the food and absorbs the nutrients. The leftovers then eventually move through to the anus.
What can be inferred about sending tardigrades into space？（ 49 ）
You are in a student group preparing for an international science presentation contest. You are using the following passage to create your part of the presentation on extraordinary creatures.
Ask someone to name the world’s toughest animal， and they might say the Bactrian camel as it can survive in temperatures as high as 50℃、 or the Arctic fox which can survive in temperatures lower than −58℃. However， both answers would be wrong as it is widely believed that the tardigrade is the toughest creature on earth.
Tardigrades， also known as water bears， are microscopic creatures， which are between 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm in length. They live almost everywhere， from 6，000−meter−high mountains to 4，600 meters below the ocean’s surface. They can even be found under thick ice and in hot springs. Most live in water， but some tardigrades can be found in some of the driest places on earth. One researcher reported finding tardigrades living under rocks in a desert without any recorded rainfall for 25 years. All they need are a few drops or a thin layer of water to live in. When the water dries up， so do they. They lose all but three percent of their body’s water and their metabolism slows down to 0.01％ of its normal speed. The dried−out tardigrade is now in a state called ”tun，” a kind of deep sleep. It will continue in this state until it is once again soaked in water. Then， like a sponge， it absorbs the water and springs back to life again as if nothing had happened. Whether the tardigrade is in tun for 1 week or 10 years does not really matter. The moment it is surrounded by water， it comes alive again. When tardigrades are in a state of tun， they are so tough that they can survive in temperatures as low as −272℃ and as high as 151℃. Exactly how they achieve this is still not fully understood.
Perhaps even more amazing than their ability to survive on earth ― they have been on earth for some 540 million years ― is their ability to survive in space. In 2007， a team of European researchers sent a number of living tardigrades into space on the outside of a rocket for 10 days. On their return to earth， the researchers were surprised to see that 68％ were still alive. This means that for 10 days most were able to survive X−rays and ultraviolet radiation 1，000 times more intense than here on earth. Later， in 2019， an Israeli spacecraft crashed onto the moon and thousands of tardigrades in a state of tun were spilled onto its surface. Whether these are still alive or not is unknown as no one has gone to collect them ― which is a pity.
Tardigrades are shaped like a short cucumber. They have four short legs on each side of their bodies. Some species have sticky pads at the end of each leg， while others have claws. There are 16 known claw variations， which help identify those species with claws. All tardigrades have a place for eyes， but not all species have eyes. Their eyes are primitive， only having five cells in total ― just one of which is light sensitive.
Basically， tardigrades can be divided into those that eat plant matter， and those that eat other creatures. Those that eat vegetation have a ventral mouth ― a mouth located in the lower part of the head， like a shark. The type that eats other creatures has a terminal mouth， which means the mouth is at the very front of the head， like a tuna. The mouths of tardigrades do not have teeth. They do， however， have two sharp needles， called stylets， that they use to pierce plant cells or the bodies of smaller creatures so the contents can be sucked out.
Both types of tardigrade have rather simple digestive systems. The mouth leads to the pharynx（throat）、 where digestive juices and food are mixed. Located above the pharynx is a salivary gland. This produces the juices that flow into the mouth and help with digestion. After the pharynx， there is a tube which transports food toward the gut. This tube is called the esophagus. The middle gut， a simple stomach／intestine type of organ， digests the food and absorbs the nutrients. The leftovers then eventually move through to the anus.
What can be inferred about sending tardigrades into space？（ 49 ）
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問題
大学入学共通テスト（英語）試験 令和5年度（2023年度）本試験 問134（＜旧課程＞英語リーディング（第6問） 問11） （訂正依頼・報告はこちら）
各問いの英文や図表を読み、解答番号にあてはまるものとして最も適当な選択肢を選びなさい。
You are in a student group preparing for an international science presentation contest. You are using the following passage to create your part of the presentation on extraordinary creatures.
Ask someone to name the world’s toughest animal， and they might say the Bactrian camel as it can survive in temperatures as high as 50℃、 or the Arctic fox which can survive in temperatures lower than −58℃. However， both answers would be wrong as it is widely believed that the tardigrade is the toughest creature on earth.
Tardigrades， also known as water bears， are microscopic creatures， which are between 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm in length. They live almost everywhere， from 6，000−meter−high mountains to 4，600 meters below the ocean’s surface. They can even be found under thick ice and in hot springs. Most live in water， but some tardigrades can be found in some of the driest places on earth. One researcher reported finding tardigrades living under rocks in a desert without any recorded rainfall for 25 years. All they need are a few drops or a thin layer of water to live in. When the water dries up， so do they. They lose all but three percent of their body’s water and their metabolism slows down to 0.01％ of its normal speed. The dried−out tardigrade is now in a state called ”tun，” a kind of deep sleep. It will continue in this state until it is once again soaked in water. Then， like a sponge， it absorbs the water and springs back to life again as if nothing had happened. Whether the tardigrade is in tun for 1 week or 10 years does not really matter. The moment it is surrounded by water， it comes alive again. When tardigrades are in a state of tun， they are so tough that they can survive in temperatures as low as −272℃ and as high as 151℃. Exactly how they achieve this is still not fully understood.
Perhaps even more amazing than their ability to survive on earth ― they have been on earth for some 540 million years ― is their ability to survive in space. In 2007， a team of European researchers sent a number of living tardigrades into space on the outside of a rocket for 10 days. On their return to earth， the researchers were surprised to see that 68％ were still alive. This means that for 10 days most were able to survive X−rays and ultraviolet radiation 1，000 times more intense than here on earth. Later， in 2019， an Israeli spacecraft crashed onto the moon and thousands of tardigrades in a state of tun were spilled onto its surface. Whether these are still alive or not is unknown as no one has gone to collect them ― which is a pity.
Tardigrades are shaped like a short cucumber. They have four short legs on each side of their bodies. Some species have sticky pads at the end of each leg， while others have claws. There are 16 known claw variations， which help identify those species with claws. All tardigrades have a place for eyes， but not all species have eyes. Their eyes are primitive， only having five cells in total ― just one of which is light sensitive.
Basically， tardigrades can be divided into those that eat plant matter， and those that eat other creatures. Those that eat vegetation have a ventral mouth ― a mouth located in the lower part of the head， like a shark. The type that eats other creatures has a terminal mouth， which means the mouth is at the very front of the head， like a tuna. The mouths of tardigrades do not have teeth. They do， however， have two sharp needles， called stylets， that they use to pierce plant cells or the bodies of smaller creatures so the contents can be sucked out.
Both types of tardigrade have rather simple digestive systems. The mouth leads to the pharynx（throat）、 where digestive juices and food are mixed. Located above the pharynx is a salivary gland. This produces the juices that flow into the mouth and help with digestion. After the pharynx， there is a tube which transports food toward the gut. This tube is called the esophagus. The middle gut， a simple stomach／intestine type of organ， digests the food and absorbs the nutrients. The leftovers then eventually move through to the anus.
What can be inferred about sending tardigrades into space？（ 49 ）
You are in a student group preparing for an international science presentation contest. You are using the following passage to create your part of the presentation on extraordinary creatures.
Ask someone to name the world’s toughest animal， and they might say the Bactrian camel as it can survive in temperatures as high as 50℃、 or the Arctic fox which can survive in temperatures lower than −58℃. However， both answers would be wrong as it is widely believed that the tardigrade is the toughest creature on earth.
Tardigrades， also known as water bears， are microscopic creatures， which are between 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm in length. They live almost everywhere， from 6，000−meter−high mountains to 4，600 meters below the ocean’s surface. They can even be found under thick ice and in hot springs. Most live in water， but some tardigrades can be found in some of the driest places on earth. One researcher reported finding tardigrades living under rocks in a desert without any recorded rainfall for 25 years. All they need are a few drops or a thin layer of water to live in. When the water dries up， so do they. They lose all but three percent of their body’s water and their metabolism slows down to 0.01％ of its normal speed. The dried−out tardigrade is now in a state called ”tun，” a kind of deep sleep. It will continue in this state until it is once again soaked in water. Then， like a sponge， it absorbs the water and springs back to life again as if nothing had happened. Whether the tardigrade is in tun for 1 week or 10 years does not really matter. The moment it is surrounded by water， it comes alive again. When tardigrades are in a state of tun， they are so tough that they can survive in temperatures as low as −272℃ and as high as 151℃. Exactly how they achieve this is still not fully understood.
Perhaps even more amazing than their ability to survive on earth ― they have been on earth for some 540 million years ― is their ability to survive in space. In 2007， a team of European researchers sent a number of living tardigrades into space on the outside of a rocket for 10 days. On their return to earth， the researchers were surprised to see that 68％ were still alive. This means that for 10 days most were able to survive X−rays and ultraviolet radiation 1，000 times more intense than here on earth. Later， in 2019， an Israeli spacecraft crashed onto the moon and thousands of tardigrades in a state of tun were spilled onto its surface. Whether these are still alive or not is unknown as no one has gone to collect them ― which is a pity.
Tardigrades are shaped like a short cucumber. They have four short legs on each side of their bodies. Some species have sticky pads at the end of each leg， while others have claws. There are 16 known claw variations， which help identify those species with claws. All tardigrades have a place for eyes， but not all species have eyes. Their eyes are primitive， only having five cells in total ― just one of which is light sensitive.
Basically， tardigrades can be divided into those that eat plant matter， and those that eat other creatures. Those that eat vegetation have a ventral mouth ― a mouth located in the lower part of the head， like a shark. The type that eats other creatures has a terminal mouth， which means the mouth is at the very front of the head， like a tuna. The mouths of tardigrades do not have teeth. They do， however， have two sharp needles， called stylets， that they use to pierce plant cells or the bodies of smaller creatures so the contents can be sucked out.
Both types of tardigrade have rather simple digestive systems. The mouth leads to the pharynx（throat）、 where digestive juices and food are mixed. Located above the pharynx is a salivary gland. This produces the juices that flow into the mouth and help with digestion. After the pharynx， there is a tube which transports food toward the gut. This tube is called the esophagus. The middle gut， a simple stomach／intestine type of organ， digests the food and absorbs the nutrients. The leftovers then eventually move through to the anus.
What can be inferred about sending tardigrades into space？（ 49 ）
- Finding out whether the tardigrades can survive in space was never thought to be important.
- Tardigrades， along with other creatures that have been on earth for millions of years， can withstand X−rays and ultraviolet radiation.
- The Israeli researchers did not expect so many tardigrades to survive the harsh environment of space.
- The reason why no one has been to see if tardigrades can survive on the moon’s surface attracted the author’s attention.
正解！素晴らしいです
残念...
この過去問の解説 （1件）
01
設問：クマムシを宇宙に送ることについて、本文から推測できることはどれか？（ 49 ）
！問題のポイント！
①推測問題です。本文の情報をもとに論理的にいえることを選びましょう。
訳）
あなたは、国際的な科学プレゼンテーションコンテストに向けて準備している学生グループの一員です。驚くべき生き物についての発表担当部分を作るために、次の文章を使っています。
世界で最もタフな動物の名前を誰かに尋ねれば、気温５０℃の環境でも生きられるフタコブラクダや、ー５８℃より低い気温でも生きられるホッキョクギツネを挙げるかもしれない。しかし、そのどちらも間違いである。というのも、地球上で最も強靭な生物はクマムシであると広く信じられているからだ。
・tardigrade（名詞） : クマムシ
クマムシはウォーターベアとも呼ばれる微小な生物で、体長は０．１mmから１．５mmほどである。彼らはほとんどあらゆる場所に生息しており、標高６，０００mの山から海面下４，６００mの深海まで存在する。厚い氷の下や温泉の中でも見つかる。多くは水中で生活しているが、地球上でも最も乾燥した場所で見つかる種類もいる。ある研究者は、２５年間一度も雨が記録されていない砂漠の岩の下で生きるクマムシを発見したとして報告している。クマムシが生きるために必要なのは、ほんの数滴、あるいは薄い水の膜だけである。水が干しあがると、クマムシ自身も乾燥する。体内の水分のうち９７％を失い、代謝は通常の０．０１％まで低下する。乾燥したクマムシはTunと呼ばれる状態、つまり深い眠りのような状態に入る。そして再び水に浸されるまで、その状態を保ち続ける。その後、スポンジのように水を吸収し、何事もなかったかのように再び活動を始める。Tunの状態が１週間続こうと１０年間続こうと、実際には大きな問題ではない。水に囲まれた瞬間、彼らは再び生き返るのだ。クマムシがTun状態にあるときは非常に強靭で、ー２７２℃という低温から１５１℃の高温まで耐えることができる。彼らがどのようにしてそれを可能にしているのかは、まだ完全には解明されていない。
・microscopic creature : 微小な生物、生き物
・in length : 長さ
・hot spring : 温泉
・rainfall（名詞） : 雨量
・metabolism（名詞） : 雨量
・soak（動詞） : 浸す
・absorb（動詞） : 吸収する
・is surrounded by ～ : ～に囲まれると
さらに驚くべきことに、クマムシは地球上で生き延びる能力だけでなく（彼らは約５億４千万年前から地球に存在している）、宇宙空間でも生き延びられる能力を持っている。２００７年、ヨーロッパの研究チームは生きたクマムシを多数ロケットの外側に取り付けた状態で、１０日間宇宙に送り出した。地球に帰還後、研究者たちはそのうちの６８％がまだ生きていることに驚いた。つまりクマムシの多くは１０日間、地球上の１，０００倍強いX線や紫外線に耐えることができたということになる。その後２０１９年には、イスラエルの宇宙船が月面に墜落し、Tun状態にあった何千ものクマムシが月面に散乱した。これがまだ生きているかどうかは、回収した者がいないため分かっていない。それは残念なことである。
・spacecraft（名詞） : 宇宙船
・crash onto ～ : ～に墜落する
・spill onto ～ : ～に散らばる
・pity（名詞） : 残念、哀れ
クマムシの形は短いキュウリのようである。体の左右にそれぞれ４本ずつ、短い脚がついている。脚の先に粘着性のパッドを持つ種もいれば、爪を持つ種もいる。爪には１６種類の既知のバリエーションがあり、爪を持つ種の識別に役立っている。すべてのクマムシには目があるわけではない。目は原始的で、全部で５つの細胞しかなく、そのうち光を感じる細胞は１つだけである。
・cucumber（名詞） : キュウリ
・sticky（形容詞） : 粘着性のある、ネバネバした
・claw（名詞） : 爪
・primitive（形容詞） : 原始的な
基本的にはクマムシは、植物を食べるタイプと他の生物を食べるタイプに分けられる。植物を食べるタイプは腹側口を持ち、口が頭部の下側にあり、サメのような位置にある。他の生物を食べるタイプは終端口を持ち、口が頭部の最前部にあり、マグロのような位置にある。クマムシの口には歯がないが、代わりにスタイレットと呼ばれる２本の鋭い針を持っており、それを使って植物細胞や小さな生物の体に穴を開け、中身を吸い出す。
・divide into ～ : ～に分ける
・ventral（形容詞） : 腹側の
・terminal（形容詞） : 末端の
・pierce（動詞） : 穴を開ける
どちらのタイプのクマムシも消化器官はかなり単純である。口は咽頭につながっており、そこでは消化液と食物が混ざり合う。咽頭の上には唾液腺があり、ここで作られた液体が口へ流れ込み、消化を助ける。咽頭の後には食道と呼ばれる管があり、食べ物を腸へ運ぶ。中腸は単純な胃・腸のような器官で、食物を消化し、栄養を吸収する。残りかすは最終的に肛門へと運ばれ排出される。
・digestive system : 消化器官
・pharynx（名詞） : 咽頭
・salivary gland : 唾液腺
・gut（名詞） : 腸
・esophagus（名詞） : 食道
・digest（動詞） : 消化する
・nutrient（名詞） : 栄養
・anus（名詞） : 肛門
クマムシ：
地球究極の生存者
１．基本情報
・体長は０．１mm～１．５mm
・短いキュウリのような形
・（４４）
・（４４）
・（４４）
・（４４）
２．生息地
・ほぼどこにでもいる
・過酷な環境
・標高６km
・深海４．６km
・砂漠
・ー２７２℃～１５１℃
・宇宙（可能性あり）
３．生存の秘密
・（４５）
・（４６）
４．消化器官
（４７）
５．結論
（４８）
不正解
訳）クマムシが宇宙で生きられるか調べることは、重要だと思われたことがなかった。
本文では研究者がわざわざ宇宙に送って実験しているので、重要だから研究していると考えるのが自然のため不正解です。
※is thought to be ～は、「～だと思われている/～と考えられている」という意味です。これは受動態（be thought）＋不定詞（to be）の形です。日常会話よりもフォーマルな表現です。新聞や説明文、英文読解などで頻出するフレーズです。
例）The pyramids are thought to be over 4,000 years old.
ピラミッドは４０００年以上前のものだと考えられている。
参考にしてください。
不正解
訳）クマムシは、何百万年も地球に存在してきた他の生物と同様に、Ｘ線や紫外線に耐えることができる。
本文では、「何百万年も地球に存在してきた他の生物と同様に～」という情報が記載されていないため不正解です。
不正解
訳）イスラエルの研究者たちは、宇宙の過酷な環境でこれほど多くのクマムシが生き残るとは予想していなかった。
本文で驚いたのは、ヨーロッパの研究者たちです。イスラエルについては「驚いた」などの記述はありません。国を取り違えているため不正解です。
正解
訳）誰も月面でクマムシが生きられるか確かめに行っていない理由が、筆者の関心を引いた。
根拠となる文は３段落目の文末、in 2019， an Israeli spacecraft crashed onto the moon and thousands of tardigrades in a state of tun were spilled onto its surface. Whether these are still alive or not is unknown as no one has gone to collect them ― which is a pity（２０１９年には、イスラエルの宇宙船が月面に墜落し、Tun状態にあった何千ものクマムシが月面に散乱した。これがまだ生きているかどうかは、回収した者がいないため分かっていない。それは残念なことである）.です。
つまり筆者は「なぜ誰も確認しにいかないのか」という点に関心を示しているため正解です。本文のwhich is a pity（残念なことである）から推測できます。
筆者は
・月面に散らばったクマムシを回収しに行っていない（理由がある）
・筆者はそれが「残念」と述べている
よって上記の選択肢が正解です。
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