III 次の英文を読み、(1)から(10)の設問について最も適切なものを選択肢1~4から選び、その番号をマークシートの解答欄[ (21) ]~[ (31) ]にマークしなさい。
When John Sauven, executive director at Greenpeace UK, heard a woman complain on the radio that supermarket croissants were cheaper to buy wrapped in plastic than paper, he was so startled he went straight to his local Co-op. “It was true. If I bought two croissants in a brown paper bag, it was 79 pence each, and if I bought them in a big plastic container it was 63 pence each. And I just thought... this is (24) a complete failure of the system.”
The failure, of course, goes far beyond croissants. From the 300,000 tonnes of clothing the UK sent to rubbish dumps last year to the 7 million coffee cups we throw out each day, the scale of our throwaway habits is startlingly clear. [ (21) ] are the impacts. Images of bags and bottles washed up on beaches, or sea life tangled in plastic nets, are evidence of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's now familiar prediction that the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.
The role of business in addressing this crisis has become the subject of fierce debate in industry and policy circles. And that was clearly on show at a recent round-table meeting, sponsored by Suez, a recycling and resource management company. A key idea under discussion was the “circular economy,” a model that aims to keep resources in a continuous, eco-friendly cycle, rather than send them to the dump after first use. Sauven argued that without greater ambition and more radical change from business, the circular economy risked becoming another (26) buzzword. “We need to make sure this doesn't just replace 'sustainability'... and that we don't keep creating words which don't actually mean very much," Sauven said. “What we're talking about is not just (27) tinkering with the system, we're talking about a much more universal shift.”
A particularly critical issue for the round table was the release of a new packaging plan by CocaCola. The soft drinks giant has become a symbol of big business's contribution to the waste problem (28) thanks in part to a high-profile campaign by Greenpeace, which claims the company generates more than 100 billion plastic bottles a year. Coca-Cola has promised to increase the recycled content of its bottles to 50% by 2020 and to research the impact of deposit return schemes (DRS), in which consumers are asked to pay a refundable deposit on cans or bottles. It has also launched a campaign to encourage people to recycle and to stop littering.
For Carina Millstone, executive director at food waste campaign group Feedback, these pledges missed the true scope of the change needed to create a sustainable society. In fact, she argued, the resource-wasting, environment-damaging, consumption-based business model of global corporations was fundamentally at odds with the needs of the planet. New business models that promote goods that last longer are needed instead. Such a transformation would require a “re-regionalization of economies,” away from the low-cost globalized production model that has made it cheaper, for example, to buy a new pair of shoes than repair old ones, she said. “We used to have * cobblers all over the place. We don't any more.” Millstone is not alone in seeing a “local, vibrant economy” as key to solving an integrated set of challenges to our resources and society. Already in the UK we can find many “repair cafes," which provide. tools, materials and advice to local people wanting to fix anything from bicycles to * crockery.
But can this community approach drive change fast enough? David Palmer-Jones, chief executive of Suez UK, which processes around 9 million tonnes of waste per year, was doubtful. “What we fail to recognize is the scale,” he said. “Local initiatives are fantastic to show what can be done... but to get scale and get speed of change we require government intervention.”
Rauno Raal, who runs Estonia's hugely successful DRS, argued that his country offered a useful lesson. Since 2005, Estonian customers have paid a deposit on every bottle of cola they buy. Last year, 75% of cans and 87% of PET bottles were returned. The scheme was only made possible by government action. “The discussion here is exactly the same as in Estonia 12 years ago. Everyone was fighting against the return scheme. The government asked all the producers and retailers to discuss it and said, very clearly, 'OK, you don't want a DRS, then we will start one for you.' ” But if the government is key, citizens are as well, added Raal, saying that personal values were [ (22) ] to changing consumption patterns and conserving resources.
Adam Lusby, lecturer in circular economy implementation at the University of Exeter, [ (23) ] . Consumers—and consumption-were the wrong target, he said. “We don't need to go on a big campaign to change people's behavior, we just need to change how we design stuff.” That means better product design, but also a better designed economy, one which, as a first step, would tax nonrenewable resources, such as the fossil fuels used to make plastic, rather than labor: "Instead of fighting over who does what, there are some good, healthy, macro-economic decisions that can be made," Lusby said.
* cobblers 靴修理職人
* crockery 陶磁器
(i) In the context of this passage, choose the most suitable word or expression to fill in each blank.
(21) The answer is: [ (21) ]
1 Also like
2 Much as
3 Same for
4 So too
(22) The answer is: [ (22) ]
1 exceptional
2 obliged
3 unrelated
4 vital
(23) The answer is:
1 anticipated
2 disagreed
3 retreated
4 supplemented
(ii) In the context of this passage, choose the best answer for each question.
(24) What does John Sauven mean by (24) “a complete failure of the system”? The answer is: [ (24) ]
1 The global eco-system is influenced by human activities
2 The prices of products are determined by the packaging
3 Everyday consumption needlessly creates plastic waste
4 Croissants are wrapped in different types of materials
(25) Which one of the following is most consistent with the idea of the “circular economy”? The answer is: [ (25) ]
1 Packaging should be designed to be re-used as much as possible
2 Organizations will now have to see the eco-friendly cycle as radical
3 Each company ought to be held responsible for its own product distribution
4 The round-table participants must solve the current waste problem
(26) What does John Sauven mean by his use of the term (26) "buzzword” ? The answer is: [ (26) ]
1 A controversial idea that is not spoken but usually implied
2 An old idea that is out of fashion but still taught in schools
3 A new idea that is widely known but hardly used in economics
4 A trendy idea that is often discussed but rarely put into practice
(27) Which one of the following is closest in meaning to the expression “tinkering with”? The answer is: [ (27) ]
1 adjusting
2 assessing
3 constructing
4 delivering
(28) Which one of the following best explains the underlined phrase (28) "thanks in part to a high-profile campaign by Greenpeace”? The answer is: [ (28) ]
1 Coca-Cola researched the impact of DRS in collaboration with Greenpeace
2 Coca-Cola became a symbol of the waste problem because of Greenpeace
3 Greenpeace praised Coca-Cola's contribution to good waste management
4 Greenpeace has conducted a campaign to collect Coca-Cola bottles
(29) Which one of the following is Carina Millstone's main point? The answer is: [ (29) ]
1 Having an old pair of shoes repaired is cheaper than buying a new one
2 Skilled workers have disappeared because of the use of modern materials
3 It's difficult to maintain local businesses without government support
4 A business model that values regional economic activities is required
(30) Which one of the following was NOT mentioned at the round table? The answer is: [ (30) ]
1 The consumption-based business model damages the environment
2 Companies that use unsustainable resources should pay lower taxes
3 Local initiatives can offer ideas to deal with the waste problem
4 Initially, businesses in Estonia were reluctant to adopt the DRS
(31) All of the following are TRUE EXCEPT: [ (31) ]
1 Coca-Cola expressed its intention to help solve the waste problem
2 Most consumers have stopped buying products packaged in plastic
3 Lusby thinks government action can make society more eco-friendly
4 The circular economy offers a model for how resources can be used
質問と回答