N1 Grammar · Test 28

「〜ものなら」expresses a hypothetical condition with a strong sense of 'if it were possible to ~.' When attached to a potential or desirable action, it conveys 'if at all possible, I would like to ~.' Here, 抜かずに済むものならそうしたい = 'If I could get by without having it pulled, I would like to, but apparently there is no other method.' The が in そうしたいが introduces the contrasting reality (もうほかに方法がないらしい).

• 1「抜かずにいると」means 'if I remain without pulling it.' This describes a condition of staying in a state, but it does not naturally connect to そうしたい ('I want to do so'). The pattern 〜とそうしたい is not a natural collocation for expressing a wish.
• 2「抜かずにいることで」means 'by remaining without pulling it.' This expresses means/method, not a hypothetical desire. 'By staying without pulling it, I want to do so' is incoherent.
• 3「抜かずに済むのだから」means 'since I can get by without pulling it.' This presents avoiding extraction as an established fact, which directly contradicts the second clause もうほかに方法がないらしい ('apparently there is no other method'). If it were already settled that extraction could be avoided, there would be no need for the dentist appointment.

• 〜ものなら — if it were possible to ~; if one could (expresses a hypothetical wish)
• 抜かずに済む（ぬかずにすむ） — to get by without having (a tooth) pulled; to avoid extraction

Option 3 「言われるに決まっている」fits perfectly. The sentence means: 'He's been busy lately, so even if I ask him, he's bound to say it's impossible, but I think I'll try asking him once.' Here, 無理だと言われるに決まっている means 'it's certain he will be told (it's impossible) / he will say it's impossible.' The pattern 〜に決まっている expresses strong certainty ('is bound to ~ / definitely will ~'), which matches the speaker's prediction that the busy person will refuse. The が after the blank connects this predicted refusal to the contrasting clause 一度は頼んでみようと思う ('I think I'll try asking at least once').

• 1「言わせる始末だ」uses the causative form 言わせる ('make someone say') plus 始末だ ('end up ~ing, to the point of ~ing'). This would mean 'to the point of making him say it's impossible,' which is both grammatically awkward and semantically wrong — the speaker is not forcing anyone to say anything.
• 2「言わせるということだ」again uses the causative 言わせる ('make someone say'), which doesn't fit. ということだ means 'it means that ~ / I heard that ~,' and combined with the causative it would mean 'it means making him say it's impossible,' which makes no sense in context.
• 4「言われるまでになる」is grammatically incomplete and unnatural. までになる is not a valid pattern meaning 'it will reach the point of being told.' The sentence would not form a coherent clause.

• 〜に決まっている（〜にきまっている） — is bound to ~ / definitely will ~ (expresses strong certainty)
• 頼たのむ — to ask (someone to do something)
• 無理むり — impossible; unreasonable
• 始末しまつだ — to the point of ~ing; end up ~ing (negative connotation)

Option 2 「でいいから」is correct. The full phrase is 時間があるときでいいから, meaning 'whenever you have time is fine, so (please teach me).' Here, でいい means 'is fine / is acceptable,' and から gives the reason/basis for the request, softening it: 'since any time you're free is fine with me, (please teach me).' This is a natural, polite way to make a low-pressure request.

• 1「がいいし」would form 時間があるときがいいし, meaning 'when you have time is good, and...' The し ending suggests adding another reason or item, which doesn't fit — the speaker is making a single request, not listing things.
• 3「ならいいのに」forms 時間があるときならいいのに, meaning 'it would be nice if it were when you have time.' 〜のに expresses a wish or regret about an unrealized situation, which doesn't fit here since the speaker is making a straightforward request, not expressing a counterfactual wish.
• 4「でもいいけど」forms 時間があるときでもいいけど, meaning 'even when you have time is fine, but...' The でも ('even') adds an unnecessary nuance of 'even if,' and けど ('but') creates a trailing, hesitant tone that is less natural than でいいから for making a request. While not entirely impossible, it is far less fitting than option 2.

• 〜でいい — is fine / is acceptable (used to indicate that something is satisfactory)
• 〜から — so / since (gives reason/basis, often softens a request)
• 〜のに — even though ~ / it would be nice if ~ (expresses regret or unfulfilled expectation)
• 作り方（つくりかた） — how to make (something); recipe

Option 1 「といえるだろうか」is correct. The sentence reads: 'At University A, the curriculum was revised last year, but can we really say that the quality of education has improved because of it? I don't think so.' The pattern 〜といえるだろうか is a rhetorical question meaning 'Can we really say that ~?' — it expresses doubt. This is immediately followed by 私はそうは思わない ('I don't think so'), which directly answers the rhetorical question. The structure is: raise doubt → deny it.

• 2「といえないではないか」is a convoluted double-negative construction: といえない ('cannot be said') + ではないか ('isn't it the case?'), yielding something like 'Isn't it the case that it cannot be said?' This is grammatically awkward and overly convoluted. It would suggest the speaker agrees the quality hasn't improved, but then 私はそうは思わない ('I don't think so') would contradict that, creating a logical inconsistency.
• 3「べきではないだろうか」means 'Shouldn't we ~?' / 'Shouldn't it be the case that ~?' This expresses a recommendation or suggestion about what ought to be done, which doesn't fit — the sentence is about whether something HAS improved, not about what should be done.
• 4「べきであるか否か」means 'whether it should be or not.' This is about obligation/necessity (べき), not about whether a statement can be made (といえる). The sentence is questioning whether we can assert that quality has improved, not whether it should improve.

• 〜といえるだろうか — Can we really say that ~? (rhetorical question expressing doubt)
• カリキュラム改定（カリキュラムかいてい） — curriculum revision
• 向上こうじょう — improvement; enhancement
• 〜か否か（〜かいなか） — whether or not ~ (formal)

Option 4 「落ち込んでばかりいても始まらない」is correct. The sentence means: 'Last month, I lost a match due to my own mistake, was depressed, and couldn't concentrate on practice for a while. But, thinking that just being depressed won't get me anywhere, I decided to practice hard again.' The pattern 〜ばかりいても始まらない means 'just doing ~ won't accomplish anything / there's no point in just ~ing.' This perfectly captures the speaker's resolve to stop wallowing in depression and resume practice.

• 1「落ち込みもしない」means '(I) don't even get depressed,' which directly contradicts the context — the speaker already stated they were depressed (落ち込んで). This makes no sense as a reason to resume practice.
• 2「落ち込むわけではない」means 'it's not that (I) get depressed' or '(I) wouldn't get depressed.' This also contradicts the established fact that the speaker WAS depressed. It cannot serve as motivation to start practicing again.
• 3「落ち込んでいたことは否めない」means 'I can't deny that I was depressed.' While factually true, this is merely an acknowledgment of the past, not a motivating thought that would lead to resuming practice. It lacks the forward-looking, action-oriented nuance needed for the だが ('but') transition and the decision to practice hard again.

• 〜ばかりいても始まらない（〜ばかりいてもはじまらない） — just doing ~ won't get you anywhere; there's no point in only ~ing
• 落ち込む（おちこむ） — to be depressed; to feel down
• 否いなめない — cannot deny; cannot dismiss
• 集中しゅうちゅうできる — can concentrate

まいります is the humble form (謙譲語) of 行く/来る/する. In the pattern V-て + まいります, it expresses humble intention: 'I will go and do ~.' 実行してまいります = 'I will carry out (the policies).' This is appropriate because the newly elected mayor Ueda is making a formal public statement about his own actions, and humble language is expected. The phrase 私自らが先頭に立って実行してまいります = 'I myself will stand at the forefront and carry them out' conveys strong determination in appropriately humble form.

• 2願います means 'I request; I ask.' If used here, it would mean the mayor is asking someone else to carry out the policies, which contradicts 私自らが先頭に立って実行して (I myself will lead and execute).
• 3いたします is the humble form of する, so 実行していたします is grammatically possible. However, まいります is the more natural and idiomatic choice in this context because it conveys the nuance of 'I will go and do it' (行って参る), expressing proactive determination — fitting 先頭に立って (standing at the forefront). いたします lacks this forward-moving nuance.
• 4頂戴します is the humble form of もらう (to receive). 実行して頂戴します would mean 'I will receive (the carrying out),' implying someone else does the action, which contradicts the mayor saying he himself will execute the policies.

• まいります — humble form of 行く/来る/する; I will go and do ~ (謙譲語)
• いたします — humble form of する; I will do ~ (謙譲語)
• 頂戴ちょうだいします — humble form of もらう; I humbly receive ~ (謙譲語)
• 先頭に立つ（せんとうにたつ） — to stand at the forefront; to take the lead
• 掲かかげる — to set up; to raise (as a banner/policy); to advocate

「といっても過言ではない」means 'it would not be an exaggeration to say.' The sentence reads: 'It would not be an exaggeration to say that ABC Research Institute's research facility, equipped with cutting-edge experimental equipment, is the best in Japan.' This fits perfectly as a natural way to express a strong superlative claim.

• 1「の疑いがある」means 'there is suspicion/doubt that.' It carries a negative connotation (suspicion of something bad) and does not fit a context praising a facility as Japan's best.
• 2「を余儀なくさせる」means 'to force/compel someone to do something.' It requires an object (someone forced to do something) and expresses obligation, which makes no sense here.
• 3「よりほかはない」means 'there is nothing else to do but; one has no choice but.' It expresses having no alternative, which does not fit the pattern 「日本一～だろう」.

• 過言かげんではない — it is not an exaggeration to say
• 最先端さいせんたん — cutting-edge, foremost
• 疑うたがいがある — there is suspicion/doubt
• 余儀よぎなくさせる — to compel/force (someone to do something)

「あったらあったで」uses the pattern 「～たら～たで」, meaning 'if/when it happens, then (in that situation)...'. The sentence says: 'When the assignment deadline approaches, I wish I had more time, but even if I had time, I'd probably just end up playing around.' The pattern captures the nuance of 'if I had it, then with that time I'd just waste it.'

• 1「あるにはあるが」means 'it does exist, but...' It acknowledges existence of something but contrasts it. While grammatically possible, it doesn't convey the conditional 'if I had it, then...' nuance needed here.
• 3「あるとないとでは」means 'between having and not having...' It sets up a comparison between two states, which doesn't fit the sentence structure that needs a conditional/concessive meaning.
• 4「あったりなかったりで」means 'sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't.' It describes fluctuation, which doesn't fit the context of wishing for more time.

• ～たら～たで — if/when it happens, then (in that situation)...
• 締め切り（しめきり） — deadline
• 課題かだい — assignment, task

「知らされておらず」is the te-form of 「知らされておらずない」(negative gerund of 知らされる, the passive of 知らせる 'to inform'). It means 'had not been informed.' The sentence reads: 'Pro soccer player Ueda Kouta participated in a children's soccer clinic. The participants had not been informed that Ueda was coming, so everyone was surprised by his sudden appearance.' The negative state naturally explains the surprise.

• 1「知られつつも」means 'while being known, but...' (～つつも = 'while doing... nevertheless'). This would mean the participants knew but were still surprised, which is contradictory—if they knew, they wouldn't be surprised.
• 3「知らされていないと」is grammatically incomplete. The 「と」conditional needs a following clause, but here it would create an unnatural structure: 'if not being informed... everyone was surprised' doesn't work.
• 4「知られたためか」means 'perhaps because it was known.' This contradicts the context—knowing in advance would prevent surprise, not cause it.

• 知しらされる — to be informed (passive of 知らせる)
• 絶賛ぜっさん — high praise
• ～つつも — while doing... nevertheless

「としか言いようがない」means 'there is no other way to say it but; one can only call it.' The sentence reads: 'Regarding this year's grand prize work, the judges are full of praise, saying "To be able to capture such a moment in a photo—it can only be called a miracle."' The pattern 「～としか言いようがない」expresses that no other description is possible, fitting the tone of utmost praise (絶賛).

• 1「とでも言えばいい」means 'it would be fine to say something like.' This is too casual and tentative for the context of enthusiastic praise (絶賛している).
• 2「とすら言おうとしない」means 'not even trying to say.' This would mean the judges refuse to call it a miracle, the opposite of the intended meaning.
• 4「と言ってもしかたがない」means 'even if you say that, it can't be helped / saying that is pointless.' This dismissive tone contradicts the context of high praise.

• ～としか言いようがない（～としかいいようがない） — there is no other way to describe it but; one can only say
• 絶賛ぜっさん — high praise, rave review
• 奇跡きせき — miracle
• 収おさめる — to capture, to record