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Day 22｜実戦演習①｜科学・テクノロジー

【メイン課題】

以下の英文を 6分〜8分以内 に読みましょう。

手順：
① スキミング＋通読（2〜3分）
② 重要な段落を精読（2〜3分）
③ 設問に答える（2分）

英文：
Gene editing technology, particularly a tool called CRISPR-Cas9, has revolutionized the field of genetics and opened up possibilities that were once confined to science fiction. CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, allows scientists to make precise changes to the DNA of living organisms by cutting and modifying specific genes. Since its discovery in 2012, this technology has been rapidly adopted by researchers worldwide and has earned its inventors the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020.

The medical applications of CRISPR are perhaps the most exciting and promising. Scientists are using gene editing to develop treatments for genetic diseases that were previously considered incurable. Sickle cell disease, a painful and debilitating condition caused by a single gene mutation, has been successfully treated in clinical trials using CRISPR to correct the defective gene in patients’ blood cells. Researchers are also exploring CRISPR-based therapies for conditions such as muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and certain forms of hereditary blindness. In the future, gene editing could potentially eliminate genetic diseases before they even manifest by correcting mutations in embryos.

In agriculture, CRISPR is being used to create crops that are more resistant to disease, drought, and pests. Unlike traditional genetic modification, which involves introducing genes from other species, CRISPR can make small, targeted changes within a plant’s existing DNA. This distinction has led some regulators, including those in Japan and the United States, to treat CRISPR-edited crops differently from genetically modified organisms, applying less stringent oversight. Japanese scientists have already developed CRISPR-edited tomatoes with higher levels of a compound that may help lower blood pressure, and these products have been approved for sale.

Despite its tremendous potential, CRISPR technology raises profound ethical questions. The most controversial application is the editing of human embryos, which would create changes that are passed down to future generations. In 2018, a Chinese scientist named He Jiankui announced that he had created the world’s first gene-edited babies, twin girls whose DNA had been altered to make them resistant to HIV. The announcement was met with widespread condemnation from the scientific community, and He was sentenced to three years in prison. Critics argued that the technology was not yet safe enough for use in human embryos and that the potential long-term effects were unknown.

The debate extends beyond safety to fundamental questions about human identity and equality. If gene editing becomes widely available, will wealthy families be able to enhance their children’s intelligence, athletic ability, or appearance, creating a new form of social inequality? Could governments mandate genetic modifications for their populations? These scenarios, while still largely hypothetical, have prompted calls for international regulations to govern the use of gene editing technology in humans.

Environmental applications of CRISPR also present both opportunities and risks. Scientists have proposed using gene drives, which spread genetic modifications rapidly through wild populations, to control disease-carrying mosquitoes or eliminate invasive species. While such interventions could save millions of lives by reducing diseases like malaria, they also carry the risk of unintended ecological consequences. Once a gene drive is released into the wild, it may be impossible to reverse, making careful risk assessment and public consultation essential before any such program is implemented.

設問：
（1）CRISPRとは何の略か。日本語で答えなくてよい。
（2）CRISPRを使って臨床試験で治療に成功した遺伝性疾患の名前を答えなさい。
（3）CRISPRによる作物改良が従来の遺伝子組み換えと異なる点を説明しなさい。
（4）He Jiankui（賀建奎）事件について、本文に基づいて以下を答えなさい。
a. 何をしたか
b. 科学界の反応はどうだったか
c. 彼はどのような処分を受けたか
（5）本文の内容と一致するものを全て選びなさい。
a. CRISPRの発明者は2020年にノーベル化学賞を受賞した
b. 日本ではCRISPR編集作物はGMOと同じ規制を受けている
c. 遺伝子ドライブは一度放出されると元に戻せない可能性がある
d. 遺伝子編集された人間の赤ちゃんは科学界に広く歓迎された
（6）この文章全体を80字以内（日本語）で要約しなさい。

【練習問題】以下の英文を6分〜8分以内に読み、設問に答えなさい。

英文：
Quantum computing represents one of the most significant technological advances of the 21st century. Unlike traditional computers, which process information in binary bits that are either 0 or 1, quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist in multiple states simultaneously through a phenomenon called superposition. This allows quantum computers to perform certain calculations exponentially faster than even the most powerful conventional supercomputers.

The potential applications of quantum computing span numerous fields. In medicine, quantum computers could simulate molecular interactions with unprecedented accuracy, dramatically accelerating drug discovery and development. In finance, they could optimize investment portfolios and detect fraud patterns that current systems cannot identify. Climate scientists hope that quantum computers will enable more accurate climate models, helping governments make better-informed decisions about environmental policy.

However, quantum computing faces significant technical challenges. Qubits are extremely fragile and must be maintained at temperatures near absolute zero, approximately minus 273 degrees Celsius. Even tiny vibrations or electromagnetic interference can cause errors in quantum calculations, a problem known as decoherence. Current quantum computers can perform only a limited number of operations before errors accumulate and overwhelm the results.

Major technology companies, including Google, IBM, and Microsoft, are investing billions of dollars in quantum computing research. In 2019, Google claimed to have achieved “quantum supremacy” by performing a calculation in 200 seconds that would have taken a conventional supercomputer approximately 10,000 years. While this milestone was disputed by some experts, it demonstrated the extraordinary potential of quantum technology.

The development of quantum computing also raises important security concerns. Current encryption systems that protect online banking, government communications, and personal data rely on mathematical problems that are virtually impossible for conventional computers to solve. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could potentially crack these codes in seconds, rendering most current cybersecurity measures obsolete. In response, researchers are developing quantum-resistant encryption methods to protect sensitive information in the post-quantum era.

設問：
（1）量子コンピュータと従来のコンピュータの基本的な違いを説明しなさい。
（2）量子コンピュータの技術的課題を2つ挙げなさい。
（3）量子コンピュータがサイバーセキュリティに与える脅威を説明しなさい。
（4）この文章全体を80字以内で要約しなさい。

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