Reading Passage
ๆ่ฟใๅฐ็ๆธฉๆๅใฎๅฝฑ้ฟใๆฅๅธธใง่ใงๆใใๆฉไผใๅขใใฆใใใจๆใใพใใใ๏ผ
ๆฏๅนดใๅคใ้ทใใชใใ็ๆๆฅใฎๆฐใๅขใใฆใใใจๅฎๆใใฆใใพใใ็นใซไปๅนดใฏ9ๆใซๅ ฅใฃใฆใ30ๅบฆใ่ถ ใใๆฅใ็ถใใใพใใงๅคใ็ตใใใชใใใฎใใใงใใใ
ๆใใฎใใใงใๆใฎ้ๅคใไธ่ฆๅดใงใใ้ง ใพใงใฎ้ใๆญฉใใ ใใงๆฑใ ใใซใชใใพใใใไผ็คพใซ็ใ้ ใซใฏใใใใฃใใใงใใ
ใใใซใ้ปๅๆถ่ฒป้ใๆฐใซใชใใจใใใงใใไธๆฅไธญใจใขใณใณใชใใงใฏ้ใใใชใใใใ้ปๆฐไปฃใไปฅๅใใ้ซใใชใฃใฆใใพใใๅฎถ่จใธใฎ่ฒ ๆ ใ็ก่ฆใงใใพใใใญใ
ใใใซๅฐใฃใใใจใซใ้ฃๆๅใธใฎๅฝฑ้ฟใๆทฑๅปใงใใไพใใฐใ่ฟๆใฎในใผใใผใงใฏใ็ฐๅธธใช้ซๆธฉใๅคง้จใฎใใใงใ้่ใฎไพกๆ ผใ้ซ้จฐใใฆใใพใใๅ่ใงใชใใชใๆใซๅ ฅใใชใใใจใๅขใใพใใใ
ใใฎใใใงใๆฌใฎๅณ่ฆใๆฅฝใใใฎใ้ฃใใใชใฃใฆใใฆใใพใใ
ๅฐ็ๆธฉๆๅใฏใๅใซๆฐๆธฉใไธใใใจใใใ ใใงใฏใใใพใใใ็งใใกใฎ็ๆดปใฎใใใใ้ขใซๅฝฑ้ฟใๅใผใใฆใใใจ็ๆใใฆใใพใใ
็งใใกไธไบบใฒใจใใๆ่ญใ้ซใใใงใใใใจใใๅฏพ็ญใ่ฌใใฆใใๅฟ ่ฆใใใใพใใใใๅผทใๆใใฆใใพใใ
ไพใใฐใ็ฏ้ปใใใใใๅฐ็ฃๅฐๆถใฎ้่ใ้ธใถใใใใ ใใงใใ็ถๆณใฏๅฐใใใคๅคใใใฏใใงใใ
Vocabulary List
ๅฐ็ๆธฉๆๅ (chikyลซ ondan-ka) โ global warming
ๅฝฑ้ฟ (eikyล) โ influence, effect
่ใงๆใใ (hada de kanjiru) โ to feel firsthand, to experience personally
็ๆๆฅ (mลshobi) โ extremely hot day (over 35ยฐC), heatwave day
ๅฎๆใใ (jikkan suru) โ to feel (truly, deeply), to realize
ไธ่ฆๅด (hitokurล) โ great effort, much trouble
ใใฃใใ (guttari) โ utterly exhausted, worn out (adverb)
้ปๅๆถ่ฒป้ (denryoku shลhiryล) โ electricity consumption
ๅฎถ่จ (kakei) โ household budget
่ฒ ๆ (futan) โ burden, responsibility
ๆทฑๅปใช (shinkoku na) โ serious, severe, grave
้ซ้จฐใใ (kลtล suru) โ to soar (price), to rise sharply
ๅ่ (shinausu) โ short supply, out of stock
ๆฌใฎๅณ่ฆ (shun no mikaku) โ seasonal delicacies/flavors
็ๆใใ (tsลซkan suru) โ to feel keenly, to realize acutely
ๅฏพ็ญใ่ฌใใ (taisaku o kลjiru) โ to take measures, to implement countermeasures
ๅฐ็ฃๅฐๆถ (chisan chishล) โ local production for local consumption
English Translation
Don't you think we've been feeling the effects of global warming in our daily lives more and more recently? Every year, I feel that summer is getting longer and the number of extremely hot days is increasing. Especially this year, even in September, days exceeding 30 degrees Celsius continued, making it feel as if summer would never end.
Because of the heat, even my morning commute is a struggle. Just walking to the station makes me drenched in sweat, and by the time I arrive at work, I'm utterly exhausted. Moreover, electricity consumption is also a concern. I can't spend a whole day without air conditioning, so my electricity bill has also become higher than before. The burden on the household budget cannot be ignored.
Even more troubling is the severe impact on food products. For instance, at my local supermarket, vegetable prices have soared due to unusually high temperatures and heavy rains. Shortages are also becoming more frequent, making them hard to find. Because of this, enjoying seasonal delicacies is becoming difficult.
Global warming isn't just about rising temperatures; I keenly feel it's affecting every aspect of our lives. Each of us needs to raise our awareness and take whatever measures we can. I strongly feel this is crucial. For example, even simple actions like saving electricity or choosing locally grown vegetables should gradually start to make a difference.
Comprehension Questions
- ็ญ่ ใฏๆ่ฟใๅฐ็ๆธฉๆๅใฎใฉใฎใใใชๅฝฑ้ฟใๆฅๅธธใงๆใใฆใใพใใ๏ผ
What effects of global warming has the author been feeling in daily life recently?
- ใชใ็ญ่ ใฏๆใฎ้ๅคใง็ฒใใฆใใพใใใจใๅคใใฎใงใใ๏ผ
Why does the author often get tired during their morning commute?
- ้ปๅๆถ่ฒป้ใๅขใใใใจใงใๅฎถ่จใซใฏใฉใฎใใใชๅฝฑ้ฟใใใใพใใ๏ผ
How does increased electricity consumption affect the household budget?
- ้ฃๆๅใซ้ขใใฆใใฉใฎใใใชๅ้กใ่ตทใใฆใใใจ่ฟฐในใใใฆใใพใใ๏ผ
Regarding food products, what kind of problems are mentioned as occurring?
- ็ญ่ ใฏใๅฐ็ๆธฉๆๅใซๅฏพใใฆ็งใใกไธไบบใฒใจใใใงใใใใจใจใใฆใไฝใๆใใฆใใพใใ๏ผ
What does the author suggest as things each of us can do regarding global warming?
Answers
- ๅคใ้ทใใชใใ็ๆๆฅใฎๆฐใๅขใใฆใใใใจใๆใใฆใใพใใ
(The author feels that summer is getting longer and the number of extremely hot days is increasing.)
- ๆใใฎใใใงใ้ง ใพใงใฎ้ใๆญฉใใ ใใงๆฑใ ใใซใชใใไผ็คพใซ็ใ้ ใซใฏใใฃใใใใฆใใพใใใใงใใ
(Because of the heat, just walking to the station makes them drenched in sweat, and they are utterly exhausted by the time they arrive at work.)
- ไธๆฅไธญใจใขใณใณใชใใงใฏ้ใใใชใใใใ้ปๆฐไปฃใไปฅๅใใ้ซใใชใใๅฎถ่จใธใฎ่ฒ ๆ ใๅขใใใจใใๅฝฑ้ฟใใใใพใใ
(Since they cannot spend a whole day without air conditioning, the electricity bill becomes higher than before, increasing the burden on the household budget.)
- ็ฐๅธธใช้ซๆธฉใๅคง้จใฎใใใงใ้่ใฎไพกๆ ผใ้ซ้จฐใใใใๅ่ใงใชใใชใๆใซๅ ฅใใชใใใจใๅขใใฆใใใจ่ฟฐในใใใฆใใพใใ
(It is stated that due to unusually high temperatures and heavy rains, vegetable prices have soared and shortages have become more frequent, making them hard to find.)
- ็ฏ้ปใใใใใๅฐ็ฃๅฐๆถใฎ้่ใ้ธใถใใจใชใฉใๆใใฆใใพใใ
(The author mentions things like saving electricity and choosing locally grown vegetables.)
Grammar Points Used
ใใจๆใใพใใใ๏ผ (ใto omoimasenka?)
Meaning: "Don't you think...?" or "Isn't it that...?"
Usage: Used to invite agreement or gently present an opinion, encouraging the listener to consider the speaker's perspective. It's a friendly way to start a discussion or express a shared feeling.
Example from text: ๆ่ฟใๅฐ็ๆธฉๆๅใฎๅฝฑ้ฟใๆฅๅธธใง่ใงๆใใๆฉไผใๅขใใฆใใใจๆใใพใใใ๏ผ
ใใใฎใใใ (ใka no yล da)
Meaning: "as if," "as though," "just like"
Usage: Used to describe a situation that appears to be true, even if it's not actually the case. It attaches to the plain form of verbs, i-adjectives, and na-adjectives (with
ใงใใorใช) or nouns (withใงใใorใฎ).Example from text: ใพใใงๅคใ็ตใใใชใใใฎใใใงใใใ
ใใฎใใใง (ใno sei de)
Meaning: "due to," "because of" (with a negative nuance)
Usage: Indicates the cause or reason for a negative outcome or situation. It connects to nouns or the plain form of verbs/adjectives.
Example from text: ๆใใฎใใใงใๆใฎ้ๅคใไธ่ฆๅดใงใใ
ใใ็ก่ฆใงใใชใ (ใo mushi dekinai)
Meaning: "cannot ignore," "cannot overlook"
Usage: Expresses that something is too important, significant, or impactful to be disregarded. Often used in a formal or slightly emphatic context.
Example from text: ๅฎถ่จใธใฎ่ฒ ๆ ใ็ก่ฆใงใใพใใใญใ
ใใจใใใ ใใงใชใ (ใto iu dake de naku)
Meaning: "not only... but also," "it's not just that..."
Usage: Used to add a further point or consequence to a previously stated fact, emphasizing that there's more to the situation than just the first point. It can connect to nouns, verbs, or adjectives (in plain form, sometimes with
ใ).Example from text: ๅฐ็ๆธฉๆๅใฏใๅใซๆฐๆธฉใไธใใใจใใใ ใใงใชใใ็งใใกใฎ็ๆดปใฎใใใใ้ขใซๅฝฑ้ฟใๅใผใใฆใใใจ็ๆใใฆใใพใใ
ใใ็ๆใใ (ใo tsลซkan suru)
Meaning: "to feel keenly," "to realize acutely," "to be painfully aware of"
Usage: A formal expression used to convey a deep, strong, and often regrettable realization or feeling about something. It's stronger than just
ๆใใ.Example from text: ็งใใกใฎ็ๆดปใฎใใใใ้ขใซๅฝฑ้ฟใๅใผใใฆใใใจ็ๆใใฆใใพใใ
ใใ่ฌใใ (ใo kลjiru)
Meaning: "to take (measures)," "to implement (measures)," "to adopt (a policy)"
Usage: A relatively formal verb often used with nouns like
ๅฏพ็ญ(taisaku, measures) orๆๆฎต(shudan, means) to describe the action of putting plans or methods into effect.Example from text: ใงใใใใจใใๅฏพ็ญใ่ฌใใฆใใๅฟ ่ฆใใใใพใใใใๅผทใๆใใฆใใพใใ
ใใ ใใงใ (ใdake de mo)
Meaning: "even just by doing," "even if only"
Usage: Emphasizes that even a small action or condition can have some effect or significance. It attaches to the te-form of verbs or nouns/adjectives (with
ใง).Example from text: ็ฏ้ปใใใใใๅฐ็ฃๅฐๆถใฎ้่ใ้ธใใ ใใใใ ใใงใใๅฐใใฏๅคใใใใใใใพใใใ