N1 Grammar · Test 33

じゃないか is used to express complaint, reproach, or exasperation toward the listener. 困るじゃないか！ means 'You're causing me trouble, aren't you!' / 'This is a real problem!' The boss is directly scolding the subordinate, and じゃないか conveys that emotional force. This is a casual/blunt masculine expression appropriate for a superior reprimanding a subordinate.

• 2のではないか expresses speculation or doubt ('isn't it the case that ~?'), as in 困るのではないか = 'mightn't that be a problem?' It is too soft and indirect for a boss who is actively scolding. It sounds like the speaker is wondering rather than complaining.
• 3じゃないのか is a variant of じゃないか but with the explanatory の inserted. 困るじゃないのか is awkward and unnatural in this context. The plain じゃないか is the standard form for direct complaint/reproach.
• 4のではないのか combines both の and か, creating an overly convoluted speculative form. 困るのではないのか would mean something like 'isn't it that it might be a problem?' — far too indirect and hesitant for a boss's angry reprimand.

• 〜じゃないか — complaint/reproach: '~, aren't you! / ~, isn't it!' (expressing exasperation)
• 〜のではないか — speculation/doubt: 'mightn't it be that ~?'
• 大恥おおはじをかく — to be greatly embarrassed / to lose face badly
• うっかりする — to be careless / to do something absent-mindedly

Option 4「となりつつある」is correct. The sentence describes a gradual change over the past 10+ years: 'Contributing to global-warming suppression has, over the past decade or so, seemingly become one of the conditions for a good company.' The verb needed is なる (to become), not する (to do), because 貢献が is the subject that 'becomes' a condition. 〜つつある means 'is in the process of ~ing,' which perfectly matches the gradual, ongoing change implied by ここ10年あまりの間に (over the past 10+ years). The final ようだ (it seems) also supports an observation of an ongoing trend.

• 1としうる uses する (to do/make) instead of なる (to become). 貢献が条件の一つとする means 'to treat contribution as one of the conditions,' which is grammatically odd with が and doesn't convey 'becoming.' Also, うる (can) doesn't fit the context of an observed trend.
• 2となりうる uses the correct verb なる, but うる (can/become possible) expresses potentiality ('can become'), not an ongoing process. With ここ10年あまりの間に and ようだ, the sentence describes something already in progress, not something that merely 'can' happen.
• 3としつつある uses する instead of なる. 貢献が条件の一つとしつつある would mean 'contribution is in the process of being made into one of the conditions,' which is an unnatural causative/transitive reading where an intransitive 'becoming' is needed.

• 抑制よくせい — suppression, control
• 貢献こうけん — contribution
• 優良企業ゆうりょうきぎょう — excellent/superior company
• 〜つつある — is in the process of ~ing (ongoing change)
• 〜うる/える — can, is possible to ~

Option 2「刺されでもしたら」is correct. The mother says: 'No. In this season, lots of bees come out on that mountain. If by any chance you were to get stung, it would be terrible, right?' The pattern 〜でもしたら means 'if (something undesirable like ~) were to happen,' and it pairs naturally with 万が一 (by any chance). 刺され is the passive form of 刺す (to sting) — 'to be stung.' Together, 万が一、刺されでもしたら = 'if by some chance you were to get stung.'

• 1刺されさえしたら uses さえ (even/just), meaning 'if you were to be stung, if nothing else.' This doesn't pair well with 万が一, which already conveys 'by some unlikely chance.' The combination is redundant and the nuance of さえ ('at least/just') is inappropriate for expressing concern about an undesirable event.
• 3刺させる is the causative form ('make/let someone sting'), which reverses the roles — it would mean 'if the bees make someone sting' or 'if you let yourself be stung,' neither of which makes sense here. などしても ('even if you do something like ~') also doesn't fit the conditional たら pattern needed.
• 4刺させる again is causative, giving the wrong meaning. くらいしても ('even doing to the extent of ~') is also grammatically and semantically inappropriate for this context.

• 万が一（まんがいち） — by some chance, in the unlikely event
• 刺さされる — to be stung (passive of 刺す)
• 〜でもしたら — if [something undesirable] were to happen
• 〜さえしたら — if [at least/just] ~ were to happen

Option 2「ほどのことではない」is correct. The sentence means: 'It's not something worth bragging about, but I haven't been late even once in the 10 years since I joined the company.' ほどのことではない means 'not to the extent that warrants ~' / 'not worth ~ing.' 自慢するほどのことではない = 'not worth bragging about.' This is a humble expression — the speaker downplays their achievement before stating it.

• 1だけのことではない is not an established grammatical pattern. だけのこと would mean 'the thing that is only ~,' and adding ない makes it 'it is not only the thing of ~,' which is unnatural and doesn't convey the intended 'not worth bragging about' meaning.
• 3だけのことに過ぎない would mean 'is merely something to the extent of ~,' which is grammatically awkward and semantically wrong. に過ぎない means 'is nothing more than,' but だけのことに is not a natural collocation, and the overall meaning would be nonsensical: 'it is merely something for bragging.'
• 4ほどのことに過ぎない combines ほどのこと with に過ぎない ('is nothing more than'), creating a contradictory and unnatural expression. It would mean 'is merely something to the extent of bragging,' which doesn't make sense in context.

• 自慢じまんする — to brag, to boast
• 〜ほどのことではない — not worth ~ing, not to the extent that warrants ~
• 入社以来にゅうしゃいらい — since joining the company
• 遅刻ちこく — being late, tardiness

Option 3「べきのではないでしょうか」is correct. The speaker is asking for advice, presenting two alternatives: 'Should I keep warning them? Or until they notice themselves, should I perhaps not say anything anymore?' The second option needs to be a negative suggestion in a polite, advice-seeking form. べきではないでしょうか = 'shouldn't I ~?' (seeking confirmation), which fits perfectly: もう何も言うべきのではないでしょうか = 'shouldn't I perhaps stop saying anything?' The の adds a nuance of seeking explanation/confirmation, making it softer and more consultative.

• 1べきでしょうか means 'should I say?' — this is affirmative, contradicting the intended meaning. The speaker is considering NOT saying anything (もう何も言う), so a positive 'should I say?' doesn't work.
• 2べきなのでしょうか also means 'should I say?' (affirmative), just with の adding explanatory nuance. Like option 1, it fails because the speaker wants to ask about NOT saying anything, not about saying something.
• 4べきなのではないでしょう is grammatically incomplete as a question — it lacks the final か that would make it an interrogative. Without か, it reads as a statement ('it probably isn't the case that I should ~'), not a question seeking advice. The stem ends with a quote mark, indicating a question being asked.

• 〜べきではない — should not ~
• 〜でしょうか — should I ~? (polite question seeking opinion)
• 後輩こうはい — junior colleague
• 繰り返す（くりかえす） — to repeat

The correct answer is 2: あるまいし. The pattern ～（では）あるまいし means 'since (someone) is not ~' or 'it's not as if ~, so...' Here, 子供ではあるまいし means 'You're not a child, so you should discuss things a bit more calmly.' The speaker is telling someone (likely an adult) to act more maturely and calmly rather than behaving childishly.

• 1あるものを expresses regret or reproach about a situation that exists ('if only ~ were the case'), which does not fit the context of telling someone to be more calm because they are not a child.
• 3ありながらも means 'while being ~' or 'even though being ~,' which would imply the person IS a child, contradicting the intended meaning.
• 4ありがちで means 'being common/inclined to ~,' which does not create the causal relationship needed ('since you're not a child, ~').

• あるまいし — since [someone] is not ~; it's not as if ~ (used to say someone should behave differently because they are not in that category)
• 冷静れいせい — calm, composed
• 話し合う（はなしあう） — to discuss, to talk things over

The correct answer is 1: とあいまって. The pattern ～とあいまって means 'together with ~' or 'combined with ~,' indicating that two elements work together to produce a result. Here, 複雑的なデザインが華やかな色彩とあいまって means 'the complex design, combined with the gorgeous colors, makes a wonderful product.' Two positive qualities reinforce each other.

• 2ともなると means 'when it comes to ~' or 'once it becomes ~,' which expresses a change of state or expectation, not a combination of two elements.
• 3にして can mean 'at/in/with' or express simultaneity, but it does not convey the idea of two things combining to produce a result.
• 4にそくして means 'in accordance with ~' or 'based on ~,' which does not fit the idea of two design elements complementing each other.

• あいまって — combined with; together with (two things working together to produce an effect)
• 複雑的ふくざつてき — complex, complicated
• 華はなやか — gorgeous, showy, splendid
• 色彩しきさい — coloring, colors

The correct answer is 4: あって. The pattern ～とあって means 'because ~' or 'since ~ (a special circumstance),' used when a special or notable situation causes a particular result. Here, 連休とあって means 'because it was a long holiday,' explaining why the amusement park was extremely crowded.

• 1いっては does not form a natural pattern with 連休と in this context. ～といっては means 'if one says ~' or 'speaking of ~,' which does not express causation.
• 2すると means 'then' or 'upon doing,' used to describe sequential actions, not a causal reason for crowding.
• 3して alone after 連休と does not form a recognized grammar pattern expressing causation in this context.

• とあって — because ~ (special circumstance); since it was ~, resulting in a notable situation
• 連休れんきゅう — consecutive holidays, long weekend
• 混雑こんざつ — crowding, congestion

The correct answer is 4: 思いきや. The pattern ～（か）と思いきや means 'just when I thought ~, (contrary to expectation) ~' or 'I thought ~, but actually ~.' Here, 今日は暑くなるかと思いきや、むしろ寒いぐらいだった means 'I thought it would be hot today, but rather it was cold.' This expresses a result contrary to one's expectation.

• 1思うからには means 'since I think ~, then ~,' expressing a conditional-reasoning relationship, not a contrast with an unexpected outcome.
• 2思ったことに is not a recognized grammar pattern and does not convey the contrast between expectation and reality.
• 3思いつつ means 'while thinking ~' or 'thinking ~, but ~,' which expresses doing something while having a certain thought, not the sharp contrast of expectation vs. unexpected result.

• 思おもいきや — contrary to expectations; I thought ~, but actually ~
• むしろ — rather, instead

The correct answer is 3: はおろか. The pattern ～はおろか means 'let alone ~' or 'not to mention ~,' used when even a lesser/more basic thing is difficult, so a greater thing is naturally impossible. Here, 歩くことはおろか立つことも難しい means 'walking, let alone standing, is difficult' — even standing (the more basic action) is hard, so walking is out of the question.

• 1ばかりに means 'just because ~ (and suffered an undesirable result),' which expresses regret over a cause, not the 'let alone' relationship.
• 2をおいて means 'except for ~' or 'leaving aside ~,' used to say there is no better option than something, which does not fit here.
• 4につけ means 'whenever ~' or 'every time ~,' expressing a recurring trigger, not the 'let alone' escalation.

• はおろか — let alone; not to mention (used when even a more basic/lesser thing is difficult, implying the greater thing is impossible)
• 腰を痛める（こしをいためる） — to hurt one's lower back