The Environment Ministry plans to designate as an invasive alien

【問題】
次の文章は，2014 年 5 月 25 日に THE JAPAN NEWS by The Yomiuri Shimbun に掲
載された“U.S. wetland grass species to be declared invasive”という見出しの記事です。
これを読み，以下の設問に答えなさい。なお，*の付いた語（句）には注があります。
The Environment Ministry plans to designate as an invasive alien species
Spartina alterniflora*, a grass that can transform tidal wetlands*―home to diverse
plant and animal life―into grassland, according to ministry officials.
The designation, expected to take effect in June, comes amid
concern that the plant will thrive further in coastal areas.
(1)Though
(a)increased
the plan will
help local governments strengthen their control measures, ministry officials say it
is difficult to stop the invasion, let alone eradicate the species altogether.
grass is difficult to
(b)deal
The
with, as simply removing it is a laborious process, they
said.
"There are fears that the plant will spread further into the nation, endangering
the ecosystem," said an official at a ministry office (
A ) charge of alien plants and
animals.
Spartina alterniflora, which originates on the East Coast of the United States,
mostly inhabits tidal wetlands and inlets. It usually grows to about 2.5 (c)meters in
height.
With its high propagation* ability, the plant spreads (
species, gradually turning wetlands into grasslands.
B ) killing off other
So far, Europe, Asia, Oceania
and other regions have confirmed the plant's invasion.
The International Union
for Conservation of Nature, which is run primarily by governments from across the
world, has designated it an "invasive plant."
In the U.S. West Coast state of Washington,
(2)the
plant's invasion transformed
a tidal wetland into a grassland, resulting in the loss of a feeding ground where wild
birds had been catching shellfish and fish. Damage has also been reported at
oyster farms in the state.
The state government began to take
1995, but
(3)the
(d)measures
to exterminate the plant in
work is far from complete. The grass is mostly pulled manually.
Workers often find it difficult to extract the plant from the muddy wetland.
The
work must be carried out carefully as roots and stems can drift and flourish
elsewhere if they are not thoroughly removed.
In Japan, the plant's presence has been verified in Aichi and Kumamoto
prefectures.
At a wetland in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, where its invasion in
1
Japan was first confirmed, hamasaji (Limonium tetragonum) and shibana
(Triglochin maritimun) have since vanished. Both species are designated by the
ministry as "near threatened species."
The designation grants local governments legal grounds to monitor the spread
of the plant and make (4)[ it / for / spend / easier / budgets / to / them ] to remove it.
Invasive alien species are plants and animals brought from abroad that have
negative effects ( C ) the domestic ecosystem, agriculture and people's health.
Once the designation is made, the central and local governments may remove the
species as they see necessary.
[注] Spartina alterniflora「スパルティナ・アルテルニフロラ」
tidal wetlands「干潟」
propagation「繁殖」
[設問]
問１本文中の(a)～(d)の単語について，下線部の発音がほかの３つと異なるものを一つ選
びなさい。
(a) increase
(b) deal
(c) meter
(d) measure
問２下線部(1)を日本語に訳しなさい。
問３空所(A)～(C)に入る語として最も適当なものを，それぞれ下の
から一つずつ選
びなさい。ただし，同じ単語を二度以上使わないこと。
at
by
in
from
on
問４下線部(2)を日本語に訳しなさい。
問５下線部(3)の理由を，それぞれ 70～80 字の日本語で説明しなさい。
問６下線部(4)の[
問７
]内を並べ替え，意味の通る文にしなさい。
「スパルティナ・アルテルニフロラ」について，本文の内容と一致するものを(ア)
～(オ)から一つ選びなさい。
(ア) 環境省は，今年６月にでもこの植物を絶滅危惧種に指定する予定である。
(イ)
この植物は，ヨーロッパ，アジア，オセアニアでもその侵入が確認されている。
(ウ) アメリカでは，数年前にやっとこの植物を駆除するための対策を始めた。
(エ) アメリカの一部の地域では，この植物の根絶に成功している。
(オ) この植物は，2011 年に日本でも確認されたが，今はその姿を消している。
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