Notes
extinction 絶滅;
pollinator 花粉媒介者,植物の花粉を運んで受粉を助ける動物（特に昆虫）;
habitat 生息地 動植物が生活し、成長する場所;
climate change 気候変動 地球の気温や天候の長期的な変化;
species 種;
threaten 脅かす;
pesticide 農薬;
drought 干ばつ

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According to Japan Times, many wild bees and butterflies in Europe are in danger of disappearing. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said that 172 kinds of wild bees and many butterflies face extinction because of habitat loss and climate change. Almost all flowering plants depend on bees and other pollinators to make seeds and fruits. If these insects disappear, many plants, such as meadows and orchids, will also be at risk. The number of threatened butterfly species has increased by 76% in ten years, and one kind — the Madeiran large white — is already extinct. The main causes are farming, forest cutting, fertilizers, and pesticides, which destroy flowers and safe places for insects. Climate change also brings droughts and fires that make things worse. Pollinators are very important for nature, our food, and our economy.
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Notes:
rumor: うわさ
disaster: 災害
explode: 爆発する
Japan’s weather agency: 日本の気象庁
fool: だます（うそを信じさせる)

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A popular manga called “Watashi ga Mita Mirai: Kanzenban” led to a big rumor that a huge disaster would happen in Japan on July 5, 2025. The manga talks about a dream where an underwater volcano explodes and causes a giant tsunami, much bigger than the Nankai Trough earthquake that experts have warned about.

Even though Japan’s weather agency said this is not true and there is no scientific proof, many people in other countries, like Hong Kong and Taiwan, became scared. Some people canceled their trips to Japan, and airlines cut back on flights.

Experts say this kind of rumor can cause real problems, like people rushing to buy things or feeling panicked. Sometimes, people want a big change in society, and that can make them believe scary stories more easily.

The real danger might not be the disaster itself, but how people react to rumors. We need to think carefully and not be fooled by things that sound scary but have no proof.
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