時事（トピック）

(ａｂｏｕｔ　１０　ｐｅｒｃｅｎｔ　ｏｆ　ａ　ｍａｊｏｒ)

about 10 percent of a major

(ａｎｔａｒｃｔｉｃ　ｉｃｅ　ｓｈｅｅｔ，　ｉｔ　ｄｒａｉｎｓ)

Antarctic ice sheet, it drains

(ａｂｏｕｔ　ｏｎｅ－ｔｈｉｒｄ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｃｅ　ｓｈｅｅｔ)

about one-third of the ice sheet

(ｉｎｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｏｃｅａｎ．)

into the ocean.

(ｄｕｒｉｎｇ　ｔｈｅ　ｅｉｇｈｔ　ｙｅａｒｓ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｔｕｄｙ，)

During the eight years of the study,

(ｔｈｅ　ｇｌａｃｉｅｒ　ｔｈｉｎｎｅｄ　ｂｙ　９　ｔｏ　１０．８)

the glacier thinned by 9 to 10.8

(ｍｅｔｅｒｓ，　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｇｌａｃｉｅｒ’ｓ　ｇｒｏｕｎｄｉｎｇ)

meters, and the glacier's grounding

(ｌｉｎｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｏｉｎｔ　ｗｈｅｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｅａｗａｔｅｒ)

line the point where the seawater

(ｍｅｅｔｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｃｅ　ｓｈｅｅｔ　　ｈａｓ　ｍｏｖｅｄ)

meets the ice sheet has moved

(ｉｎｌａｎｄ　ｂｙ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｆｉｖｅ　ｋｉｌｏｍｅｔｅｒｓ，)

inland by about five kilometers,

(ｉｎｄｉｃａｔｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　ｓｉｇｎｉｆｉｃａｎｔ)

indicating that significant

(ｓｈｒｉｎｋａｇｅ　ｈａｓ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｔａｋｉｎｇ　ｐｌａｃｅ．)

shrinkage has been taking place.

(ａｌｔｈｏｕｇｈ　ｓｃｉｅｎｔｉｓｔｓ　ａｒｅ　ｃｏｎｃｅｒｎｅｄ)

Although scientists are concerned

(ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｈｒｅａｔ　ｏｆ　ａ　ｒｉｓｉｎｇ)

about the threat of a rising

(ｓｅａ　ｌｅｖｅｌ，　ｔｈｅｙ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｔｈｉｎｋ)

sea level, they don’t think

(ｔｈｅｓｅ　ｃｈａｎｇｅｓ　ｗｉｌｌｂｅｇｉｎ　ｔｏ　ｉｍｐａｃｔ)

these changes willbegin to impact

(ｃｏａｓｔａｌ　ａｒｅａｓ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｏｒｌｄ　ｆｏｒ)

coastal areas around the world for

(ｓｅｖｅｒａｌ　ｄｅｃａｄｅｓ．　ｈｏｗｅｖｅｒ　ｔｈｅ)

several decades. However the

(ｓｃｉｅｎｔｉｓｔｓ　ｗａｒｎ　ｔｈａｔ　ｉｆ　ｔｈｅ)

scientists warn that if the

(ｅｎｔｉｒｅ　ｉｃｅ　ｓｈｅｅｔ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｔｏ　ｍｅｌｔ，)

entire ice sheet were to melt,

(ｉｔ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｃａｕｓｅ　ａ　ｇｌｏｂａｌ　ｓｅａ　ｒｉｓｅ)

it would cause a global sea rise

(ｏｆ　７．５　ｔｏ　１３．５　ｍｅｔｅｒｓ，)

of 7.5 to 13.5 meters,

(ｓｐｅｌｌｉｎｇ　ｄｉｓａｓｔｅｒ　ｆｏｒ　ｃｉｔｉｅｓ)

spelling disaster for cities

(ａｃｒｏｓｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｇｌｏｂｅ．)

across the globe.