[하루리딩] 울산 발전소 붕괴와 산업재해를 시사 영어 리딩으로 읽고 직장 내 안전과 겨울철 정부 안전 개혁까지 함께 이해하기

소개글

울산 발전소 붕괴 사고는 산업재해와 직장 내 안전의 현실을 다시 돌아보게 만드는 중요한 사건입니다. 

이 글에서는 사고의 배경과 정부의 대응 흐름을 시사 영어 리딩 방식으로 풀어내어, 영어 학습과 사회적 이슈 이해를 동시에 경험하실 수 있도록 구성하였습니다. 

실제 뉴스 문맥에서 사용되는 주요 표현과 안전 정책과 관련된 핵심 개념을 자연스럽게 익히며, 학습과 정보의 균형을 한 번에 잡을 수 있는 내용으로 준비했습니다.

하루 리딩 공부

A tragic accident occurred at a thermal power plant construction site in Ulsan earlier this month.

A 63-meter tower collapsed without warning, trapping seven workers underneath tons of debris.

Rescue teams continued operations for days despite dangerous and unstable conditions around the site.

On Friday, authorities confirmed that the last missing worker had finally been located.

All seven workers were found without signs of life, leaving families and colleagues in deep grief.

The incident quickly drew national attention and sparked urgent discussions about workplace safety.

President Lee Jae-myung issued a public statement expressing profound sorrow over the tragedy.

He apologized as the nation’s highest official responsible for protecting public safety.

The president stressed that such a disaster should never occur in a modern industrial site.

He added that losing seven workers at one location represented an unacceptable failure.

The president vowed to determine whether safety regulations had been ignored or poorly enforced.

He ordered a thorough investigation to identify the exact cause of the collapse.

Lee made it clear that anyone responsible would face strict punishment, regardless of their rank or position.

Government ministries were also instructed to review industrial work sites nationwide.

Officials announced they would inspect hazardous structures before the winter season begins.

The Ulsan collapse has renewed widespread concerns about weak safety standards.

Labor groups are calling for stronger laws to prevent similar industrial accidents in the future.

Experts argue that repeated tragedies reveal a deeply rooted lack of safety culture.

The president promised long-term reforms to eliminate what he described as “workplaces of death.”

As the nation mourns the victims, conversations about accountability and prevention continue to intensify.

항목	내용
사고 장소	울산 열병합 발전소 공사 현장
사고 원인(진행 중)	63m 타워 붕괴, 정확한 원인은 조사 중
사망자	7명 전원 사망
구조작업	열악한 환경에서도 며칠간 진행
대통령 입장	깊은 사과, 안전 책임 강조
정부 조치	철저한 조사 지시, 안전규정 위반 여부 확인
처벌 방침	직급과 관계없이 엄격 처벌
전국 점검	겨울철 대비 위험 구조물 점검 명령
사회 반응	산업안전 기준 재조명, 노동계의 규제 강화 요구
향후 방향	장기적 안전 개혁 약속

실전 문제들

아래 모든 문제는 1번 내용의 리딩 본문만을 기반으로 구성했습니다.

✔ TOEIC (Reading Comprehension) – 5 Questions

Q1.

What is the main purpose of the president’s public statement?
A. To provide financial support for the victims’ families
B. To express sorrow and promise a thorough investigation
C. To announce the reopening of the power plant
D. To explain new construction plans

Q2.

What did rescue teams struggle with during the operation?
A. Poor communication equipment
B. Heavy rainfall
C. Harsh and unstable site conditions
D. Lack of personnel

Q3.

According to the passage, what will the government inspect before winter?
A. Worker salaries
B. Hazardous structures
C. Power plant fuel levels
D. Regional labor unions

Q4.

What does the incident reveal, according to experts?
A. Rapid technological development
B. A weak safety culture
C. A shortage of industrial workers
D. Rising construction costs

Q5.

Which of the following is implied in the passage?
A. Negligence may have contributed to the tower collapse.
B. The plant will permanently shut down.
C. Only low-level workers will be punished.
D. The accident happened due to a strong earthquake.

✔ IELTS (Reading Style Short Answer + True/False) – 5 Questions

Q6. Short Answer

What did President Lee apologize for?

Q7. Short Answer

How many workers were found without signs of life?

Q8. True / False / Not Given

Experts believe that repeated industrial accidents show a weak safety culture.
(True / False / Not Given)

Q9. True / False / Not Given

Labor groups demanded higher wages after the accident.
(True / False / Not Given)

Q10. Short Answer

What type of investigation did the president order?

✔ TOEFL (Reading Comprehension – Inference + Detail) – 5 Questions

Q11.

What can be inferred about the government’s reaction to the accident?
A. They considered it a routine incident.
B. They planned nationwide safety inspections.
C. They decided to delay investigations until winter.
D. They focused solely on economic damage.

Q12.

Which statement best describes the public reaction?
A. The public believed the accident was unavoidable.
B. The public paid little attention to the event.
C. Concerns grew about workplace safety standards.
D. People focused mainly on equipment cost issues.

Q13.

Why did labor groups call for stronger regulations?
A. Because new workers were being hired
B. Because similar accidents could happen again
C. Because the power plant was shutting down
D. Because they opposed the president’s statement

Q14.

What does the phrase “workplaces of death” most likely refer to?
A. Sites where productivity is extremely low
B. Locations with severe safety failures
C. Factories with outdated machinery
D. Areas with high unemployment

Q15.

Which detail best supports the idea that accountability will be enforced?
A. The president promised financial aid.
B. Officials were told to ignore rank or position when punishing offenders.
C. Workers refused to return to work.
D. Experts doubted the investigation process.

🎯 정답 + 해설

TOEIC

1. B – 대통령의 성명 목적은 슬픔 표현 + 철저한 조사 약속

2. C – 구조팀은 “harsh and unstable conditions”와 싸움

3. B – 겨울 전 위험 구조물 점검 명령

4. B – 전문가: 약한 안전 문화

5. A – 안전 규정이 무시되었는지 조사 계획(→ 과실 가능성 시사)

IELTS

6. He apologized for failing to protect public safety.

7. Seven workers.

8. True – 본문 그대로 언급

9. False – 임금 언급 없음

10. A thorough investigation.

TOEFL

11. B – 전국 산업 현장 안전점검을 지시함

12. C – 안전 기준에 대한 걱정 증가 언급

13. B – “similar accidents” 반복 가능성 때문

14. B – 사망 사고 위험이 있는 현장을 비유적으로 표현

15. B – 직급과 관계없이 처벌하겠다는 대목이 책임성 강조

항목	내용
리딩 주제	울산 발전소 붕괴, 7명 사망, 정부 조사
정부 대응	철저 조사, 위험 구조물 점검, 책임자 처벌
주요 사회 반응	안전 기준 강화 요구, 약한 안전문화 지적
시험 유형	TOEIC·IELTS·TOEFL 문제 구성
핵심 포인트	workplace safety, accountability, investigation, reforms

마무리글

이번 울산 발전소 붕괴 사례는 단순한 사고를 넘어 우리 사회의 안전 의식과 시스템 개선의 필요성을 분명하게 보여주었습니다.

시사 영어 리딩을 통해 사고 조사 과정과 정부 대책의 흐름을 이해하셨다면, 앞으로의 안전 정책 변화에도 더욱 능동적으로 접근하실 수 있을 것입니다. 

영어 학습과 동시에 사회 이슈를 함께 바라보는 시선은 장기적으로 큰 힘이 되며, 오늘의 학습이 여러분의 언어 실력과 사고의 폭을 넓히는 계기가 되길 바랍니다.

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