英語学習

英語ニュース教材：What we know about water use of the over 250 data centres in Australia（Intermediate レベル）

 

Contents

🎧 Audio

📖 Script

Australia is home to over 250 data centres, and many more are expected to be built in the coming years. These centres are essential for supporting the digital infrastructure that powers everything from online banking to video streaming. However, they also require a significant amount of water to keep the servers cool. This has raised concerns among experts about the sustainability of using drinking water for this purpose.

Data centres work by housing thousands of servers that store and process data. These servers generate a lot of heat, and to keep them functioning properly, they need to be cooled continuously. Traditionally, this cooling has been achieved using water. In Australia, with its dry climate and frequent droughts, the use of drinking water for cooling is particularly concerning. Experts suggest that alternative cooling methods, such as using recycled water or improving energy efficiency, should be explored to reduce the environmental impact.

The demand for data centre services is growing rapidly, driven by the increasing use of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and other digital technologies. This means that the issue of water use is likely to become even more pressing in the future. Policymakers and industry leaders are being urged to consider sustainable practices to ensure that the digital growth does not come at the expense of precious water resources.

Overall, while data centres are crucial for modern life, it is important to balance technological advancement with environmental responsibility. By finding innovative solutions to reduce water usage, Australia can continue to support digital growth while also protecting its valuable water resources.

📝 Vocabulary

  • infrastructure: the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise（インフラ）
    例文: “The city plans to improve its infrastructure to support the growing population.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • build infrastructure
    • infrastructure development
    • critical infrastructure
  • sustainability: the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level without depleting resources（持続可能性）
    例文: “Sustainability is a key factor in the company’s long-term strategy.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • promote sustainability
    • environmental sustainability
    • sustainability practices
  • drought: a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water（干ばつ）
    例文: “The drought has severely affected the farming community.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • severe drought
    • drought conditions
    • prolonged drought
  • alternative: available as another possibility（代替の）
    例文: “We need to find alternative methods to solve the problem.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • alternative solution
    • alternative energy
    • alternative approach
  • efficiency: the state or quality of being efficient（効率性）
    例文: “Improving efficiency can help reduce costs.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • energy efficiency
    • operational efficiency
    • improve efficiency

✏️ Grammar Point

Present Perfect Continuous – “These centres are essential for supporting the digital infrastructure that powers everything from online banking to video streaming.”

文法の日本語補足を見る
現在完了進行形は、ある期間にわたって行われている動作や状態を表します

💡 使用場面

現在完了進行形は、過去に始まり、現在も続いている行動や状態を強調する際に使われます。特に、その行動が現在にどのように影響しているかを述べる際に有効です。

📝 使用例文

“例: In a business meeting, you might say: ‘We have been analyzing the market trends to improve our sales strategy.’”

❓ Listening Questions

  1. True/False: Experts are concerned about using drinking water to cool data centre servers in Australia.
  2. MCQ: What is driving the demand for more data centres in Australia?
    a) Decrease in online activities
    b) Increase in artificial intelligence and cloud computing
    c) New government regulations
    d) Reduction in energy costs
  3. MCQ: What alternative cooling method is suggested for data centres?
    a) Using more servers
    b) Increasing water usage
    c) Using recycled water
    d) Building fewer data centres
🔑 Listening Answersを見る
  1. True
  2. b) Increase in artificial intelligence and cloud computing
  3. c) Using recycled water

📚 Reading Questions

  1. What problem do data centres in Australia face regarding water use?
  2. Why is the use of drinking water for cooling servers a concern in Australia?
  3. What does the word “sustainability” mean in the context of the script?
🔑 Reading Answersを見る
  1. They face the problem of using large amounts of drinking water for cooling servers.
  2. Because Australia has a dry climate and frequent droughts, making water a precious resource.
  3. The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level without depleting resources.

🇯🇵 日本語での経済ニュース解説

オーストラリアには250以上のデータセンターがあり、今後さらに増加が見込まれています。これらはデジタルインフラを支えるために重要ですが、冷却のために大量の飲料水を使用することが懸念されています。オーストラリアは乾燥した気候で、頻繁に干ばつが発生するため、水資源の持続可能な利用が求められています。AIやクラウドコンピューティングの需要増加により、データセンターの水使用問題は今後さらに重要になると予想されます。国内外の政策立案者や業界リーダーは、環境への配慮を考慮に入れた持続可能な方法を模索する必要があります。

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-10/demand-for-data-centre-water-in-ai-push/106102208

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